2015 10 01

GUYANA

The Chronicle is at http://www.guyanachronicle.com

Gun amnesty gets two-weeks extension No. 104328

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$66M cleared for 2 new-look Umana Yana P.

Representatives of the indigenous community turn the sod for reconstruction of the Umana Yana as ministers of government Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine; Cathy Hughes; David Patterson and Valerie Garrido-Lowe look on

Harmon tells GPSU confab...

A robust Public Service can take Guyana places

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 1, 2015

$66M cleared for new-look Umana Yana – sod turned to start reconstruction

From left are Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine; Minister Cathy Hughes; Ministers David Patterson and Valerie Garrido-Lowe

By Shirley Thomas THE Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs (MoIPA) yesterday joined with key representatives of the Indigenous People's community for the official turning of the sod for the reconstruction of the Umana Yana, a landmark national monument which went up in flames on September 9, 2013.

It was significant that yesterday’s exercise, hosted

by Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe was conducted on the final day of Amerindian Heritage month (observed in September), but it was also ruined by an electrical fire on September 9, 2013.

Among the distinguished invitees were designer of the plan, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, who is also Minister of Education; Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson; Minister of Tourism Cathy Hughes; Jean La Rose of the Amerindian People’s Association; Miss Indian Heritage Queen Sherico Ambrose; Isaiah Chappelle of NCN; Toshao Joel Fredericks; Master Builder Colin Issacs; and Paul Chekema and his team who travelled some 800 miles from Region 9 to be present for the ceremony..

Emcee Anil Roberts rendered an opening prayer in which he asked the Lord’s blessings and guidance on the project soon to commence and for making it a reality for the indigenous peoples of this country.

Meanwhile, in her brief remarks and overview of the project, Minister Garrido-Lowe recalled that it was an historic day in 1972 when the Umana Yana, towering 55 ft above ground, was built by the highly skilled WaiWais, and incredibly without using nails. It was initially intended for visiting foreign delegations and a conference hall, she said.

Expressing pleasure at the imminent rebuilding of what she termed the "majestic Umana Yana", she said it would once again “grace our city of Georgetown and be a timely reminder to all that the nine indigenous nations [tribes] are Guyana’s first peoples. That we are highly skilled in building; that we know nature well; and that we connect with nature.”

Garrido-Lowe thanked Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson who included the expenditure in his budget and succeeded in having it passed; Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine for designing the structure; the Wai-Wais who will construct the new Umana Yana, ably supported by the people of Moraikobai and the people of St. Cuthbert’s Mission.

Concurring with Garrido-Lowe that the Umana Yana was indeed a ‘magnificent edifice’, Minister Patterson said it was a tremendous honour, on behalf of his ministry, to be associated with the reconstruction of the building that was burnt down over a year ago. He thanked everyone concerned for giving the ministry a chance to be involved with the project.

Patterson said that the project is budgeted to cost $66.7M, and will be done jointly between the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and the indigenous brothers and sisters. His ministry will be doing the foundation which will be raised about 12 inch-

Youths of St. Cuthbert’s Mission entertain the audience

Representatives of the indigenous community turn the sod as the four ministers of government and others look on (Photos by Asdrian Narine)

es above the previous height to resist any possible flooding in the face of climate change and $9.2 million will be tendered out for the foundation, while $6M will be allocated for fire-prevention systems to be put in place.

The Ministry of Public Infrastructure is bent on avoiding any mistakes made in the past, which might have been responsible for the fire of 2013. To this end, $6M will be allocated for fire prevention systems to be installed, while another $16M will be allocated for an alternative energy source – solar panels to light and power the edifice.

The ministry has committed to lend all the technical and logistic support needed.

Patterson said it is anticipated that the construction of the edifice should take about six months. Calls for tenders for the building of the foundation should be out by October 7 and will run for about two to three

weeks, said engineer Keeraj Bisessar.

In the interim, the villages of Moraikobai and St. Cuthbert will be gathering the troolie leaves to thatch the building with Wai-Wai labour. Master Builder is Mr. Colin Isaacs.

The ministry anticipates that construction will be completed well in time for the nation’s 50th Independence anniversary, which will be a premier event.

Minister Hughes, dwelling on the painful loss of the facility, recalled over the years taking visitors to Guyana on tours around the city of Georgetown and invariably ending with a visit to the majestic Umana Yana.

Against this background she remarked: “Today is a celebration that we are going to put back a very, very important landmark in our city, and it is important that it goes up and it is rebuilt in the same

manner and by the same experts from our indigenous communities.

“But most importantly that it stands not only as a national symbol, but as a symbol of our indigenous heritage, and I think all Guyanese identify with that,” Hughes concluded.

Guests were treated to a regaling segment of Amerindian dance by a dance troupe from St. Cuthbert’s Mission.

A section of the gathering at the turning of the sod to commission the rebuilding of the Umana Yana

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 1, 2015

A robust Public Service can take Guyana places Harmon tells GPSU confab...

Minister of State Joseph Harmon and cabinet colleagues singing the union’s song, “Solidarity Forever” while holding hands in solidarity

By Rabindra Rooplall A ROBUST Public Service can take Guyana to the next level and a Public Service Staff College, which is to be established soon, will promote an essential part of this development, says Minister of State Joseph Harmon.

He was speaking yesterday at the opening ceremony of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU)’s 21st biennial delegates’ conference which commenced at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre. In attendance were Cabinet members, special invitees and stakeholders in the public service.

The biennial conference is scheduled from September 30 to October 2. Minister Harmon gave the feature address instead of President David Granger, who was engaged in meetings at the UN General Assembly.

Before moving into his remarks, Minister Harmon congratulated President Granger and his team on the tremendous work done to represent Guyana at the UN General Assembly, drawing loud applause from the audience.

Harmon noted that a government cannot function without the Public Service, which is one of the most important tasks of national life.

“I have already received recommendations for the Public Service Staff College as to the composition of the board, the quality of lecturers, the curriculum of the college. I have responded and I would like to engage the GPSU and have their member on the board,” Harmon disclosed.

Emphasising that services such as education, health, public security and infrastructure all depend on public servants' delivery, Harmon said the quality of this delivery is the key determinant of the quality of life within the society.

Therefore, he said that the public service needs to be

efficient to create an environment in which Guyanese can have a good life and a good life is not possible in Guyana without good public service.

In a frank presentation, Harmon said the administration has taken very seriously the public servant. “We have taken very seriously the morale of our public servant; we have taken seriously the benefits that are being accrued from work in the public service and what we are going to do is to indicate a new roadmap for the type of public servants we are looking for in this administration and the administration to come.”

Adding that government is focusing on a Public Ser-

vice that is relevant, reliable and accessible, Harmon said such a Public Service will be responsive to the needs of the people that are equally effective in all regions of Guyana.

Remarking that the Public Service is an institution of historical knowledge and collective experience, the Minister of State said, “You can’t have a Public Service that don’t remember things, loses documents, that files documents in an improper manner, that destroys documents... This knowledge and experience must be available to the political administration at any given time so that public policy can evolve in a modern, progressive and developing way.”

In order to discharge such institutional function, Harmon said the Public Service must comprise men and women of integrity who are willing and able to give advice without fear, favour, partiality or prejudice and with strict administrative neutrality.

“The Public Service is the servant of Guyana and not the servant of any individual political party. We believe that this can only be achieved if the Public Service is based on a system of merit and political impartiality. The Public Service must possess expert knowledge and high standards of academic dedication in order to discharge its functions,” Harmon stressed In seeking to articulate further on the Public Service, Harmon said government is working to ensure a different state of affairs is taken to enhance all aspects of the

Public Service. In this regard, he said a Public Service Staff College will promote an essential part of this development.

Acknowledging the advancement of Singapore, Harmon said that country has moved from Third World status to a First World status because it invested in its human resources and a robust Public Service. “It is important to note that Singapore became independent one year before Guyana, and it doesn’t have half of Guyana’s natural resources… they invested very strongly in their Public Service and human resources.”

Lamenting that Guyana has been labelled on the Transparency International index as a very corrupt nation, Harmon said this can be fought by having a proper and strong Public Service which the APNU+AFC government will promote.

He said the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Public Service is ongoing and working. The commission has been given a mandate to determine the measures to be taken to improve the efficiency of the Public Service. Secondly, reviewing the methodology used in the classification of public servants. Thirdly, examine salaries and wages of public servants and what must be fixed and finally, to review and examine the retirement age of public servants and to make recommendations.

In addition, Harmon said government has reaffirmed its commitment to the collective bargaining agreement as a fiscal method of settling wages and salaries and resolving disputes for the national work force.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday October 1, 2015

GPSU 21st Biennial Conference…

Yarde calls for reactivation of Public Service Appellate Tribunal

--says divisions in society, professional workforce to be addressed

WITH the new dispensation in governance, issues of divisions in the society and a professional workforce are being a d d re s s e d a s g o v e r n ment’s initiatives to foster social cohesion are up for discussion at the opening ceremony of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) 21st biennial delegates’ conference which commenced yesterday at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre.

The biennial conference is being held from September 30 to October 2. In attendance were cabinet members, special invitees and stakeholders in

the public service.

DEMOCRATIC RENEWAL The event is being held under the theme “Enhancing the process of the restoration of dignity and professionalism in the public service”.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon in his remarks said the conference is taking place at a time when the country has embarked on a process of democratic renewal and the pursuit of national unity.

“Only a few weeks ago, the Minister of Social Cohesion had a conference at the Convention Centre in which we spoke about national unity and calls for inclusiveness

GPSU President Patrick Yarde during his address yesterday at the 21st Biennial Delegates’ Conference

were made. In addition calls for an approach that recognises the importance of all ethnic groups in this country are things which we have taken on board and which we have actually started to work on.”

GPSU President Patrick Yarde said three years ago, the union had established a task force to consider race

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relations but it was never addressed. However, this issue will now be addressed with the government to develop an incubator to promote racial harmony in Guyana.

Yarde said the conference is occurring in a season of change and the GPSU is making a fresh start with the APNU+AFC government.

He said it is expected that

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the union members’ concerns and their contributions to national development will be appropriately acknowledged.

“What we seek is an end to the days of the impoverished Public Service. As such, recommendations were put forward to engage the new government for the advancement in the interest of the members…. Eighteen years ago, in January 1997, the late President Jagan set up a bi-partisan committee to consider the development of wages and salaries in the public service. A report was done to address the issue of wages and salaries, and key conditions of service of Public Servants; it also dealt with the formulation of a productivity strategy and a design of a productivity

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improvement programme for the Public Service…The commitment given in this document died when Dr. Jagan died, his successors denigrated the Public Service to misery,” Yarde declared.

APPELLATE TRIBUNAL He said further that the public service is the bedrock on which government stands, as he called for the Public Service Appellate Tribunal to be reactivated as it is constitutionally mandated to better serve the Public Service.

Advancing his argument for workers benefits, he said, “Our sustained appeals to the previous administration for the lack of housing See Page 5

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday October 1, 2015

Guyana seeks Argentina’s help in fighting piracy, DNA testing

MINISTER of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan on Wednesday met with the Ambassador of Argentina to Guyana Mr Luis A. Martino at his Brickdam office to discuss a cooperation project which involves the equipping and training of staff for the forensic laboratory.

According to a release,

Ramjattan informed Ambassador Martino that Guyana would welcome training assistance for the staff at the Guyana Forensic Laboratory and the Guyana Police Force in the areas of preservation of biological samples for DNA study and computer forensics.

The ambassador indicated Argentina’s willing-

ness to assist Guyana in the two areas mentioned.

Ramjattan also underscored that piracy has being affecting Guyana’s fishermen and he intends to strengthen the Maritime Wing of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to combat the scourge. He asked the Argentine Ambassador to share with Guyana his country’s experience and

expertise in combating piracy.

Ambassador Martino asserted that Argentina has a lot of experience in the area of fighting piracy and has acceded to Ramjattan’s request for assistance. The two officials also discussed the Argentina’s House of Justice (HoJ) initiatives, which provide vital so-

cial services to citizens in need of such services, and the possibility of Guyana benefiting from Argentina’s assistance in the areas of best practices among others. The Vice President shared his vision of having a House of Justice (HOJ) located initially in Regions 2 and 10 in Guyana subsequent to Local

Government Elections, so that Guyanese citizens could have proper access to needed social services. Ambassador Martino stated that he would make arrangements for an exploratory mission from Argentina to be in Guyana with regard to the areas of cooperation discussed between him and the minister.

Yarde calls for reactivation of ...

From Page 4 for our members and childcare facilities for their children have been denied for over two decades….Meanwhile foreigners and private investors took advantage of the previous administration give away on land policy.”

And, underscoring the cronyism under the previous administration, the GPSU President highlighted an article in the media that implied that a former minister had a role in personally selecting scholarship awardees. Yarde said this was also disclosed at a Commission of Inquiry where it was noted that the former Public Service minister selected many individuals who did not meet the criteria for scholarship awards.

He said that several years ago the interviewing process was overseen by a panel of educators who would have interviewed and shortlisted candidates based on the scores they had attained.

However, this process was not used and the then Minister in charge of the sector could not have said what was the process that was used in the scholarship selection.

“Years ago it worked, we had better persons being selected because they knew what they really wanted to do, was what they applied to do, now we have young people going with the flow, they just applied because it was a nice programme but they are not too sure that that is what they really want to do,” Yarde lamented.

He said the union will not accept in any respect the present government trying such acts with its public

servants.

Noting that many public servants after giving the best years of their lives retire broke, Yarde said not even the pension comes remotely close for being a fair compensation for contributions that many make.

This statement was given a roaring applause by the crowd at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre as Yarde added that many retired public servants in their golden years have been reduced to hustings in order to survive.

“Those lives are ever so often punctuated by illness.”

Highlighting that it’s a new dawn and era for public servants, Yarde said, “we will work with the government for the achievement of goals that are collectively set and pursue to better the lives of public servants and the quality of the Public Service.”

TRAINING INSTITUTE Lauding the move by President Granger to implement a Public Service Staff College, Yarde said the purpose of this institution would be to properly equip public servants with the relevant knowledge and expertise needed to efficiently serve in their intended position while rendering quality service.

“The Public Service cannot compete with the various other forces including that of migration, better jobs in the private sector, with the wages and salaries they receive. Patriotism and virtue are values that this union will always advocate, our young, eager and ambitious brothers and sisters will not be encouraged by meagre

compensation when they have to coexist with others who have means to live qualitatively better lives…,” he emphasised.

Noting that patriotism doesn’t mean a life of poverty for some while others who give lip service to patriotism do well for themselves materially, Yarde said the GPSU will not accept double standards and the powers that be should acknowledge this.

Underscoring that it’s not just a matter of emoluments but restoring dignity that has been taken away from the Public Service, Yarde said “the arrogance of power that sometimes is demonstrated

by Ministers of Government and senior officials has created a bunch of intimidated and frightened public servants.”

Against that background, Yarde said the union is promoting respect and it is hoped that the CoI would put forward tactical recommendations that will better serve public servants.

The GPSU president also called on the Minister of Public Security who was present at the conference to pursue opening the gates for the police and the army to be able to join unions.

“We see them as public servants in uniform and we feel that all workers should be able to get representation…I had once publicly said that for the risks and demand that are required for a conscientious and genuine policeman should not be paid less than a US$1,000 per month.”

Yard told the delegates at the conference that the

new political administration has stated its commitment to good employer and employee relations. He also called on government to abide by the fundamental principle of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) rights and labour relations to which Guyana is a signatory.

“In the matter of Convention 151, the principle of collective bargaining has often been treated as the proverbial floor cloth.

This union wishes to say to government that the quality of relationship will mostly be determined on the basis of clear under-

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standing and upholding the principle of collective bargaining and this position is non-negotiable. We will give respect and we expect respect will be reciprocated,” Yarde asserted. “We do not expect doors to be closed in our members’ faces as occurred in the past.”

(Rabindra Rooplall)

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Guyana

EDITORIAL

The Guyanese Diaspora IT was most refreshing to see Guyanese in the New York area and beyond turn up at the United Nations headquarters to register their protest against Venezuela’s threat to Guyana’ s sovereignty. They were there with their flags, placards, music and voices to let the world know that they stand with their country.

There is something deeply soulful when you see people who left their homeland but find the time to turn up in large numbers in the middle of the day to bat for their country.

It is a powerful statement that can only augur well for our Guyanese nationalism, which is constantly being tested. They deserve our gratitude.

Often we do not give enough credit to our diaspora for the role they have played and continue to play in our country’s socio-economic, cultural and political fortunes. We know of the critical role of remittances to the economic survival of many families. We know of the boost to businesses and the economy at large when diasporans visit in large numbers. But we have not always as a country acknowledged their worth along with the intangibles that they contribute to our country.

In a minority of instances, migrants to other lands marginalise or erase memories of their homeland. But the majority of migrants display a heightened patriotism to their countries of birth. Maybe it is the sense of isolation in a foreign land or the feeling of “otherisation” that drives that heightened sense of nostalgia which over time becomes a collective patriotism.

One remembers the role of the Caribbean diaspora in England in the breakthrough of the West Indies cricket team in the 1950s and during the period of West Indian dominance of the game. They were always at the grounds in their numbers, transforming them into Caribbean spaces of freedom. There was also their role in channelling West Indian music to the European continent, taking reggae and calypso to far places.

In similar vein, one of the most patriotic diasporas in North America has been the Caribbean diaspora. They display a cultural fidelity to the Region that is reflected in the many carnivals and other cultural festivals that have become part of the North American cultural landscape. In almost every major North America city there is a Caribbean Carnival and a radio programme that spreads the culture

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday October 1, 2015

Berbice Bridge finds itself between a rock and a hard place OPPOSITION Leader Jagdeo is quoted in the press as saying that “Government could buy out the Berbice Bridge”.

Editor, I do not think the government of Guyana is so insane as to bail out the business of the best friend of Jagdeo, who remains the principal ordinary shareholder.

They expect the new Government to totally reject his comments on this issue.

He is one of the principal sources of the problem, and has made very little effort to coin a solution. And, therefore, he should be treated as a troublemaker with personal, vested interest on this issue and nothing else.

Rather, he still operates with that grand illusion that he controls the treasury.

DING! Wake up! A new day has dawned in Guyana!

This bridge was constructed under Jagdeo’s watch, with the grand promise of bringing relief to the ordinary people; but instead, it became a financial millstone around the necks of the working-class. Even the

Berbice business community has rejected the business model that stipulates an untenable toll of G$2,200 per minibus. The people must continue to reject these tolls, and show their rejection by using the speedboat in their numbers.

There is no room for economic grandstanding and arrogance from the Berbice River Bridge Company.

The issues are separate and distinct: one a fully-funded political commitment by the Granger/Nagamootoo administration; and secondly, a business issue that the company claims it faces.

Thus, they must be dealt with separately, and cannot be commingled.

First things first! On the political commitment, the Granger/Nagamootoo government has made it absolutely clear that it is prepared to underwrite the full cost of reducing the tolls as prescribed in the 2015 National Budget, whatever the cost.

Once the business opens its book to financial scrutiny, the Ministry of Finance will write a cheque in favour of

the Bridge Company and deliver it upon the reduction of the toll.

That is such an easy situation with such an easy solution, and therefore it continues to baffle my mind why this company is playing the “class clown” on this issue.

EUREKA! So the boys at the Bridge Company arrogated onto themselves the power to hold a nation to ransom, but they have been ill advised.

You cannot hold a nation to ransom. Not even the big and powerful Venezuela could have held little Guyana to ransom. The Bridge Company claims that they have an alleged business issue.

Well the facts illustrate that they brought this issue to the attention of the PPP Government and they were ignored.

They are now trying to dictate to the new government the sequence of the agenda.

Are they for real? Let me put the “greedy lords” who are pulling the strings behind that Bridge Company on notice – continue this game of

“brinkmanship” and you will be responsible for a bankrupt company.

THE SOLUTION First things first – settle the business with the government on their political promise to the people since it will not cost you one blind cent. Then re-engage the government on your alleged business issue, which has to be backed up with facts, figures and financial statements. Boy, oh boy, Christopher Ram will be all over them. This company has now found itself between a rock and a hard place since there is no opportunity to fudge the numbers. The old people say “in gambling weird things happen and suddenly your life is shot to pieces”. To the board of the Berbice Bridge – know your place; your strategy is a sure road to diluting the value of your shareholding.

Can you afford that path?

THINK! SASE SINGH

Region 2 farmers never see extension officers AS A former rice extension officer and farmer of Region 2, it was brought to my attention that the young extension officers at Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) Anna Regina branch are not visiting the farmers’ fields to determine the bug

population and the high infestation. Inside sources told me that these officers are imbibing alcohol during working hours in the company’s boardroom.

Farmers claim when they visit the office, there is no extension officer at the front desk to receive their

to the Caribbean Diaspora and the wider society. The Guyana Folk Festival, for example, which is organised by the Guyana Cultural Organisation is an annual meeting place for Guyanese.

Politically the Guyanese diaspora has been a critical source of fundraising and moral support for our political parties. The interest showed in the recent elections is a case in point. Supporters of the winning coalition actually organised a massive Victory Rally in New York that matched the one held locally. This development is of course aided by the inter-

complaints.

During my tenure, there were six extension officers monitoring the region’s rice industry, three from GRDB and three from the RPA. In the morning we would report for duty in the branch office and occupy our desks located in

an open space where the farmers can meet with us and discuss their problems and book their seed paddy from the Burma research station. Our duty was to attend and listen to farmers’ complaints and See Page 7

net, which affords instant access to local news and information.

In fact, the diaspora in some instances receive such information in a more timely manner than those of us at home.

We once had overseas voting that allowed our diaspora to formally participate in the political process from where they are. That initiative earned a bad name and may not be recoverable. But there must be some way to formally bring our diaspora into our mainstream again. Perhaps there is something to be read into President Granger’s frequent engagement of the diaspora.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday October 1, 2015

Time to shake things up in the world of calypso here I RETURNED to Guyana just in time to attend the just concluded ‘King of Kings’ calypso competition, a first-time event held here in Guyana.

As expected, decisions by the judges are always challenged. It was a good show; I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I was disappointed with the length of time it took the judges to get the job done. In my opinion, something just wasn’t right.

The competition, under the theme, ‘The Rebirth of Guyana’s Rich Cultural Heritage’ seems to be a genuine effort by the organisers to, as the theme suggested, rebirth Calypso.

But apart from this unique step, the organising of the King of Kings competition, I mean, there can be no rebirthing of Calypso if there is no change with the body of people responsible for organising this great event yearly. Appointing the same set of people year go, year come is a recipe for disaster, especially if their appointments become lengthy ones. There has to be a change in the way the yearly adult competition is

run, and a new body set up to achieve this goal, probably every three years. After which, a change must take place again.

The person presently appointed has been there for way too long; whenever there is one set of people in place for too long, things happen the way they want it; and on most occasions, it is a negative way. The competition becomes controlled, and there is a lot of jiggery pokery playing out. And, make no mistake, both the Adult and Junior Calypso competitions have corruption going on; big time! Again, it’s the same set of people organising both of these events.

Ever so often, by moving around calypsonians, one hears their cries, feels their pains, but it seems as though none of them have the guts to stand up or cry out for change. My love for the art form and this new, positive promotion has motivated me to write on their behalf and probably assist with the rebirth of Calypso by adding my voice, hoping that this call is heeded to remove that body that is functioning presently; each and every one

of them. Except the civilian person, Mr. Semple; he is a plus for Calypso.

The judges must be familiar with the lyrics before the competition comes off; it would give them a better advantage on how to score.

Having to put up with contestants who keep coming with the same concept in their message each year, but using different characters, is distasteful.

At no time in Trinidad, where I’ve lived for over 15 years will you see persons holding certain appointments, messing around where the judges are. I have seen that time and again. It is high-class slackness to have the convener also playing the role of chief judge or judge on the panel almost every year. This one person is given those two appointments!

Calypsonians must also speak out strongly against their position being jeopardised by a Junior Monarch for a place at the finials. In Trinidad, no such thing happens. A junior is a junior; he/ she could probably be a paid guest; the adult calypsonians must demand this.

There’s a new admin-

Time to appoint a JP

THE area from Naarstigheid to Plantation Profit on the West Cost of Berbice, comprising three Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) has been without a Justice of the Peace or Commissioner of Oaths for several years.

There were three Justices of the Peace serving these NDCs; however, two of them died years now.

The other is incapacitated, due to age and failing health.

There has been no new appointments of Justices of the Peace over five years, particularly in the Rising Sun/Profit and Tempe/Seafield NDC.

I am aware that applications have been made for this office. One year, a petition was made to the former President of Guyana, in support of an applicant whose application is pending five years now, but to date, there has been no response.

We need JPs in our NDCs. There are times when residents in our community travel as far as Georgetown or New Amsterdam, where they are certain to find a JP, instead of searching the length of West Coast Berbice, hoping to find one. This is very frustrating to our community.

At this particular

point in time, a number of parents here with children at CSEC level need the services of JPs to complete and sign forms for subsidy for their children. With no JPs in our community, one can only imagine the inconvenience parents have to go through to have these forms filled and signed.

I can only hope that with this missive, the new administration would see the need to urgently appoint Justices of the Peace and Commissioners of Oaths in our NDCs. J.E. McLAREN

istration in place here, and things must be done in a different and correct manner; calypsonians should request help from Trinidad on how things could and should be streamlined. An emergency meeting must be held to iron out these very crucial points.

Calypsonians must also have a functioning association; there always seems to be some conflict or other which hinders the smooth flow of the association‘s mandate. A change must come in the way the songs are aired or viewed on radio and television when competition time comes around, so

that the general public can have the listening pleasure and viewing of the songs.

Mashramani is a national event, and the general public must be entertained with the songs selected until the competition comes to an end.

Like the Carib Soca Competition, all the songs selected for the competition must be placed on one CD and DVD and every Radio/Television station, be it State-owned or private, be given a copy of the CD with these recordings. And those persons from the Radio/ Television stations, in the spirit of ‘Mash’, must give each and every contestant

their due; not the kind of favouritism we see taking place every year; too much selfishness. And this friendship thing is killing the art.

On most occasions, the songs being pushed down the throats of the listening public are not necessarily the best songs; the general public should request sponsorship for a programme, both on television and radio.

So, I honestly believe Calypso could be revived, but if only the point mentioned be applied and certain people are removed.

IT IS TIME! L.C.B

Region 2 farmers ...

From Page 6

record them in our diary and the office log book. In the afternoon we would then visit the field with the farmers and have a firsthand look at the problems.

We would then advise the farmers as to what preventative measures to use.

We would then report the problems to our respective head office and the

research department. If we cannot solve the problem, a team from the Burma research station will then visit the region, we will then go into the affected plots with the rice farmers to determine the cause then advise them which drugs to use.

We would continue to do follow-up visits.

The only time the staff would use the GRDB boardroom was for our monthly

meetings, or if there were grading courses for millers.

These rum-drinking allegations need to be investigated by the general manager of the board; we cannot allow the industry to falter, or all Guyana will suffer. There should be a concerted effort by all stakeholders to halt such a situation.

MOHAMED KHAN

Application of the minimum wage I WAS under the impression that the $50,000.00 minimum wage was applicable to employees within the band scale in the Public Service, but, having read Sasenarine Singh’s article, ‘Motivation to Stay’, in the Guyana Chronicle, it would appear that my impression was wrong, since, as he asserts, it is applicable to every employee.

This is, indeed, commendable, as it now means that the salesgirl, domestic,

security guard et al will now enjoy a minimum wage similar to that of a junior public servant.

However, I do have some doubts as to the veracity of this assertion, since changing the minimum wage for certain categories of employees, including Sasenarine’s salesgirl, would require an amendment to the minimum wages order made under the Labour Act. And, maybe, employers in the private sector are also unaware of this change; and that is why the sweep by

Simona Broomes in Regent Street netted millions of dollars in arrears for those unfortunate employees barely surviving at $35,000.00 per month.

As promised in the Budget, I hope the same concern will now be shown to those public service pensioners earning 50% on the minimum grade scale in the public service, in view of the fact that they are no longer subsidised for the usage of water and electricity.

D. SOOKDEO

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 1, 2015

‘Greed and envy’ Motorist stopped for were the cause, mother says breathalyser test found with unlicensed gun, ‘ammo’ 'Warlock' execution...

LAVERN Griffith, the mother of 36-year-old executed mason, Dexter Griffith, is of the view that her son was murdered because of greed and envy.

He was murdered by persons in the very neighbourhood in which he lived and had previously considered his friends.

Dexter’s mother told the Guyana Chronicle that since her son acquired a motorcycle, he became an enemy to the other young men he had thought were his friends.

Some of them even made remarks about the amount of money he was making as a mason.

“He ain’t had no problem with no one at all; that is what is getting me mad,” she said. “He does carry he child to school in the morning, and bring her back home; no problem at all with anyone.”

Ms. Griffith went on to state that her son would only be at home when he is not working, and that late in the afternoon, after bringing his child from school, he would go back on ‘The Strip’ to play football with the other men from the community.

Court hears...

After that, she said, he would take a bath and go around the corner where he would interact with some small children. He had just done that when he was gunned down on Tuesday evening, but the smaller children were not around at the time.

WORK-SHY The distraught mother explained that the little money that her son makes from the jobs he secures had caused a problem between him and the other young men who are really workshy, but who are always striving to be fashionable.

It was after 20:00 hrs that the woman said she heard gunshots coming from around the corner, and when she looked outside, she noticed that all the people who were on the road were running from the direction in which the gunshots were coming.

She told the Guyana Chronicle that after not seeing her son among those persons, she got very worried and asked his "child mother" to go around the corner and

look for him.

When the woman arrived at the corner where her "childfather" would be liming, she saw him lying in the drain, bleeding.

According to reports, he was sitting when two men approached him, and one of them opened fire on him before fleeing on foot.

When the man’s mother was informed of the tragedy, she reportedly rushed out of her house and went to the scene. And on seeing him lying there in the drain, bleeding, she pulled him out. He was trying to tell her something, she said, but apparently, he never got a chance to say much. But sources on the scene told the Guyana Chronicle that he told her the name of one of his two assailants.

Up to late last evening, the police had not yet arrested anyone in connection with the shooting. Police sources however informed the Guyana Chronicle that the ‘callname’ of at least one of the men had been mentioned, and that he is being sought.

Development of hinterland airstrips...

Aircraft owners slam Denbow’s ‘double standards’ FORMER Chairman of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Hugh Denbow has come in for flak from the Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana (AOAG) for recent observations he made about the state of the local aviation industry.

The association, in a statement on Tuesday, deemed Denbow’s contention that it is not the responsibility of central government to develop and maintain hinterland airstrips as “extraordinary, completely unacceptable and marked departure” from his previous public professional position.

Denbow was, in 2013, Chair of the National Economic Forum Sub-Committee that recommended to the then government a National Aviation Policy and Action Plan for Guyana.

“The Aviation Policy and Action Plan,” AOAG says in its statement, “set a number of significant priorities for which the government should take responsibility, amongst them the implementation of a development plan for upgrading and extending of selected hinterland airstrips and aerodromes to accommodate larger aircraft

(4,000 ft X 100 ft) supported by an efficient maintenance programme.”

The association believes that Denbow is attempting to shake hands with the current administration. “Mr Denbow, in an apparent aboutface... suggests instead that this is somehow the responsibility of private operators.

Public infrastructure, which, of course, includes roadways and bridges, drainage and irrigation, river stellings and docks and, yes, hinterland community airstrips are the responsibility of government and for which we pay taxes,” the statement said.

The article, published in the September 26 edition of the Guyana Chronicle and headlined “Denbow plugs PPP for aviation sector”, is of great concern to the association.

“The AOAG is, therefore, surprised that the former GCAA Chairman is now suggesting that it is not the responsibility of government to maintain government-owned and operated airstrips built for the express purpose of serving hinterland communities and to the standards set by the GCAA’s own safety regulations.”

Denbow in the article did

AN Alberttown motorist who was stopped by police to undergo a breathalyser test ended up facing charges yesterday for being in possession of an unlicensed .38 revolver and a quantity of various calibres of ammunition.

Daren John, 23, of Lot 141 First Street, Alberttown was remanded to prison by city Magistrate

Ann McLennan after it was alleged that on September 28 at Brickdam Police Station, he had in his possession a .38 revolver with six matching rounds, four 9mm rounds and two .32 rounds without being the holder of a firearm licence.

The father of one denied the charge.

According to Prosecutor Corporal Deniro Jones,

the motorist was stopped by traffic ranks on Thomas Street, Georgetown to conduct a breathalyser test when an officer felt an object at the defendant’s waist.

The court heard that John ran back to his car to escape from the lawmen after they became suspicious. However he was later intercepted by ranks on patrol after the traffic ranks radioed for backup.

He was taken to the Brickdam Police Station and the illegal gun and ammunition were discovered in his car.

Corporal Jones objected to bail, citing the grave nature of the charges. Bail was refused and the defendant is scheduled to make his next court appearance on October 12.

Man accused of stealing from cousin’s house COLIN Klass, who was accused of stealing from his cousin’s house, was yesterday released on $70,000 bail by Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Particulars of the charge stated that Klass on September 27-28 at South Ruimveldt stole from the dwelling house of Althea Squire five pairs of sneakers, an electronic curling iron, one chair, five pairs of sandals,

property of Squire, and a digital camera, property of Wallace McKay, all valued at $191,000.

When the Administration of Justice Act (AJA) was applied, the defendant denied the charge. Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones did not relate the facts to the court but disclosed that both parties reside at the same house and requested that Klass be released on substantial bail.

Klass was released on

bail and bonded to remain on good behaviour. The matter was adjourned until October 19 for statements.

He kicks down wife’s door, calls her a bitch – but is put on self-bail Former GCAA Chairman Hugh Denbow

state that government does not have unlimited funds in its coffers and as such it is the responsibility of private aircraft owners to chip in but that statement too was met with venom.

“Mr. Denbow goes on to say ‘the government does not have unlimited money’ yet they choose to spend US$150,000 on one airport, a decision no doubt Mr. Denbow supports,” the release stated.

Also, the former GCAA chairman was flagged for stating that the recently commissioned Beechcraft 1900D owned by the Correia group is not designed to operate on Turn to page 9 ►

AN East La Penitence man was on Tuesday released on self-bail after he allegedly called his reputed wife a bitch and jumped the woman’s fence and kicked down her door.

Eon Rafeek, 46, of 292 Freeman Street pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on September 25, at Freeman Street, he jumped over a fence, kicked down a door and called Ali Moses a bitch.

Rafeek explained that on the day in question he went to a nearby shop and upon his return his wife accused him of being drunk and locked him out.

The matter was presided over by city Magistrate Dylon Bess who initially

ordered the accused to post $5,000 bail but after Rafeek told the magistrate he had no money, he was released on his own recognisance.

He is expected to return to court on October 13 for trial.

On the day in question,

around 20:00 hrs, Moses was at home when the defendant kicked down her door and called her a bitch. The court heard that the woman became scared and called out to neighbours who came to her rescue.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 1, 2015

2014 Audit Report handed over to Speaker

By Shauna Jemmott

THE recently-concluded Audit Report of the Auditor-General (AG) for the year 2014 will be tendered in the National Assembly when Parliament resumes on October 15.

Speaker of the National Assembly Dr. Barton Scotland made this disclosure yesterday as he received a report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, from the Office of the Auditor-General.

The document handed over by Auditor-General Deodat Sharma at the Public Buildings yesterday afternoon is the 11th such report.

The Speaker praised the timely delivery of the document, commenting, “It is very good to know that we are moving constantly on the manner in which we deal with such projects”. He said the report will be laid in the National Assembly in accordance with Article 223:3 of the laws of Guyana.

Dr. Scotland said the handing over of the report may seem to some as a simple ceremony, but it is a major activity which affects the major part of the work of the National Assembly.

Addressing the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Auditor General indicated that he alone could not have compiled the report, but credited his staff for their “relentless commitment”, the Ministry of

Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland (left) receiving the economic report for 2014 from Auditor-General Deodat Sharma at the Public Buildings yesterday (Photo by Adrian Narine)

Finance, the Accountant General and all accounting officers for responding to queries within the stipulated time frame.

MEETING STATUTORY DEADLINE “It should be noted that we have met the statutory deadline for the last five reports… this is in keeping with our Mission Statement, which is to provide ‘timely reporting in the results to the legislature and ultimately the public,” the AG noted.

He listed the improvement of public accountability as part of the mission of the Audit Office.

“The mission of the Audit Office is to promote good governance, transparency and improved public

accountability,” he said, adding that it is in this regard that noteworthy progress has been made to “modernise and strengthen the office,” with strong support from the government and international donor agencies.

He identified the signing of a Technical Cooperation Agreement between government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) earlier this year in the sum of US$488,073 as a significant source of support for the “continued modernisation and strengthening of the audit office.” The agreement is the fourth consecutive one since 2004.

Sharma also mentioned that in keeping with the regulations of the Audit Act, the audit office es-

Double murder suspect nabbed POLICE on Wednesday arrested a man in Mahdia who was wanted in connection with two murders allegedly committed in the hinterland.

According to a police release, during Wednesday acting on information, police ranks arrested a man at

Mawsie Backdam, Mahdia, who was wanted for questioning during investigations into two separate murders at Konawaruk and Mawsie Backdam.

An unlicensed .38 revolver with six rounds was found in his possession.

Aircraft owners slam... unpaved airstrips.

“Mr Denbow, in fact, is completely wrong in arguing that aircraft such as the Cessna Caravan and now the much more advanced Beechcraft 1900D are unsuitable for operating on unpaved airstrips. These types of aircraft are, in fact, specifically designed for operations on grass and unpaved airstrips once the airstrips are properly maintained,” said the

association. Moreover, Denbow’s statement to the effect that private operators could do more to work with government to achieve desired results, while not denied by the association, was met with the rebuttal that private aircraft operators have over the years placed their “technical expertise and experience completely at the disposal of government in setting the priorities and in recommend-

From page 8

ing the efficient and professional development of all active hinterland airstrips.”

In summing up, the association did however agree entirely with the former GCAA chairman that safety is critical in the aviation sector and for far too long issues of safety have been placed on the back burner; a statement it believes is a total contradiction to his previous comments.

tablished a Forensic Audit Unit, through which staff members have benefited from frequent professional development programmes, and which over the years has delivered numerous reports.

The Auditor General said in relation to quality assurance, in keeping with its mission to execute highquality audits and timely reporting to the legislature,

“the audit office has commenced “controls-based audits” for which 28 officers received the relevant training.

Earlier this year the Auditor General’s office also signed an agreement with the Canadian Executive Services Organisation (CESO) for the provision of technical assistance, and the Canadian entity has already trained 16 officers in effecting Information Technology Audits.

Also under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme in India, five audit officers were also trained in various areas.

H i s o ff i c e , h e s a i d , “continued to assist in the professional development of its staff by providing training materials, including textbooks and examination kits [which] have enabled a number of audit officers to pursue professional certification in the accounting field.” Eight audit officers, the AG noted, are on the verge of completing the accredited ACCA Certification programme.

The Audit Office is also part of the Caribbean Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (CAROSAI), which is currently undertaking a “cooperative audit” of respective revenue agencies in the Region.

He said this participation has benefited his office through the “facilitation and sharing of best practices and methodologies, which is in keeping with CAROSAI’s aim of using “collaboration as a tool for promoting best SAI audit practices.” The CASOSAI team has met and shared similar methodologies to aid in the planning and execution of the audit,” he said, which was in progress at the time of reporting.

Two officers were also trained through the INTOSAI’s Development Initiative (IDI) on Information Technology Audits.

The Auditor General also made a commitment to continue the execution of performance audits consistent with its mandate to “ensure the provision of reports that will facilitate improvements in the operations of our clients.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 1, 2015

Teachers dissatisfied with promotion process at senior levels – Education Ministry PS tells CoI

By Shauna Jemmott THE Ministry of Education still has a situation in which teachers, the core group in the sector, are dissatisfied with the selection process for promotion at senior levels.

This was disclosed during the ongoing Public Service Commission of Inquiry (CoI) when Permanent Secretary (PS) within the Ministry of Education Delma Nedd, took the stand Tuesday.

The PS pointed out that the concerns are current since appointments are now being done through careful processing.

Each education officer within the various regions sends to the level officer a vacancy list, that list is

sent to the Chief Education Officer. A (combined) national list is then formed…

When appointments are made, there would be a little rift as to who gets a promotion which is based upon seniority, she explained.

An appointments committee would then sit and examine the appointments.

Teachers, she noted, are appointed through the Teaching Service Commission.

In terms of the heavy content of the teacher ’s responsibilities, vis-a-vis those of the public servants, Nedd said the teachers’ responsibilities have increased because of the “incremental” status of the group termed the “focal point of education”.

Nedd thinks that “from

the outset, the teachers’ salary (even though teachers should be earning more), starts at an advantage”. Meaning, if someone [has] just graduated from the University of Guyana and decides between [going] to be a public officer or a teacher, in being a public officer, one has a job but the minimum scale there might be $76,000 (on average).

“A teacher can get to a school with a degree and start off at about $131,000,” she explained.

However, at the lower end of the scale, “We increase salaries based on the teacher’s status as teachers can be upgraded…

Our teachers do become qualified as they attend the training college. They

Delma Nedd

then can become a trained graduate (teacher) by going to the University of Guyana…” She went on to explain that there’s always a clear path for the teacher, but the public servant unfortunately has to start at a scale and if not promoted, that’s it.

“You don’t have that incremental kind of status or

provision within the public service” so the options, she thinks are better off for the teacher.

Recalling the well-publicised case of former Chief Education Officer (ag), Genevieve Whyte-Nedd, Chairman of the Commission Professor Harold Lutchman asked if there has been similar situations during her employment as PS. Though Nedd said she was not employed in the post during the time, she cited issues where ministers would have made irrelevant decisions, leaving the PS at a loss.

The PS had concerns when ministers went ahead and made decisions that weren’t appropriate and you [PS] “have to decipher how to address it, whether to bring closure to it and how to do so.”

To resolve such issues she refers to guidelines and with the minister’s knowledge, she would refer to the

Ministry of Finance, if it is a financial matter.

“I don’t keep secrets.

I say specifically what is the situation before us and how we deal with it… And then of course you have the regulation to say if it’s a description, if it suits the description, if it wasn’t in the budget, whether you would have treated it as an unpaid, if it’s something that would have already gone ahead, you look to see if it was an emergency. So it has to do with the condition within which such situation would have arisen.”

Nedd agreed when Lutchman said some ministers make mistakes because they “do not know the requisite law” under which their actions or decisions apply, and added that regular conversations and guidance of ministers is necessary by Permanent Secretaries.

PS Nedd has served three ministers with different styles.

Gun amnesty gets twoweeks extension THE Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Public Security, yesterday afternoon announced the extension of the gun amnesty programme until October 14, 2015.

The announcement came on the last day of the initial amnesty programme. With the extension of the gun amnesty, members of the public can continue to surrender illegal firearms and ammunition to identified police stations across the country.

Meanwhile, yesterday, just before the announcement of the extension was made, persons visited the Brickdam and East La Penitence Police Stations to hand over several weapons, and a quantity of ammunition.

Divisional Commander Clifton Hicken confirmed that the Brickdam Police Station received one .22 revolver, one .357 magnum revolver, one 12-gauge shotgun and 12 cartridges, while one .22 pistol and 146 matching rounds of ammunition were handed over at the East La Penitence Police Station.

Early last month, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan had stated that there would be no extension of the gun amnesty programme, but later he indi-

cated that an extension might be possible, depending on the response from members of the public to the initiative.

The gun amnesty was a first for Guyana, but it has been tried in other countries, with various levels of success.

All police divisions have been able to record some amount of success in the turning in of illegal arms and ammunition.

Members of the public are reminded that they can turn over illegal arms and ammunition at the following stations in the respective divisions.

‘A’ Division: Timehri Police Station, Ruimveldt Police Station, Providence Police Station, East La Penitence Police Station, Brickdam Police Station and Alberttown Police Station.

‘B’ Division: Berbice - Fort Wellington Police Station, Blairmont Police Station, Central Police Station, Albion Police Station, Whim Police Station, No. 51 Police Station, Springlands Police Station and Mibicuri Police Station.

‘C’ Division: Sparendaam Police Station, Beterverwagting Police Station, Vigilance Police Station, Cove and John Police Station,

Mahaica Police Station and Mahaicony Police Station.

‘D’ Division: La Grange Police Station, Vreed-enHoop Police Station, Leonora Police Station and Parika Police Station.

‘E’ Division: Linden, Kwakwani and related areas - Kwakwani Police Station, Mabura Police Station, Wismar Police Station and Mc Kenzie Police Station .

‘F’ Division: Interior locations - Bartica Police Station, Kurupung Police Station, Aranka Police Station, Enachu Police Station, Issano Police Station, Lethem Police Station, Annai Police Station, Aishalton Police Station, Karasabai Police Station, Monkey Mountain Police Station, Kato Police Station, Mabaruma Police Station, Moruka Police Station, Yarrikita Police Station, Port Kaituma Police Station, Matthews Ridge Police Station, Baramita Police Station, Kamarang Police Station, Eteringbang Police Station, Imbaimadai Police Station, Kaikan Police Station, Madhia Police Station, Paruima Police Station, Kurupukari Checkpoint and Itaballi Checkpoint.

‘G’ Division: Suddie Police Station, Anna Regina Police Station, Charity Police Station, Wakenaam Police Station, Leguan Police Station and Aurora Police Station.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 1, 2015

Int’l coalition urges final push to end River Blindness in Americas THE Carter Centre, PAHO/ WHO and the Mectizan Donation Programme of Merck & Co outside the United States and Canada, are part of a coalition of organisations helping countries in the Americas fight river blindness (onchocerciasis), and are calling for a final push to definitively eliminate transmission of the disabling disease from the Western Hemisphere.

“Today, four of the six river blindness-endemic countries in the Americas have eliminated transmission of the disease, but I am not ready to celebrate until the task is complete,” said former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, founder of The Carter Centre, which has led the campaign to wipe out river blindness in Latin America through its Onchocerciasis Elimination Programme for the Americas (OEPA).

“Now is not the time to be complacent. It is the time to increase our efforts.” Onchocerciasis is a parasitic disease carried by biting black flies that breed in fast-flowing rivers and streams. It can cause intense itching and skin damage, nodules, eye damage, and eventually blindness. The disease disproportionately affects low-income communities in several Latin American countries and in Africa, contributing to the cycle of poverty by reducing affected individuals’ ability to work and learn. In the late 1990s, an estimated 500,000 people in six endemic countries of the Americas were at risk of

onchocerciasis.

“River blindness can be controlled and even eliminated when countries mobilise the necessary political will and receive strong support from international partners,” said Dr Carissa Etienne, Director of the Pan American Health Organisation, Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO). “Today we are calling for renewed resolve in our joint efforts so we can finally rid our hemisphere of this disabling disease forever.”

MAKING STRIDES For more than two decades, elimination efforts undertaken by the endemic countries and coordinated by the Carter Centre’s Onchocerciasis Elimination Programme for the Americas (OEPA) have reduced the number of people at risk of onchocerciasis to just over 25,000. In 2013 and 2014 respectively, Colombia and Ecuador were officially verified as having eliminated the disease.

Most recently, in July, Mexico became the third country to receive verification

by WHO of its elimination of onchocerciasis. In addition, Guatemala has submitted a request for verification, with a country visit anticipated for early 2016. This leaves only one area with active transmission: the shared border region between Brazil and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela that is home to the Yanomami indigenous people. The

linchpin of the elimination strategy—which is also being used in Africa—is the mass administration of the antiparasitic drug Mectizan® (ivermectin), which is produced and provided by Merck free of charge through its Mectizan® Donation Programme.

Since its beginning in 1987, the donation programme has worked to ensure twice-yearly mass treatment of affected communities and by 2006, that goal had been achieved in all 13 endemic areas in the Americas.

“We are humbled by the great work of the alliance of partners and countries to protect future generations from this disease that carries such devastating implications for people, families and communities,” said Dr Julie Gerberding, Executive Vice President, Strategic Communications, Global Public Policy and Population Health at Merck & Co, Inc. “Through the Mectizan® Donation Programme, our company has committed to donating this medicine for as long as it’s needed, and we look forward to celebrating the day when river blindness has been eliminated worldwide.” The core partners who have supported the ministries of health of the affected countries include the Carter Centre’s OEPA, PAHO/WHO, the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Merck & Co Inc’s Mectizan Donation Programme, and a host of international partners, foundations, universities, and

individuals.

The final push to eliminate onchocerciasis from the Brazil-Venezuela border area represents a major challenge because of the dispersed and migratory nature of the Yanomami population, who live in small communities in the dense, nearly inaccessible terrain of the deep Amazon rainforest and mountains. The ministries of health of Brazil and Venezuela are working with The Carter Centre/ OEPA, PAHO/WHO, and other partners to ensure the necessary treatment is delivered to the Yanomami people to meet the goal of eliminating onchocerciasis from the area—and therefore from the Americas as a whole—by 2020.

Thursday, October 1, 2015 - 05:00 hrs Friday, October 2, 2015 - 08:30 hrs Saturday, October 3, 2015 - 09:00 hrs

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 1, 2015

HFLE to be added to curriculum in all private schools

By Shivanie Sugrim THE Ministry of Education is collaborating with private schools to enhance their curriculum with Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) as a time-tabled subject.

Though several of the private schools in Guyana already have the HFLE subject on their curric-

ulum, Coordinator of the HFLE programme, Colleen King-Cameron believes that the curriculum in both public and private schools should be on par.

“We [Education Ministry] will get to private schools shortly and have them see what the HFLE is doing for students since the curriculum of all public schools in Guyana cater for the sub-

ject,” said the coordinator, adding that it is impartial for both the private and public schools to have the subject.

Currently, the subject is being offered to nursery, primary and secondary school students. At the primary school level, Grades One to Six students are being offered the subject, while all students except those in Grades Seven, Eight and Nine are being

taught the subject at the secondary level.

“The subject is being taught in a practical or dramatic way,” said Cameron, so as to capture the attention of the students.

HFLE seeks to ensure that students are good decision-makers, creative and critical thinkers and have high self-esteem and are able to solve problems maturely.

The exposure to HFLE has enabled students to actualise their true potential and become more productive members of their society.

The subject was merged with other subjects when it was introduced to Guyana, but according to Cameron that was not entirely “working out”. As such, in 2010 the Ministry of Education implemented the programme as a double time-tabled subject in 30 secondary schools across Guyana as a pilot project.

After much positive feedback, the ministry continued the project and expanded it to 40 other secondary schools in the country. According to an evaluation report in 2013, the project has proven fruitful and the Ministry of Education continued to train teachers to equip them with the necessary skills to teach the subject in schools.

The implementation of

the HFLE subject was introduced as a result of behavioural problems within and outside the school system. These problems were having a negative impact on the health and well-being of young people and regional Ministers of Education felt that the school should play an important role in addressing the situation.

CARICOM in 1994, under its Standing Committee of Ministers of Education, passed a resolution supporting the development of a comprehensive approach to HFLE. Guyana, Grenada and Haiti among other Caribbean countries then implemented the programme in schools.

The Ministry of Education is currently working to implement the subject at all levels in school in Guyana to aid in developing children’s lives.

File on $6M cocaine bribe matter with DPP THE Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions on Tuesday has confirmed that the file with statements regarding the $6M allegedly paid over to police ranks to release a minibus that was transporting a large quantity of cocaine on the Corentyne Highway is under review.

This publication has learnt that the ranks who are under investigation have since been moved to the Tactical Services Unit headquarters in Georgetown, where the senior officer who was fingered in the corrupt deal is also under close arrest, as their court date nears.

It was also stated that the lone female who was also fingered in the probe was allowed

to remain in Berbice, since there is no accommodation to keep her in Georgetown at the TSU base.

The minibus that was fetching the cocaine has been released and is still plying its normal Georgetown to Moleson Creek route under the same persons whom the police had intercepted with the drug.

Meanwhile, according to sources the senior police officer who is also fingered in the probe has not been receiving preferential treatment under close arrest, while his activities are being monitored. The ranks under investigation are likely to appear in court before the week is out.

Book on Sir Arthu launched at Castella

THE book ‘Sir Arthur Lewis, Nobel Laureate: A Biographical Profile’, written by Guyanese author Robert Lalljie, was officially launched in Guyana last Monday evening at Castellani House.

The book, which chronicles the life and work of famous St Lucian economist Sir Arthur Lewis who died in 1991, was first published in 1996, but was never before launched. Present for the book launch were a number of supporters, including Guyanese economist Dr. Clive Thomas,

as well as literature and arts enthusiast Ameena Gafoor.

“The book gives you an opportunity to delve into the rich past of an illustrious economist,” Lalljie said, as he delivered remarks at the event.

Lewis’s policies and his philosophy of seeing education and not money as the key to ending poverty was notably highlighted by the many persons who spoke on his life and work during the launch.

Sir Arthur Lewis, a renowned economist who studied at the London School of

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 1, 2015

Gov’t blames PPP for Toucan fiasco

THE People’s Progressive Party (PPP)’s call for the government to find jobs for the laid-off workers of St. Kitts-based Call Centre, Toucan Connection, has been described as “flimsy” and “shameful” by Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Broomes.

On Monday, the PPP at a press conference held at its Robb Street headquarters, called on the government “to find a solution to the plight of the 83 former employees of Toucan Communications Inc., the Linden-based Call Centre.”

The party’s General Secretary Clement Rohee said that the APNU-AFC-led coalition government must fulfil its manifesto promise of “a good life” for all Guyanese.

“Thus far, all that the workers have heard from government officials is platitudes, to the effect that ‘the off-shore company must pay; the government is trying its best; and we are deeply concerned,’” said Rohee who called the utterances by government officials “empty exhortations”.

But Broomes, in a subsequent interview with this publication, countered that it was under the former government that the owners of Toucan Connection were

able to operate in an unregulated manner.

“The PPP has no shame. So, of course, Rohee, while in opposition, has nothing else to do; scrambling to come up with all sorts of stories,” she said.

The people of Linden, she said, are well aware of the struggles they have experienced under the former government, and as such have confidence in this administration.

“The comments made by Rohee prove very clearly that the PPP has never taken into consideration the working-class people of Guyana,” she said.

“Had the PPP government valued the working-class, the situation at ‘Toucan’ would have never occurred; a company that is off-shore, operating in Guyana with hundreds of employees, no system, no contracts, not even a registration of business… no commitment to the Guyanese workers,” she added.

FOOT-DRAGGING Rohee, on the other hand, feels that government is “dragging its feet” on the issue. “The PPP understands that the matter was already dropped like a hot potato by several government

ministers, since it proved to be an insurmountable challenge for them, and was shunted off to the Office of the President,” he said, adding: “Further, the party was reliably informed that the issue was to be discussed at a Cabinet meeting, but nothing was heard of since.”

But Broomes is not buying.

She maintains that it is only the PPP that could be blamed for the situation of the Linden workers, as no proper regulations were in place to ensure their security.

“The people of Linden know, politically, that the PPP government suffered them; spite them; neglect them; and allowed for all sorts of behaviour to take place in Linden,” she said.

“The PPP government had embraced that kind of behaviour towards the people of Linden; and that is why the people of Linden had no space for the PPP, and they voted them out.”

But, she said, it’s not surprising “that the PPP would come out to make these kinds of false and flimsy statements, which they very well know is just the result of some of the wickedness they had done to the people in Region 10.”

Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Broomes

TIME FOR A RETHINK However, according to the PPP, there is no longer a Ministry of Labour but a Department of Labour, and “industrial matters are bound to surface and remain unresolved by a government, who, from all appearances, have placed labour/ industrial relations at the lowest rung of the social ladder.”

The party is suggesting that government revisit its decision “to do away with the Ministry of Labour” in the same way that it

has moved to have Commissions of Inquiry established into the Ministries of Public Service and Education to correct “perceived deficiencies.”

“The callous attitude towards workers’ compensation and industrial relations,” Rohee said, “will do more harm than good to the economy, which, incidentally, is already experiencing serious problems at the commercial and manufacturing levels, with hundreds of workers, in both sectors, being laid off. One of the several reasons being because of government’s scarecrow policy towards foreign and local investors.”

Minister Broomes, however, does not see things in quite in the same light as Rohee.

“Guyanese people are now benefiting from real governance,” she said. “And the coalition’s talk about a good life for all is being demonstrated every day; workers are now realising that they have rights and are valued.”

Government has committed to providing relief to the laid- off Toucan workers, but did not state what form the relief would take.

Some 90 workers were laid off by Toucan Connection in August, without receiving their benefits.

Green Volunteer Corps working to restore community playgrounds in city THE Georgetown Green Volunteer Corps initiated by the City Council, has commenced cleaning all

ur Lewis ani House

Economics, worked at several universities, including Princeton in the USA. In 1970, Lewis was selected as the first president of the Caribbean Development Bank.

Lewis received the Nobel prize in Economics in 1979, sharing it with Theodore Schultz. He was also Vice-Chancellor at the University of Guyana.

Following the conclusion of the speeches, the author and Dr. Thomas entertained a question-and-answer segment with members of the audience.

community recreational grounds in the city. The group has already cleaned community playgrounds in Roxanne Burnham Gardens and East Ruimveldt.

The volunteer group includes private citizens and the business community.

They have removed overgrowths of bush from these grounds, and it is estimated that $500,000 was expended to clear both grounds, with monies coming from the M&CC coffers.

Meanwhile, the City Council has commenced a programme to reclaim its verges, parapets and other open spaces in Georgetown.

And the council is working to clean and clear all recreational parks and grounds under its control.

Many parks and other recreational facilities in Georgetown have been neglected for many years because of lack of funds.

Some of the recreational facilities were handed over

to community groups for management over the years but many of these groups have either become defunct or dysfunctional, so the grounds were not cleaned and maintained.

The Council has acknowledged the need for restoration of all playgrounds and parks as these facilities have a number of social, economic and health benefits for the populace.

The parks and community grounds promote social cohesion and encourage youth involvement in sport.

Moreover, a well-kept park in a community increases property value.

Town Clerk Royston King said the Green Volunteer Corps gives citizens the opportunity to be a part of the restoration and transformation process in the city.

Meanwhile, the council has resuscitated its sport and culture group which was dormant for many years. (Michel Outridge)

One of the parks cleared of weeds and overgrown bush by the M&CC

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 1, 2015

GRPA, Rotary Club to fight cervical cancer THE Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) has embarked on a partnership with the Rotary Club of Georgetown to launch a campaign to address cervical cancer in Guyana.

The Rotary Club will be supported by Scotia Bank to make a financial contribution in support of the campaign which will be rolled out by GRPA, providing medical, counselling and educational services.

Medical outreach sessions

will be carried out in rural and hinterland communities, where the prevalence is high and where women lack access to services.

The campaign was scheduled to kick off with the handing over of a cheque to the GRPA yesterday at noon at the Georgetown Club on Camp Street, Georgetown.

Cervical cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women worldwide, including Guyana, where the rate is significantly high.

In June 2014, the GRPA -- with support from the International Planned Parenthood Association (IPPF) and JHPIEGO (an affiliate of the Johns Hopkins University) and in collaboration with the Ministry of Health -- carried out a regional training of VIA (visual inspection with acetic acid ) providers from Belize, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago, St Lucia, Curacao, Suriname and Guyana to detect cervical cancer and to treat pre-cancerous cells.

This included the training of doctors as trainers to ensure that medical expertise is available locally. On this occasion, the GRPA launched its VIA screening and cryo-therapy services; and 230 women were screened in three days, of which 11 were positive, three had large lesions and two cancer. A worrying factor was the number of young women in their early 20’s who tested positive.

The October to December, 2015 campaign will provide free VIA screening and cryo-therapy, breast examination and also pap smear (if required). This move is seen as being very important in increasing the accessibility of diagnostic and early treatment services to numerous women in low income as well as rural and indigenous communities.

(Rabindra Rooplall)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, October 1, 2015

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday October 1, 2015

Windies miss out for 2017 Champions Trophy (REUTERS) - The declining fortunes of West Indies cricket hit a new low yesterday when the Caribbean team failed to qualify for the 2017 Champions Trophy in England.

Restricted to the world’s top eight-ranked sides, the West Indies missed out on the lucrative event after slumping to ninth place on yesterday’s cut-off date.

Their failure to qualify marks the first time the West Indies will be missing from any of cricket’s three

big limited-overs events -- the 50-overs World Cup, the Champions Trophy and the Twenty20 World Cup. West Indies are one of just three teams to have captured all three titles, winning the 50-over World Cup in 1975 and 1979, the Champions Trophy in 2004 and the Twenty20 World Cup in 2012, but have fallen on hard times.

Once the most dominant force in world cricket, West Indies have struggled in recent years, plagued by

chaotic mismanagement and rows over player-contracts.

Last year, West Indies abandoned their planned tour of India and just two days ago, they suspended coach Phil Simmons after he criticised the selection policy for next month’s tour to Sri Lanka.

Their spot in the 2017 Champions Trophy was effectively taken by Bangladesh, whose last appearance at the tournament was in 2006, although they finished

seventh in the rankings, just ahead of Pakistan.

Australia, India, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Pakistan also qualified, along with the host-nation England, who were automatically granted a place.

The 2017 Champions Trophy will take place from June 1 to 18, with the eight qualified teams separated into two pools of four, and the top two from each group advancing to the knock-out phase.

CEMCO meets racers, GMR&SC ...

From Backpage

from a driver’s perspective, advocated for the addition of a high-speed corner by adjusting one of the existing bends on the track, citing more of a challenge for the drivers and more enjoyment for spectators.

He also recommended the addition of a hairpin corner to the track to reduce excessive speed and increase safety coming off the long straightways.

There was also a recommendation to move the pit area from the inner part of the circuit to the outer part but no fixed location was decided on.

Meanwhile, CEMCO will now work to integrate those recommended changes into a new design which the club will take to the Government of Guyana.

Following that, the engineering firm will do a full survey of the track to determine the topography of the landscape in order to clearly define how much work is needed to make the design a reality.

The design is the work of FIA Track Engineer of the Americas, Julian Abed, who visited Guyana for a one-day inspection tour which saw him meet with local officials.

His visit was a follow-up to one made in 2013 by FIA president Jean Todt where he promised to assist Guyana

GDF, Fruta Conquerors ...

From Backpage Phillips and the scores were level for the first time.

The half closed 1-1 and in the second canto, despite being a player down, the GDF changed from being defensive and searched for the ‘go-ahead’ goal which they found in the 60th minute.

A shot was taken and Fruta Conquerors’ Ralph Edwards was given a red card for what the referee believed was a deliberate hand ball in the 18 yards box.

Phillips again was asked by coach Thompson to take the decisive penalty and the diminutive forward did not disappoint, putting it flat and hard in the left corner, out of Edwards’ reach.

But the Army’s celebra-

tion was short-lived, as Fruta Conquerors captain Trevon Lythcott, one minute later, towered above the GDF players in the goal area to head home the equaliser.

It was ‘game on’ from then. The two teams searched for the much-needed win but though creating some real goal chances, in the end, a point was what they had to settle for.

The GDF, who are now on four points after three games (one win, one draw, one loss), will play the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) tomorrow at their Base Camp Ayanganna ground from 20:30hrs.

Fruta Conquerors are now on seven points, the same as Pele FC but are in second place, because of Pele’s superior goal difference.

in its quest to upgrade the current track to accommodate higher levels of competition in compliance with FIA regulations.

The FIA then funded the drawing of an upgraded plan for the South Dakota Circuit which was later sent to the GMR&SC who retained CE-

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MCO as the specialists for the project.

The move follows the recent upgrading of the Bushy Park Raceway in Barbados to bring it on par with FIA standards and if completed will again place Guyana at the forefront of Caribbean racing.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday October 1, 2015

Countries supporting Platini wary, as Swiss probe $2M payment

By Simon Evans

ZURICH, Switzerland (Reuters) - Key nations backing European football boss Michel Platini as the next FIFA president are adopting a more cautious approach to his bid while Swiss authorities, investigating graft at world football’s governing body, look into a $2M payment it made to him.

Bookmakers’ odds on Platini to win the February vote

have markedly lengthened since Friday when Swiss police placed president of 17 years Sepp Blatter under criminal investigation and accused him of making a “disloyal payment” of 2 million Swiss francs (£1.35M) to Platini in 2011 for work deemed to have been performed between January 1999 and June 2002.

Both Platini and Blatter deny wrongdoing over the affair, part of a broader scandal

that began unfolding in May when 14 football officials and marketing executives were indicted in the United States for bribery, money-laundering and wire fraud.

But a number of federations say they might review support for Platini depending on results of an inquiry into the payment.

While not dropping their backing for Platini, the English, German and Italian

UEFA president Michel Platini federations have expressed concerns over the allegations while the Swedish FA said the case could interfere with their support.

The European football federation UEFA said Platini had met with investigators as a witness; but on Tuesday, Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber said Platini was considered as somewhere “between a witness and an accused person”.

“INTEGRITY CHECK” Platini said yesterday the nine-year delay between his work as an adviser to Blatter and the payment was because FIFA was unable to pay his full salary in 2002 because of its financial situation.

FIFA’s 2002 financial report cited a 115 million Swiss francs surplus for the period 1999-2002.

England’s FA issued a statement after a meeting yesterday, recalling it had unanimously backed Platini in July.

“We did so because we thought he was an excellent president of UEFA and could bring those same leadership qualities to FIFA. We are still of that view.

“However, events of recent days have raised a number of issues which do need to be fully examined. We are following the ongoing investigation initiated by the Swiss Attorney General with which Mr Platini is co-operating in full.”

The German football federation, the DFB, had been one of the first federations to throw their weight behind Platini in July after Blatter, now facing investigation under suspicion of criminal mismanagement and misappropriation, announced he would be stepping down.

“Part of a serious administration is to look carefully at what it is about and whether there is indeed misconduct,” DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach told the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper.

The February 26 election will take place in Zurich, and each of FIFA’s 209 national associations will have one vote.

In July, Italian Football

Federation head Carlo Tavecchio said Platini would be the right person to lead FIFA reform.

But speaking on Italian radio this week, Tavecchio said that it was too soon to comment on the specifics of this case involving Platini, but that the Italians were waiting to see how judicial proceedings developed.

S w e d i s h FA c h a i r Karl-Erik Nilsson told Reuters: “At the moment we have no other opinion than support for Platini. What has happened can obviously interfere with that, but we in the SvFF have confidence in Platini.”

Separate from any investigation, Platini must pass the FIFA ‘integrity check’ if the body’s Election Committee is to accept him as a candidate.

According to FIFA’s statutes and regulations, the check involves a self-declaration where candidates must state if they are in compliance with the FIFA Ethics Code.

That code includes a series of specific activities that FIFA officials must avoid and also contains a general section which says officials “must refrain from any activity or behaviour that might give rise to the appearance or suspicion of improper conduct”.

Australia players sent back to states, Bangladesh tour in limbo

By Ian Ransom MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) - Australia's Test cricketers have been sent back to their home states to train while awaiting a decision on whether their tour of Bangladesh will proceed amid increasing security concerns.

The team was scheduled to depart on Monday for a two-Test series but was told to stay back after the Australian government warned of a potential security risk from militants in the Asian nation.

A security delegation sent by Cricket Australia to Bangladesh over the weekend has since returned home and was to report to local authorities yesterday, prompting speculation the tour will be cancelled.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has offered a higher level of security for Australia's players and urged the tour to go ahead.

But at the same time the Australian security delegation was in the country, an

Australia captain Steven Smith Italian aid worker in Dhaka was shot dead in an attack claimed by Islamic State.

"The situation is now different after the death of the Italian national," BCB president Nazmul Hassan Hassan told reporters in Dhaka on Tuesday.

"The UK and US governments have also given out alerts. This is a very rare incident in Bangladesh but one has to understand the difference between this and a cricket team that is given blanket security."

Australia captain Steven Smith, wicketkeeper Peter Nevill and spinner Nathan

Lyon were among those who turned out for training for New South Wales state yesterday ahead of a domestic one-day tournament.

Fast bowler Peter Siddle and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell had also returned to training in Melbourne, a Cricket Victoria spokesman said.

A decision on whether the tour will go ahead has to be made soon because Australia is scheduled to host New Zealand in a threeTest series, starting early November.

The security concerns in Bangladesh could also impact on Australia's qualifying campaign for the soccer World Cup. Australia are due to play a return qualifier in Bangladesh in November after beating the southern Asians in Perth earlier this month.

Football Federation Australia said they were closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh and seeking advice from security experts and government authorities.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday October 1, 2015

Cricket stars turn out for Yorkshire legend Brian Close funeral A HOST of stars from the world of cricket have turned out for the funeral of former England, Yorkshire and Somerset captain Brian Close.

Sir Ian Botham, Dickie Bird and Micky Stewart joined family and friends for the service at St Chad’s Church in Headingley, Leeds.

Close, who lived in Baildon, died aged 84 following a long battle with cancer.

Sir Ian described Close as “simply the best captain a young player could have ever wanted”.

Close became the youngest player ever to represent England at 18 and went on to lead his country seven times in 22 Tests.

He leaves behind his wife Vivienne, a son and a daughter.

up put his arm around you and say, ‘Ian lad, come here, that’s what I thought was wrong ... but here’s a drink, let’s learn from that and move on’.”

Speaking in an earlier interview, Mrs Close said she did not see her husband as a famous cricketer; he was “just Brian”.

Former umpire Dickie Bird attends the memorial service along with cricketing stars Sir Ian Botham and Micky Stewart.

In a glowing tribute to Close, Sir Ian said: “He was the first man to congratulate

you but he was also the first man to pull you down and take your legs away from

you if you didn’t get it right.

“But then in the evening he’d be the first guy to come

‘HARD MAN’ “I see him as my husband, the father of my children, someone who could be awkward, someone whom I loved very much and who I know loved me.”

She said one of his other talents was being a “wonderful dancer”.

“He always maintained that cricketers should learn to ballroom-dance because it keeps them on the toes.

“He was lovely but we

argued because we both wanted to lead, which doesn’t work in ballroom dancing; there’s only one leader. He always won.”

Colin Graves, the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, former Yorkshire batsman Bryan Stott and former Yorkshire and England captain Ray Illingworth also attended the service.

Illingworth said: “We go back a long way. There won’t be another like him.

It’s been shown by a wonderful turnout and the tributes. I think it’s tremendous.”

Bird said: “Brian was a tremendous captain and a wonderful man. I shall miss him and feel for his wife Viv and all her family.

“He was a hard man, believe me, but a good man.” (BBC Sport)

Gentle to face Dey in Bakewell Girls Under-18 tennis final AFRUICA Gentle set up a place in the final of the Girls’ Under-18 category of the Bakewell Junior Championship after she defeated Shivani Persaud 7-5, 6-6 (75) in a semi-final matchup of the tennis tournament which continued last weekend.

Gentle, who is also competing in the Girls’ Under-14 category of the competition, will next come up against Aretta Dey.

Dey was set to match strides against GBTI Open women’s singles champion and defending champion Nicola Ramdyhan, but instead received a walkover.

In the Girls’ Under-14 category Gentle is set to take on Kaylyca Fraser in another semi-final bout. The winner of the fight will come up against Divani Persaud. Persaud made it into the final off a win against Sarah Klautky, whom she triumphed against

Afruica Gentle

Old foes Mourinho, Wenger both forced to defend selection (REUTERS) - Archrivals Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger found themselves in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons after another miserable night for English clubs in the Champions League.

Chelsea and Arsenal lost on Tuesday night to Porto and Olympiakos Piraeus respectively, leaving their managers on the back foot and defending their team selections.

While Mourinho said he was right to leave Radamel Falcao and Loic Remy at home after Chelsea lost their Group G tie against his former club, Wenger defended replacing goalkeeper Petr Cech with David Ospina after his team fell to their second defeat in Group F.

Jose Mourinho Mourinho, whose Chelsea side are struggling at 14th in the Premier League, indicated before the game he would ring the changes, and duly left Remy, Falcao and Oscar at home, while Eden Hazard was restricted to the bench.

The decision to travel without an extra striker backfired, as the Portuguese did not have an established forward to call upon despite seeing his team fall behind twice in the 2-1 defeat.

When asked if he regretted leaving Falcao and Remy behind and whether they were being punished for their poor form, Mourinho said: “No.” “No punishment, no punishment. Just a decision,” he added.

Chelsea are now third in Group G behind Porto and Dynamo Kiev. Mourinho said his team did not play poorly. “ I t ’s n o r m a l , w h e n the team are not winning matches, you have to make changes, but games like today are difficult to analyse because the result doesn’t mean you played badly,” he said.

Wenger was in a far more irritable mood after the 3-2 defeat by the Greeks resulted in his choice of keeper being questioned.

The game hinged on a calamitous mistake by Ospina, who failed to collect an inswinging corner and let the ball drop over the line, gifting Olympiakos a 2-1 lead five minutes before the break. “ Yo u c a n n o t s e l e c t the team by making a poll before the game and getting everyone’s opinion,” Wenger said. “It’s always a simple thing to say Ospina shouldn’t have played.

“No goalkeeper is mistake-free -- it could have happened to Petr Cech as well.

“But I don’t have to sit here and give you an explanation of every decision I make. We did not lose the game because of that mistake, that’s a farce.”

4-0, 4 -1.

Klautky had earlier defeated Nathalie Ramdyhan in the quarterfinals.

On the Boys side, Alexander Almeida, Heimraj Resaul, Jordan Beaten and Mark McDonald are all still in the running for the Boys’ Under-18 title. Beaton is the defending champion of the category.

Meanwhile, last year’s finalist Keenan Persaud found himself ousted in the quarterfinals after he could not hold his own against Almeida, going down 6-1, 6-2 (3/10).

In other matches of the category, Resaul disposed of

Judah Stephney in a quick 6-1, 6-2.

In the younger Under-12 category, Jeremiah Kalekzi defeated Wayne Barker 5-4 (7-3), 4 -0, and Adesh Khayyam defeated Vadeanand Resaul 4-0, 4-1 on the Boys side.

On the Girls side Nathalie Ramdyhan had an easy time against Arwin Garraway whom she blanked 4-0, 4-0, while Atouria Branche had a tougher time getting past Anele Barton before finally defeating her 4-4 (9-7), 4-2.

Matches in the competition are expected to continue this weekend.

F1 season to start earlier than planned next year

LONDON, England (Reuters) - Next year’s season-opening Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne will move forward to March 20 after previously being listed for a later than usual start on April 3, organisers said yesterday.

“The change of the date is part of a number of changes on a provisional calendar issued by the World Motor Sport Council,” they said in a statement on the official race website.

The April 3 date would have been the latest start to a championship since 1988.

The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) was due to publish the latest draft calendar later yesterday after ratification by its World Motor Sport Council.

The previous draft had a record 21 rounds.

Singapore had objected to having its September race back-to-back with neighbouring Malaysia while teams had also expressed concern about the effect on personnel if the August break was shortened from the usual three weeks.

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday October 1, 2015

Ronaldo equals Raul’s Real record with Malmo brace

By Philip O’Connor MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo joined Raul as Real Madrid’s most prolific goalscorer when he netted both goals in their 2-0 win over Malmo in Champions League Group A yesterday.

Already the top scorer in the competition’s history, Ronaldo rifled home his 81st and 82nd Champions League goals and took his Real tally to 323 alongside Raul with goals in the 29th and 90th minutes.

With six points from their opening two games, Rafael Benitez’s side lead Group A on goal difference from their next opponents Paris Saint-Germain, while Malmo, despite two losses, are third having conceded fewer goals than Shakhtar Donetsk.

The dismissal of Malmo’s Peru international Yoshimar Yotun in the 78th minute after picking up his second yellow card effectively ended the game as a

winger.

Croatian playmaker Mateo Kovacic collected the loose ball and played a raking pass to Isco, who slipped it to Ronaldo. Finding himself in acres of space, he calmly picked his spot and fired past Johan Wiland.

Dani Carvajal struck the woodwork shortly before halftime with a dipping shot and Ronaldo almost added a second five minutes from time only to be thwarted by a superb reflex save from Wiland.

But Ronaldo did score

Malmo’s Vladimir Rodic (L) challenges Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo during their Champions League Group A soccer match at Malmo New Stadium, Sweden yesterday. (Reuters/Andreas Hillergren/TT News Agency) on one of their rare forays contest.

Ronaldo quiet for much of forward, there was little Malmo full back An- the opening half hour, but he or his team mates could ton Tinnerholm had kept when his side lost the ball do to stop the Portuguese

EBDCA Twenty20 tourney commences Saturday

CRICKET returns to the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) this weekend as the East Bank Demerara Cricket Association (EBDCA) hosts a Twenty20 Tournament for all teams affiliated to the association.

On Saturday, October 3 the tournament bowls off with two matches. Laluni Sports Club will battle Sand Pipers Sports Club from 09:30hrs then Herstelling Sports Club will engage Uprising Sports Club from 13:00hrs.

The action continues the following day with another double-header set to get under way at the same times.

Providence Sports Club will oppose Farm Sports Club in the opening match while Combined United Sports Club take on Herstelling in the final match of the day.

All matches this weekend will be played at the Farm cricket ground and marks a timely return of competitive cricket to the venue.

Matches will be played with white balls and teams will be decked out in coloured uniforms.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Thursday October 01, 2015) Compliments of THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market &The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz; RamnareshSarwan& Viv Richards Pakistan’s Saqlain Mustaq-53 matches Today’s Quiz: Who made the first century in Test cricket?

Who has the best bowling figures in an ODI game to date?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Troubled FIFA and UEFA cancel annual staff match

ZURICH, Switzerland (Reuters) - Troubled international football bodies FIFA and UEFA, both with leaders involved with a Swiss criminal investigation, have cancelled their annual staff match.

The friendly game had been scheduled to take place in Nyon, home to European governing body UEFA and its president Michel Platini.

“In a joint decision it was agreed to postpone the UEFA-FIFA challenge 2015, which had been scheduled for Friday, October 2, until further notice,” a FIFA spokesperson said yesterday.

On Tuesday, Swiss authorities said they were treating Platini as somewhere “between a witness and an accused person” in a probe that was widened last week to include FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

Sepp Blatter Attorney General Michael Lauber told reporters he did not rule out searching the Nyon headquarters of UEFA as part of the investigation.

Lauber’s office has said Blatter is suspected of making a “disloyal payment” of 2 million Swiss francs (£1.3M) to Platini in 2011 at the expense of FIFA. Both men have denied any wrongdoing and said the payment was legitimate compensation for work Platini undertook for FIFA.

again to equal Raul’s record in the final minute after he was set up for a simple finish by substitute Lucas Vazquez.

Madrid dominated possession but Tinnerholm, Markus Rosenberg and JoInge Berget all managed to test Keylor Navas, and Malmo captain Rosenberg flashed a second-half header just wide with the goal at his mercy.

Ronaldo can now shift his focus to setting a new record in Sunday’s La Liga derby against Atletico Madrid.

Blairmont, Port Mourant record big wins in Tenelec T20 cricket PORT Mourant and Blairmont Community Centre scored massive wins in the final round of matches, in the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) Tenelec Inc. 2015 First Division 50 Overs Cricket Tournament.

Port Mourant Cricket Club has produced the most Test cricketers in Berbice.

The team recorded a massive 225-run victory over a hapless Edinburgh at the Edinburgh ground.

The eventual victors won the toss and elected to take first strike in humid conditions and ended on 315-9 off their allotted, reduced quota of 45 overs.

They were led to this massive total through outstanding and consistent batting by former Berbice and Guyana youth player Lloydel Lewis (75), national senior middle-order batsman Chanderpaul Hemraj (57), Joshua Ramsammy (51), former national Under-19 pacer Dimitri Cameron (33) and Avishkar Sewkarran (24).

Joseph Giddings took 4-34 for Edinburgh while Shafiq Khan supported with 2-31.

In reply, the home team were shot out for a disappointing 90. Deonarine Seepersaud offered the only resistance with 19. Young pacer Cameron returned with the ball to take 3-14 and he was assisted by another pacer, Manoj Looknauth, who took 3-28.

At the Bush Lot ground on the West Coast of Berbice, Blairmont humbled Bush Lot Rising Star by 185 runs.

The visiting side won the toss and batted first, posting a sturdy total of 295 for 4 off their reduced 42 overs. They enjoyed an opening partnership of 61 between Berbice youth batsman Javed Karim (37) and Nick Ramsaroop before Karim was dismissed.

Mahendra Singh joined Ramsaroop and added a further 92 for the second wicket before Ramsaroop was bowled by national Under-15 off-spinner Nivendra Prashad for 39. National Under-19 all-rounder Parmanand Ramdhan (35) then partnered with Singh and put on 78 for the third wicket.

Singh followed for a well-played 75 before Berbice Youth player Zameer Inshan (53 not out) and Nigel Trotz (39) shared an unbroken stand of 64 to close off the innings.

In reply, Bush Lot Rising Star reached 111 in 18 overs with Glenroy Fraser top-scoring with 51 in a losing effort.

Ramdhan returned with the ball to take 5-6 off four overs in an unplayable spell of left-arm spin bowling. Derek Cadogan supported with 2 wickets.

Despite the wins, both teams failed to qualify for the playoffs. The final two preliminary matches between West Berbice and Police and Albion Community Centre and Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets, to determine the winners and runners-up of Zones A and C will be played this Saturday October 3 at the Bush Lot and Port Mourant grounds, respectively.

The playoff matches will be held next week Saturday, October 10 at three venues across Berbice.

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday October 1, 2015

Revamped South American Contrite Simmons says outburst was a 10K to run off on November 8 ... Banks DIH on board as major sponsor THE 13th South American 10K was officially launched yesterday, with local beverage giant Banks DIH being named as the event’s major sponsor.

Regarded as one of the region’s most prestigious 10K road races and the biggest of its kind for many athletes, the event will race off on November 8 and according to president of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Aubrey Hutson, the other 11 South American countries have given their commitment to participate.

“We expect greater participation,” Hutson told a gathering of media and other officials from the sport of athletics at the South American 10K Secretariat in Alberttown.

“We have received commitments from all 12 of the South American countries as well as calls from the United Arab Emirates as well as an increase in the number of Caribbean countries,” Hutson revealed.

In addition, Hutson also disclosed that the event received a bit of

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Head coach Phil Simmons has apologised to his fellow selectors and to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for his outburst last Friday, calling his actions “a schoolboy error in a moment of madness”.

The 52-year-old Trinidadian wrote to express his “sincere apologies” for his comments which sent shockwaves through the West Indies cricket fraternity and led to his subsequent suspension for the Sri Lanka tour.

Simmons took the bizarre step of publicly castigating the selection process regarding the one-day team for the tour of Sri Lanka, saying team selection had been influenced by “interference from outside”.

“In no way did I intend to even mention the issues of selection. It was not in any way intentional and so therefore I needed to express my deepest regret to you and my fellow selectors,” Simmons wrote.

“I can only describe it as a schoolboy error in a moment of madness. This was not within my character.”

“He added: “I need to apologise as I am genuinely sorry.”

Despite the apology, Simmons is now set to face a WICB panel to answer for the outburst, with WICB chief executive Michael Muirhead saying Tuesday a decision would be reached within the next seven days.

Muirhead said Simmons would be given “a fair hearing” with the investigation conducted “within the boundaries of our own internal human resources policy.”

“During the process, he will continue to enjoy the benefits of his full remuneration,”

Suspended West Indies head coach Phil Simmons

Muirhead outlined.

“The matter will be dealt with in an expeditious manner and it is our intention to have a decision within the next seven working days.”

In a media conference last Friday in Barbados, at the end of a week-long training camp for the Test squad, Simmons expressed his frustration with the continued non-selection of the Trinidadian duo of Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard.

He said he and chairman of selectors Clive Lloyd had voted for their re-inclusion but the three other selectors – Courtney Walsh, Eldine Baptiste and Courtney Browne – had voted against the move.

“The disappointing fact is that you can lose 3-2 in a vote-off but there is too much interference from outside in the selection of the ODI squad and it’s disappointing for me to know that in any aspect of life … (people would use) their position to get people into a squad or in this case, get people left out of a squad,” Simmons charged.

“It is wrong and I don’t like it and that is my beef with the selection of the ODI team.”

Baptiste, who was set to be the ‘selector-on-tour’ will now take over duties as head coach in Simmons’ absence.

Banks DIH’s Errol Nelson makes the presentation to AAG president Aubrey Hutson at yesterday’s launch. and the company’s Water revamping as an overall introduced where the ath- brand manager Errol Nelwinner will be crowned at lete accumulating the most son stressed Banks’ comthe conclusion of the three points will receive the over- mitment to sports.

“Our sponsorship of this legs, thus creating more all crown as well as an extra South American 10k race participation.

US$1500.

There will also be no T h i s y e a r ’s S o u t h demonstrates our steadfast category at the event with American 10K will see involvement in the developathletes 16 and under being Banks DIH as a sponsor ment of sports in Guyana and debarred from participating. under their Rainforest Wa- in particular athletics,” said A points system will be ters and Powerade brands Nelson, who added “Our involvement in the event will be in the form of creating the awareness of the brand along with providing refreshments for the athletes and ground staff.”

The South American 10K will have three legs the Trophy Stall. Guyana with the first beginning Media XI will be led by on October 31 in Suriname opener John Ramsingh before coming to Guyana of NCN. on November 8. The final Floodlights squad: Ricky leg will be held on NovemDeonarain (captain), Dha- ber 16 in Panama. ram Persaud, Steve Naraine, Surendra Nauth, Rakesh Goverdan Arjune, Reyaz Husein, Richard Persaud, Anil Beharry, Lalta Gainda, Khalid Baksh, Loyd Rooplall, Nafjohn Samlall, Wayne Jones and Romeo Deonarain. The manager is Rohan Calvin Roberts Boj-raj. game two, a coin toss at the Guyana Media XI DCC ground determined squad: John Ramsingh which version of the game (captain), Shahrukh Imwill be played at the ‘decid- ran, Ishaka Jackman, Raer’, and the Guyana Media jiv Bisnauth, Daniel Singh, XI won the right to have a Avenash Ramzan, Treiston ‘hardball’ match to break the Joseph, Zaheer Mohamed, deadlock.

Clifton Ross, Orlando The highly anticipat- Charles, Ravi Persaud, ed game will bowl off at Diquan Murray, Rawle 19:00hrs, and trophies for Toney, Jermaine Neblett, the game will be provid- Rene Stoby and Merthel The proposed FIA layout for the upgrade of the South Dakota Circuit ed by Ramesh Sunich of Sammy.

Floodlight/Media game in memory of fallen sports journalist THE Floodlights team and Guyana Media XI have agreed to play tomorrow’s highly anticipated feature 20-overs ‘hardball’ cricket match at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground, Queenstown, in memory of the sport journalist Calvin Roberts.

Roberts, a former captain of the Guyana Media XI, passed away on April 29 this year after a brief illness.

This is the third time the two teams will meet and it is seen as a winner-take-all game after the results were shared in the first two encounters.

The first game - a ‘hardball’ encounter - was easily won by the Guyana Media XI, while the return match - a softball showdown - was won by the Floodlights team.

At the conclusion of

‘moment of madness’

Sport CHRONICLE

The Chronicle is at http://www.guyanachronicle.com

Windies miss out for 2017 Champions Trophy See story on page 19

CEMCO meets racers, GMR&SC over South Dakota upgrade

By Stephan Sookram

SEVERAL racers and executives of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) yesterday met with engineers of the Caribbean Engineering and Management Consultants (CEMCO) on the way forward for the upgrade of the South Dakota Circuit.

Yesterday’s meeting held at the Timehri-based circuit focused specifically on the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA)-designed plan for the South Dakota Circuit and offered interested racers and officials a chance to make valuable recommendations into the design.

Mark Vieira, speaking

See page 19

Guyanese racer Mark Vieira makes a point during a meeting with CEMCO engineers.

STAG Elite League

GDF, Fruta Conquerors play to ‘nail-biting’ 2-2 draw

Fruta Conquerors goalscorers Kwamie LaFleur (left) and Trevon Lythcott

ALTHOUGH being in the third round, the STAG Elite League has certainly lived up to the hype, and Tuesday at the Tucville ground football fans were treated to an enthralling 2-2 draw between Fruta Conquerors and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

The ‘Army’ went into the contest searching for another three points after picking up their first win against Buxton United (1-0), while Fruta Conquerors wanted to keep their unbeaten record intact.

Known for their ‘rough’ style of play, the GDF were reduced to 10 men after one of their primary goalscorers Delwin Fraser was given a ‘straight red’ just eight minutes into the game.

The referee was right on the play when the forward intentionally elbowed Fruta Conquerors defender Dwayne Lindy to the face and immediately coach Denzil Thompson’s men were forced to play deep into their half to keep the always-hungry home side strikers at bay.

Knowing that the Army will have changed their strategy, Fruta Conquerors head coach Calvin Allen pressed his men forward and this resulted in Kwamie LaFleur netting his side’s first goal of the game in the 24th minute.

It was LaFleur’s second goal of the Stag Elite League but ten minutes later, the GDF equalised from the penalty spot when the referee thought that Alex Murray (Fruta Conquerors goalkeeper) was too harsh to the play when he and the Army’s Delroy Fraser collided in the air for a loose ball.

As a result Murray picked up an injury to his hip after falling and was rushed to the hospital, with Fruta Conquerors turning to second-string See page keeper Dennis Edwards.

19 Edwards, who also plays in the midfield for his club, was beaten by

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GDF’s Eusi Phillips THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2015