Chronicle 01 04 2016

BURNT TO DEATH – Bandits rob, torture hapless victims No. 104421

MONDAY JANUARY 4, 2016

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Moshin Khan in hospital yesterday

The remains of the house where Anita Baichan was duct-taped and burnt alive by bandits yesterday (Clifford Stanley photo)

Coalition Surinamese ‘casting wide cocaine net’ in LGE ‘mule’ busted 8

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Reporters are truth-seekers – Granger 2

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2016

Reporters are truth-seekers

– says President Granger, supports capacity-building for media corps

President David Granger with journalists at the Media Brunch hosted by the Ministry of the Presidency on the lawns of State House yesterday (Samuel Maughn photo)

PRESIDENT David Granger yesterday pledged monetary support from the government to the Guyana Press Association (GPA) to aid training programmes and workshops, which will build capacity in the press corps.

The President made this announcement to members of the media who were present at a Media Brunch hosted on the lawns of State House even as he committed to building a stronger relationship between the State and the media.

President Granger also indicated that there are no strings attached to the financial support, and said that a free and unfettered press is critical to the development of Guyana. He called on the media to truthfully and critically examine the work of his administration, so that they can help the government to improve its performance. “…I am committed to the media because I believe that, as a government, we

couldn’t afford to be without the media; truthful media, even aggressive media…. The State is not going to become involved in journalism. It will provide the platform on which young journalists can learn their profession… I would like to pledge hard money in support of the Guyana Press Association (GPA) in 2016.

Once the GPA is prepared to mount these seminars at least once per quarter, the State will help without any intervening in the actual programme or doctrine,” President Granger told the media operatives present.

He added that he does not intend to head an administration that is not open to criticism. “You write the truth and help the government to improve its performance. I won’t like to be the head of a government which is not subject to criticism…. We want to know the truth and we will correct our performance,” the President said.

Reminiscing on his years

as a journalist, President Granger said it is important that persons in any field be trained, and that they abide by certain ethical standards.

He noted that journalists are no exception, since it is a profession like any other.

TORCH Pointing out that the GPA has as part of its logo a torch, President Granger said that it is this torch that all journalists must use in their quest for stories and information.

“That’s the torch, the torch

of truth; and journalism is not you lying down in a hammock and dreaming up a story. You have to go out and find out what the truth is, so when you write, you don’t write based on surmise or conjecture; you write what you are prepared to defend. And people have to be trained to write the truth,” he said.

Outlining his hopes for this year, the President expressed the wish for a stronger relationship to be built between his government and the media.

“I hope that the relationship between the State and the media will be further developed based on mutual respect,” he said.

The Media Brunch was for years regarded as a tradition by past Presidents. However, the event had not been held for a number of years.

President Granger has committed to hosting the brunch at least at the beginning of every year.

The event was attended by several ministers of government, including

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo; Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan; Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams; Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence; Minister for Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes; Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin; Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix; and Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock.

Surinamese cocaine ‘mule’ busted A SURINAMESE national was on Saturday busted with a quantity of cocaine worth over US$5,000 by police at the Moleson Creek ferry terminal.

According to reports, Gordon Wensley Lino who resides at South Ruimveldt, Georgetown and Mangrase Straat, Number 2 Paramaribo, was found with over one kilo of cocaine while he was attempting to board the ferry as a passenger.

The 40-year-old man, who was intercepted by a police detective, had the drugs, worth in excess of US$5,000, strapped around his upper body.

Based on information received, the man is believed to have been working for someone who had travelled to Suri-

The quantity of cocaine found strapped to Gordon Wensley Lino

Gordon Wensley Lino with the drugs strapped to his chest on Saturday after he was intercepted by ranks

name earlier that morning via the backtrack (illegal) route.

The said person is believed to have trafficked cocaine to the neighbouring Dutch-speaking nation.

Reports also suggest that

the discovery is but the proverbial tip of the iceberg, since there is an alleged existing cocaine trade involving Guyana, Suriname, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Aruba.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2016

BURNT TO DEATH – bandits rob, torture hapless victims

By Clifford Stanley POLICE are investigating an incident in which a West Berbice mother of two was burnt to death in her home in a fire set by bandits in the aftermath of a home invasion and robbery early yesterday morning.

The dead woman has been identified as Anita Baichan, 49, a cash-crop farmer of Plantation Hope, Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice.

After the robbery and the setting of the house on fire, Baichan tried to escape from the building, but could not because she had been gagged and bound hand and foot with duct tape by the two bandits during the robbery.

Her son Moshin Khan, 23, was also beaten and terrorised by the bandits for over two and a half hours.

He, too, was gagged and duct-taped, but somehow

managed to escape the raging inferno that engulfed the house.

But by the time he had

carpenter, and a daughter whose name was given as “Natasha,” who is cur-

time, were awakened by the two armed men who gained entry into their house. The two men, one armed with a cutlass and the other with two knives, tied and gagged

“They keep searching the house and then coming back and beat us, then they went searching the house again.”

The bandits “broadsid-

Neighbours at the scene after the robbery, arson and murder

freed himself and rushed to save his mother, it was too late.

Neighbours said Baichan was a quiet and cheerful person.

She was the mother of two children: Moshin, a

rently overseas.

The robbery and subsequent arson and murder occurred between 02:00 hrs and 04:30 hrs yesterday.

According to Khan, he and his mother, the only occupants at home at the

them both before demanding money.

They handed over $250,000 and some silver jewellery, but the robbers were unsatisfied and demanded more.

ed” Khan and his mother with a cutlass.

After the long torture, one of the bandits told them that they were leaving, but will burn the house down with them inside. The ban-

dits, Khan said, then proceeded to the lower flat of the building, poured kerosene on the floor, and set the building alight.

The young man related that all he and his mother could have done was crawl on their bellies as they tried to get downstairs. During the crawling, he fell down the stairs, leaving her behind.

After a desperate effort, he managed to free himself, but by this time the house was engulfed in flames, making it impossible for him to return to rescue his mother.

Baichan’s remains were found after the fire had subsided, and the remains were taken to the mortuary for a post-mortem.

Khan was expected to be discharged from hospital yesterday afternoon after receiving treatment for the blows inflicted on him.

The police are investigating the matter, but up to late last night, no suspect had been held.

Guyana awaits approval of diplomats

By Ariana Gordon AMID much speculation, the Government of Guyana says it is awaiting the agreement of the host countries concerning those persons identified by Guyana to serve as diplomats abroad.

Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, in an invited comment, told the Guyana Chronicle that the process is a “tricky one” and must be dealt with carefully. He explained that, after putting together its list of proposed persons, it is for Guyana to await the host country’s approval. This is currently being done.

“You can’t announce the appointments. This is not the United States, where Congress has to pick their candidates. The normal protocol requires that you wait for the country to accept the person before you announce it. Otherwise, it would cause

embarrassment,” the Foreign Affairs Minister said.

Quizzed on whether the persons identified are qualified, Minister Greenidge said this is not a worry.

“You think we would appoint people that are unqualified?” he asked, as he said the process for the appointment of diplomats requires that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs identifies persons, possibly in consultation with others, and then discuss the list of persons with the President. It is for President David Granger to approve, he said. “…because, although it is something that has to be taken to the Cabinet, these are representatives of the President -- the Head of State. It is not something you can do if the President doesn’t have confidence in the person. It has got to be somebody he is sure of,” the Foreign Affairs Minister explained.

President Granger believes that before this month ends, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would be in a position to make “an official statement” on the diplomatic appointments. He explained that his government does not want to make any mistakes, and would accordingly take its time before announcing the postings.

President David Granger

He noted that, in the next few weeks, Guyana hopes to receive the host countries’ agreement to accept the nominees.

SOME SPECULATION Asked whether Clarissa Riehl, Hamley Case, Hamid Majeed, and retired Brigadier of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Bruce Lovell,

Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge

were identified by the Government of Guyana to serve as ambassadors, Greenidge replied, “A number of names were wrong…some were speculation.”

He said those names that have been floating around in the media were probably as a result of “earlier discussions or ideas.”

VERIFICATION “We don’t want to make any errors. Some recommendations have been made, some nominations have been made, and we have laid down criteria and we are now in a process of verification. I myself had hoped it would have been completed by December 31.

We are looking at other issues, not only qualifications, but citizenship and other requirements for establishing those missions,” he told journalists on his televised weekly programme, ‘The Public Interest.’

President Granger said

the “process is far advanced”, and in due course the names of those identified will be taken to Cabinet.

Asked whether the Alliance For Change (AFC) had agreed to the persons nominated for diplomatic appointments, the President said, “There is no requirement under the accord for any form of sharing. It is an Executive function. We function through Cabinet.

When nominations are ready, I will bring it to Cabinet.

This is how the government works. It is not subject to an agreement by the parties to the Cummingsburg Accord.”

President Granger said his government wants to ensure “that there is balance, that there is competence, and (that) the interest of the country would be put first above party or other interests.”

“If we are to advance that thrust of economic diplomacy, we have to look for the best. That’s why it is taking so long,” he explained.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday January 4, 2016

Iran says Saudis face ‘divine revenge’ SAUDI Arabia will face “divine revenge” for its execution of a prominent Shia cleric, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned.

Ayatollah Khamenei described Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr as a “martyr” who acted peacefully.

Protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran late on Saturday, setting fire to the building before being driven back by police.

Several hundred people gathered outside the building again on Sunday afternoon.

The authorities have changed the name of the street on which the Saudi Embassy stands, naming it after the executed Sheikh Nimr, one of 47 people executed for terrorism offences on Saturday.

But Ayatollah Khamenei said the cleric had been executed for his opposition to Saudi Arabia’s Sunni rulers.

“This oppressed scholar had neither invited people to armed movement nor was involved in covert plots,” the ayatollah tweeted. “The only

Protesters stormed the Saudi Embassy in Tehran, burning images of the Saudi king act of Sheikh Nimr was outspoken criticism,” he added, saying the “unfairly-spilled blood of oppressed martyr Sheikh Nimr will affect rapidly & divine revenge will seize Saudi politicians”.

Sheikh Nimr had been a figurehead in the anti-government protests that erupted in the wake of the Arab Spring up to his arrest in 2012. Newspapers in Iran

have reacted with anger to the killing of the Shia cleric, warning it could bring down the Saudi ruling family, but Saudi papers insist the authorities have the right to mete out punishment to those who do not obey the rules.

The killing “has brought the weak foundations of the bloodthirsty government of Saudi Arabia closer to

collapse”, says Iran’s hardline Vatan-e Emruz.

The authorities in Riyadh must now accept that the supporters of the cleric in the region “will take revenge”, warns conservative Hemayat.

But reformist Sharq fears the “irresponsible” act could exacerbate sectarian tensions in the region, and warns Tehran not to get drawn into Riyadh’s “dangerous game”.

In Saudi Arabia, Al-Riyadh is adamant that “the homeland’s security, unity and prestige are non-negotiable” and no “incitement of harm or sedition” should be tolerated, irrespective of the culprit’s affiliations.

Finally, Al-Jazirah, says the “firm, strong verdict” has made the country “safer and more stable”.

Iran -- Saudi Arabia’s main regional rival -- has led condemnation among Shia communities over the execution.

The Foreign Ministry in Tehran said the Sunni kingdom would pay a high price for its action, and it summoned the Saudi charge d’affaires in Tehran in protest.

Some of the protesters at the Saudi Embassy in Tehran hurled petrol bombs and rocks. Forty people have been arrested, officials said.

There have also been demonstrations in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, where Shia Muslims complain of marginalization; as well as in Iraq, Bahrain and several other countries.

The top Shia cleric in Iraq, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, described the execution as an “unjust aggression”.

The leader of Lebanon’s Shia Hezbollah Movement, Hassan Nasrallah, launched his sharpest attack yet on the Saudi ruling family, accusing them of seeking to ignite a civil war between Sunni and Shia Muslims across the world.

He said the blood of Sheikh Nimr would “plague the Al Saud [family] until the Day of Resurrection”, prompting cries of “Death to the Al Saud!” among an audience watching his address.

For its part, Saudi Arabia complained to the Iranian envoy in Riyadh about what it called “blatant interference” in its internal affairs.

Clashes between protesters and police were also reported for a second day in Indian-administered Kashmir, and in Bahrain, where a Shia majority have complained of marginalisation at the hands of the Sunni royal family. (BBC)

‘Fresh clashes’ at raided Indian base THE battle between Indian troops and militants who attacked an air force base at Pathankot near the Pakistani border has entered a second night.

At least four attackers and seven Indian soldiers have died so far.

It is unclear whether all the militants have been

killed, with the home secretary saying two gunmen were still at large.

The attack is being seen as a blow to an apparent Indo-Pakistani peace initiative launched just days ago.

Hopes for a thaw in relations were raised after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid an unexpected Indian forces have been searching the base for remnants of the group that attacked it visit to his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif.

Fresh gunfire and a blast were heard at the base yesterday, more than a day after the attack started.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry and the US State Department have condemned

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the attack.

The attack started before dawn on Saturday, when a group of gunmen - wearing Indian Army uniforms - entered the residential quarters on the base. Hours of heavy gunfire followed, and a helicopter was seen firing at the

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facility.

On Saturday afternoon, police said the base had been secured. However, fresh gunfire was reported yesterday morning.

A senior government official, Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, said troops were battling at least two gunmen who had been cornered at the site. At least one explosion -- suspected to have been caused by a grenade -- was heard yesterday.

Local news reports said a soldier from a commando unit had been killed while defusing explosives.

The identity of the attackers is not clear. Some Indian security officials suggested the Islamist militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed was to blame.

India says the group is

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backed by Pakistan, but Islamabad denies this.

In July, seven people were killed in a similar attack when gunmen stormed a police station in nearby Gurdaspur district. The three attackers in Gurdaspur were killed after a 12-hour standoff with police.

Pathankot Air Force Base is about 430km (270 miles) north of the Indian capital Delhi, and is on the road linking Indian-administered Kashmir with the rest of the country.

Indian-administered Kashmir has seen a long-running insurgency against rule from Delhi, and Kashmir has been a flashpoint in relations between Pakistan and India for nearly 70 years since independence. (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday January 4, 2016

No plans to devalue TT dollar

DEVALUATION of the Trinidad and Tobago (TT) dollar is not currently being considered, Finance Minister Colm Imbert said on Wednesday, following Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s Address to the Nation on Tuesday night, announcing a number of economic austerity measures.

“It is not being contemplated at this time,” Imbert said, repeating “at this time.”

He said that the seven per cent cut in government spending announced by Dr Rowley would largely come from reining in inflated ex-

Finance Minister Colm Imbert penditure, which he said was the hallmark of the previous government.

Imbert said Dr Rowley had told him to mandate all

ministries, state enterprises and statutory authorities to reduce expenditure by seven per cent, and to report back by the end of January as

to the measures they could take.

He noted that there had been a lot of overspending and waste in the last five years, and the cost of contracted services had gone up exponentially between 2010 and 2015.

“So one of the things we’ll be looking at is trying to get these prices back down to realistic levels, because there was definitely a lot of inflation of prices, with people not really looking for value for money and so on,” Imbert said.

Asked if consumers in Trinidad and Tobago are too “hooked” on foreign

Eight dead in Guatemala prison riot RIOT at a prison in Guatemala has left at least eight inmates dead and more than 20 injured.

The authorities said the inmates were drinking on New Year’s Eve when a fight broke out. At least two prisoners were beheaded by fellow inmates.

Rioters set fire to mattresses and bedsheets and cut power in the jail.

The prison, in the port Fighting among inmates in Guatemala’s city of Puerto Barrios on the overcrowded prisons is not uncommon

Caribbean coast, was built for 175 prisoners but now houses more than 900.

Street gang members make up the bulk of Guatemala’s prison population.

Deadly gang warfare inside prison walls is not uncommon. Severe overcrowding makes it hard for guards to control the prisoners, who are often heavily armed with home-made weapons as well as firearms smuggled into the jail. (BBC)

Bloomberg gives Jamaica kudos JAMAICA’s stock market had a better year than any other across the globe, says Bloomberg News.

In fact, the gains on the Jamaica Stock Exchange w e re t h e m o s t o f t h e 92 markets tracked by Bloomberg.

In fact, writes Ezra Fieser on Bloomberg’s website, foreign acquisitions, stronger investor safeguards and a rebounding economy helped the Jamaica Stock Exchange

surge more than 80 per cent in 2015.

With economic growth forecast to accelerate for a third straight year, reaching 1.4 per cent in 2015 according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg, Jamaica is slowly emerging from recession, while struggling with one of the world’s highest debt burdens. The government has restructured local bonds twice since 2010, accepting an International Monetary

Fund-led financing package in 2013.

Roughly US$700,000 a day in securities were traded in the first 11 months of the year, according to exchange figures, up nearly 40 per cent from last year.

As for the coming year, Finance Minister Peter Phillips has said that government’s stakes in the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica and power generation and

electricity distribution companies may be sold off. (Caribbean360)

tastes to heed Dr Rowley’s call to buy local, Imbert responded, “The fact of the matter is that they are hooked; they have to be ‘unhooked.’ Again, that is not an overnight thing. We are trying to switch from a taste for foreign goods to local goods, where they are available.”

He also explained that the government would try to introduce a level of wage restraint from the labour movement that has to be coupled with price restraint

from the private sector.

“A discussion has to take place. There is a social compact that has been quite successful in Barbados, for example, where business, labour and government get together and agree on a framework in terms of salaries and prices and the cost of goods, and that sort of thing. It has worked well in other countries, and can be utilised here, if it is suitable,” he said. (Caribbean News Now)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday January 4, 2016

OP-ED

Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams

Editorial: 227-5216; 227-5204 guyanachronicle.com wnigel10@hotmail.com gnnleditorial@gmail.com

Editorial

Revitalisation of the village economy

THE attention being paid by international organisations and countries towards moving to a green economy requires shedding some old habits and embracing new practices.

The positioning of the green economy model, which encourages the development of the society based on indigenous programmes, creates the opportunity for the rebirth of the village economy here.

It is instructive that at this time, when the green economy is accepted by this administration as the model for development, the nation’s president is a historian. More than most, President David Granger would have studied the intricacies of the village movement, its economy and its influences on the development of denizens and Guyana on the whole.

Though the village movement was, at emancipation, birthed from the desire of the newly freed to establish a life away from and independent of the plantation system, it has not been without challenges and, in instances, reliance on the English proverb “necessity is the mother of invention.”

For instance, when former slave owners felt that if land was sold in large blocks it would be difficult for the freed to purchase, this was dispelled through a system of ingenuity and thrift that saw the pooling of money and purchasing of single blocks by many. This led to the formation and development of the village movement, which was built on the cooperative economic model and maintained on a system of laws, values and mores to which the villagers subscribed.

It was the first form of indigenous (local) government by a freed people. In that environment, the villagers maintained their canals and access roads to their farms; elected their village councils; established cooperatives; had their own system of commerce and banking (box hand); identified lands for schools, churches, meeting places, markets, entertainment, and so forth. These were done not without challenges and obstacles from within and without, some organised and implemented by former slave masters, such as the flooding of lands.

For decades, the village economy formed the economic base of post-slavery Guyana. Some of the activities, outside of the colonials’ instigation in undercutting the strength and development of this economy, were the movement by villagers who were attracted to commercial activities in the city and to sawmilling, mining and balata bleeding in the interior. With the exodus of able-bodied adults to new economic pursuits, a depleted human capital was left to manage the business of the villages.

In time there were absentee landowners in the villages,

Cabinet adjustments

By Imran Khan Director of Public Information

THE principle and practice of Cabinet adjustments, and indeed shuffles, are healthy for a progressive democracy. Changes in Cabinet, whether in the form of adjustments, as His Excellency has effected, or as major reorganization, speak to an orientation of being adaptive in regard to managing the nation’s affairs.

Today’s global construct is dynamic, fast-moving and ever changing. Government and its leaders must constantly take decisive action, after careful review and assessment, to keep apace of the needs of the people and the national priorities. As a conscious practice, governments must seek to avoid being inflexible and resistant to change and adjustments, as these are red flags on a path to unproductivity.

It can be expected that Cabinet review and adjustment would be a constant feature of the Granger Administration. The end of the budget year and the 2016 budget presentation being imminent, this presents an ideal opportunity for review, re-organization and refocusing.

In May 2015, when the Cabinet was appointed, it was done on the basis of the best information available at the time, along with the priorities and policies outlined in the coalition’s manifesto for the May 11th election.

Minister Cathy Hughes was a natural fit for the tourism sector. In addition to her training and work in media and communications, a large portion of her professional life has been dedicated to the advancement of the tourism sector. Now with telecommunications liberalization still a bugbear for the nation, along with the dire need for our Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector to leapfrog and catch up with modern times, it has been

recognized that tourism and ICT are at similar stages of development. A technologically impaired nation, such as ours currently is, will have its development and progress hampered and slowed down.

ICT needs to become a national front-burner issue.

Both tourism and ICT in the Guyanese context remain in their infancy. Both sectors need dedicated attention at

Imran Khan a policy level. Both sectors need a dedicated lead spokesperson to not only champion their causes, but to outline to the nation the need for prioritizing these sectors – in terms of allocation of resources, positioning them for national conversations and to garner public support.

Tourism and ICT may not appear to be sectors which coincide, but in the Guyana context they very much do, on the basis of their development status.

Additionally, the modern tourism industry is also closely linked to the ICT sector.

While some niche aspects of tourism cater to tourists who want to disconnect and escape from the modern world, those who are involved in conference tourism, business tourism, remigrant tourism, sports tourism, and even leisure tourism do not wish to be deprived in any significant way from what they are accustomed to in their day-to-day lives. A modern ICT sector is at the heart of this, and will be a driver and an essential component of the

lands were left unattended, the villagers’ collective spirit and indigenous economy diminished, and so did their economic wellbeing.

This nation has had tremendous experiences. Thus, in recognising the importance of the village economy to the green economy, it requires drawing from experiences and improving on same. The rekindling of the village economy requires the involvement of the villagers and rekindling of the spirit of self-reliance with the enabling environment created. This economy will require policies, legislation and programmes that factor in protecting participants, proper infrastructure, social services, technical and financial support. Cottage industry, which is a characteristic in a village economy, will require special attention and

tourism sector.

ICT, despite previous efforts, remains an area of lamentable national deficiency.

Our internet connectivity rates are poor, our bandwidth options are narrow, our upload speeds are woeful, and we are the most technologically handicapped nation in CARICOM. As outlined

by His Excellency David Granger, there is an unavoidable gap which needed to be addressed; and of the available resources within Cabinet, Minister Hughes is best suited to provide leadership while retaining her tourism portfolio.

Had Minister Simona Broomes been appointed to the Natural Resources sector in May, such appointment would have raised no eyebrows whatsoever. Indeed, as was the case with Minister Hughes, it would have, in all likelihood, been seen as a natural fit. As it was, Minister Broomes was appointed as Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, and approached her portfolio with a vigour and robustness which have become her trademarks.

In a short period of time, she caused the national spotlight to be focused on labour infractions and welfare matters, and made gains in bringing redress.

Minister Broomes’s forte is the fight against trafficking in persons (TIP) and human rights violations in our hinterland, particularly in the mining sector. It is from where she emerged, leading the courageous and intrepid Guyana Women Miners Association. It is for her work in this sector that she was honoured by United States Secretary of State John Kerry.

Since Minister Broomes’s focus was shifted away from the hinterland to the coastland, there has been a breach in the work which she approached with fearlessness and zeal, and there has been a bubbling restlessness in the hinterland especially, where she is missed. In fact,

with the advent of Broomes’s activism, many hinterland operators, including miners and business owners, have taken corrective action in regularizing their operations; but with her having been focusing on mostly coastland labour issues since May, many of these offenders have relapsed into their old abusive ways.

There is therefore a need for Guyana’s internationally acknowledged champion of the fight against TIP and hinterland human rights and labour abuses to effectively return home and bring the situation under control. Her widely known expertise is needed, formally and as a matter of urgency within the Natural Resources Ministry, newly established as it is, and headed by Minister Raphael Trotman.

Newly appointed Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Sharpe-Patterson, is expected to bring dynamism to the housing sector, a portfolio which is diverse and which requires unrelenting attention. Housing is also a sector which has been mired in a litany of inefficiencies and administrative complications which have left tens of thousands of house lot applicants frustrated and disillusioned.

Housing is a portfolio which requires creative solutions and a people-oriented approach, which Mrs. Sharpe-Patterson is charged to deliver.

Minister Keith Scott shifts over from the Ministry of Communities to the Ministry of Social Protection, working under substantive Minister Volda Lawrence, to continue the work started by Minister Broomes with a view to regularizing the labour practices which have been left to meander for too long prior to Minister Broomes having taken control. Minister Scott’s no-nonsense approach should put on notice those who are afoul of the law with regard to labour practices that, rather than breathing a sigh of relief, they ought to bring their

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enabling legislation.

The country has experienced government playing an enabling role in ensuring the village economy, as in the case of Canals No.1 and No. 2. All-weather roads were built, providing easier and faster access to and from the farms. With drainage maintained, more lands were drained, contributing to an increase in production of ground provision, fruits and vegetables. The establishment of the Demerara Harbour Bridge made it easier and faster to move produce to market places and conduct business in the urban commercial centres. The Guyana Agricultural and Development Bank (Gaibank) and agriculture officers played vital roles. The former provided financing to meet developmental needs and the latter technical support to farmers.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday January 4, 2016

Region One outreach…

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Muslim scholars Broomes is a fighter for Guyana visit Dear Editor,

Dear Editor,

THE Muslim Community in Guyana will be graced with the presence of three prominent, renowned and respected Muslim scholars -- Shaikh Safraz Bacchus Al Azhari (from New York, USA), Shaykh Yasar Malik and Shaykh Huzaymah Akhtar (from London, England) -- as the Muslim community of Guyana, through The Anna Catherina Islamic Complex AA (ACIC), The Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman (GUSIA) and The Muslim Youth Council, continue to observe programmes countrywide to mark the Birth Anniversary of the Beloved Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (SAS).

An eminent scholar in the ranks of Ulema, Guyanese-born Shaykh Safraz Bacchus Al Azhari now resides in New York, USA, where he has gained the recognition of one of the most recognised Muslim clerics in the TriState area.

Safraz was born at Patentia, West Bank Demerara, and obtained his Islamic Education in Egypt at the famed Al Ahzar University, the world’s oldest university. After completing his studies, he returned to Guyana, where he became actively involved in Islamic Da`wah and education.

He served with the CIOG as Director of Education until his migration to the USA three years ago, where he took up the important position of Imam at Masjid Al Abdin, the largest masjid of people of West Indian origin in the Tri-State.

He is also a member of the ACIC, and was honoured by the prestigious National Islamic Awards Committee (NIAC) for his work in promoting Islamic education in Guyana. He has to his credit dozens of CDs and books. An orthodox Sunni scholar, Sh. Safraz remained in constant contact with the Guyanese Muslim community here.

Shaykh Huzaymah Akhtar hails from Stoke in Trent, England. He obtained his LLB from Staffordshire University. He currently stands as a partner of Saints Solicitors LLP, and was one of the early graduates of the Suyuti Institute (London). He has studied under His Eminence Huzoor ShaykhZain-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi, Shaykh-ul-Hadith Maulana Shafruddin, and Mufti Rafiq-ul-Hasni.

He is currently the Vice Chancellor of the Suyuti Institute. He specializes in Islamic History, and has also delivered lectures on various topics worldwide, including in South Africa, Australia, Fiji and Dubai.

Shaykh Yasar Malik also obtained his LLB from Staffordshire University, and currently works at Saints Solicitors LLP. Shaykh Yasir also studied under His Eminence Huzoor ShaykhZain-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi, Shaykh-ul-Hadith Maulana Shafruddin and Mufti Rafiq-ul-Hasni. He has also studied at Jamia Al Karam. He specializes in Fiqh/Islamic Rulings, a topic which he now currently teaches at Suyuti.

The scholars will be in Guyana from January 6-18, 2016, and a detailed itinerary will be released shortly. The Rabi-ul-Awal (the month in which the Prophet was born) programmes commenced on December 13, 2015 and will climax in May, 2016. They will be staged under the theme “CELEBRATING MERCY — THE UNIVERSAL MESSENGER TO ALL CREATION- PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAS)”.

Two main programmes with these scholars are slated for January 10 & January 17, while there will be programmes throughout the country.

The delegations will also meet with other Islamic Organizations as well as with the Inter Religious Organization of Guyana (IRO). While here, they will also pay courtesy calls on several government functionaries, Opposition Leader and Members of the diplomatic Corps.

REYAZ HUSSEIN, Public Relations Executive Anna Catherina Sunnatul Jamaat

I WISH to congratulate Minister Simona Broomes for the exceptional work she has been doing in the field of labour. In all my life as a trade unionist, I have never seen such a fearless fighter for workers’ rights. She has taken the fight to the employers who were exploiting their workers. She ranks in capability with illustrious persons like Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, and Kowsilla, who gave her life preventing scabs from breaking a strike at Leonora, where she was crushed to death while striking against poor working conditions.

Ms Brooms has fought relentlessly for workers, and has bequeathed a rich legacy of gains for all the categories of exploited workers. What she has achieved in that short space of time can be matched by no other labour minister, or trade union leader for that matter.

History will record her as a friend and champion of all workers; like the late Dr Cheddi Jagan, who also struggled with the working people and others for better pay and hours of work -- for acceptable working conditions for all.

With Ms Broomes at the

helm, conditions are now developing under which we must return to the days when the reasons we advance for adopting one or another position must be how effective it is, and not whether it is considered to be for or against the interests of the government.

The conditions under which the workers toiled under the PPP government have rightly been decried as showing the lowest levels of man’s inhumanity to man.

Please allow me to laud Miss Simona Broomes, Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, for being an advocate for the working class people of Guyana, and for leveraging her considerable intellectual and other skills in the struggle to correct the economic and social disparity between the classes in the pursuit of social justice for the poor and down–trodden workers.

In the environment of labour, she has already made some important advances. I have noticed the vigour with which she has moved to resolve disputes regarding payment and working conditions for workers.

Before she was included in President David Granger’s cabinet of ministers, I was following her work in human trafficking in the interior, where she has rescued a number of

teenage girls and received honorary award from the United States Government for her work in combating human trafficking, risking her life as a one-woman crusade for the under-privileged young girls in the mining communities.

Being an ex-miner, she used her experience in the mining industry to sharpen her understanding of human exploitation and its many manifestations.

She has visited many places of employment, and conducted surveys over the past 7 months to settle issues of underpayment which were long festering and which allowed some unscrupulous employers to benefit by increasing their exploitation of workers.

I am heartened by the fact that we have a minister who is ready to intervene and assist in resolving labour matters. This is vital if her ministry is to improve the working and living conditions of workers.

I have noted with great admiration that she has her own self-created strategies for representation of the poor. Her patriotism is not merely in word, but in actual manifestation of active work for the country and its people.

Through her short period as a minister, she has become a true

working class intellectual and agitator. I am always moved and deeply touched by the sincere way in which she deals with workers’ issues that impact on the poor and vulnerable.

Ms Simona Broomes has, by way of being an aggressive advocate, championed the rights of bauxite and all other workers which were long festering under the PPP government, something the PPP labour ministers failed to do after Jagan died.

Ms Broomes’s experiences in the interior in many ways served as a great lesson to her.

She became intimately acquainted with life of the working man and woman, and had firsthand knowledge of their miserable working and living conditions in the interior -- the poverty, segregation and discrimination they faced. She knew that workers worked long hours and were not receiving the minimum wages to feed themselves and their families. She decided to visit many places of employment and to hear workers’ complaints.

She also saw the horrifying conditions which existed in their workplaces and witnessed their sufferings.

Yours faithfully, MOHAMED KHAN

PPP was consulted on 50th Anniversary celebrations Dear Editor, ON MONDAY, Dec 28, 2015, as I scanned the television channels, I was attracted to General Secretary Rohee’s ritual press conference, since he was addressing a matter that I had attended to in my capacity as Technical Facilitator to the Minister of Education.

He was reporting that the government had not involved the PPP/C in preparations for the ushering in and celebrations of the country’s 50th anniversary of Independence. I was stunned, since I was convinced that the allegation was baseless and all that followed from it was uncalled for and could only be regarded as the usual ‘politricking’ that has become a norm in Guyana.

To avoid being accused of the said culture, I took some time to verify the following: 1. Matters relating to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Guyana’s Independence are being handled by the recently appointed National Commemoration Commission.

2. The Cabinet approved composition of the Commission provides for a nominee/representative of the Opposition.

3. The Leader of the Opposition has been written to as recent as Nov 11, 2015, re: question the submission of the name of his nominee.

That correspondence was delivered to, and signed for by, one Majeed at Freedom House on Nov 13, 2015.

4. To date, there has been no acknowledgement and submission of the name of the Opposition nominee.

In the foregoing circumstances, the government can hardly be accused of excluding the opposition (the PPP/C) from participating in the preparations for the jubilee celebrations. It can only be concluded that, for reasons known only to the PPP/C, it has not acknowledged and/or availed itself of the opportunity to participate in those preparations.

Incidentally, this trend has been manifested in at least two other instances. The PPP/C has failed to nominate a representative to sit on the University’s Council, after receiving a request approximately five

months ago and at least one subsequent reminder. Similarly, a response is awaited for a nominee to sit on the Commission of Inquiry into the Education System.

It is the PPP/C’s prerogative to respond, or not to respond, to such requests. But it is certainly unacceptable for them to cast blame on others when the fault, whether contrived or otherwise, does not lie at the feet of the government.

Responsible political behaviour can only be good for Guyana. The contrary will only take us further into the morass from which we need to be extricated.

Yours sincerely VINCENT ALEXANDER Technical Facilitator to the Minister of Education

Cabinet ...

From Page 6 operations within the framework of the law, or expect that they would be confronted and exposed.

The Cabinet adjustments are a testimony to the coalition government’s commitment to delivering efficient services; to best utilize available resources; and most especially, to engendering a culture of openness and accountability within a progressive democratic framework.

Change is not always embraced, nor does it always find universal favour; but change is a progressive tool and one which helps to ensure that performance, not complacency, remains a top priority.

Imran Khan is the Director of Public Information and Press Secretary to Prime Minister Moses V. Nagamootoo. Responses: imran.khan@opm.gov.gy

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2016

Coalition ‘casting wide net’ in LGE

By Ariana Gordon STRESSING that Local Government Elections (LGE) represent the heart of democracy, President David Granger has said that the APNU+AFC coalition will be contesting all aspects of the March 2016 election, something to which the smaller parties and other groups have objected.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday on his weekly programme ‘The Public Interest’, President Granger said, “We have resolved to go into local government elections as a coalition. We created a movement on the 11th May which was accepted by the general public, and this is the form of government they want to see. We will take it to local government elections …not just keep it as a device for general and regional elections. We introduced it because we believe in inclusionary democracy, and if we believe in inclusionary democracy it is a useful tool for democracy. The APNU+AFC will be going into LGE as a coalition,” President Granger affirmed while responding to questions posed by the panel of two journalists.

Asked to specifically state which aspect of the elections the coalition would be contesting, the President said that has not yet been determined.

“What we have determined is that, as far as possible, we will allow the local residents to decide how they’d like to contest the elections…but, generally, we will be contesting neighbourhoods and municipalities as a coalition. That is our general position.”

He said the coalition is prepared to “listen to the demands of communities” in keeping with the spirit of democracy.

Following announcement of the holding of LGE in March, many have opined that the major political parties need to make way for persons from the grassroots level to contest and thereby represent their constituents.

Mark Benschop, who intends to contest the LGE, said major political parties should not seek to dominate the platform at LGE. Benschop said, “Major political parties should not

seek to split the votes of independent parties or persons contesting the LGE.” He believes that major political parties should throw support behind parties such as his.

“Team Benschop is calling on the major political parties to support us… we want the government to throw its weight behind Team Benschop, to ensure that we make the necessary changes,” he said.

Benschop believes that, should ‘big’ political parties decide to contest the elections, it would be an insult to groups or persons who want to contest as well. He said it would be seen as major parties “basically trampling on the rights of those individuals.”

General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Lincoln Lewis, believes the involvement of the people in the communities is the thrust of LGE. “Local government is about involvement of the people and about harnessing the cultural and economic spirit at the grassroots level so that the people in the community can be represented,” he said in an article published by this newspaper on December 6 last year.

Lewis said it is known that community members are supportive of various political parties, and, as such, their leaders should not be representative of those parties.

“To allow these political representatives to run for local government is to allow tribalism, where people will fight for turf and influence of the political parties at the central level.”

He admonishes the people not to let politicians take up every space in their society. LGE, he said, should be contested by regular citizens who are politically neutral and have a genuine interest in the affairs of the common man. If this fails to happen, Lewis suggests, the notion of democracy would not be realized, especially at the level of the grassroots.

In a letter to the editor dated November 29 and published in the Kaieteur News, Working People’s Alliance (WPA) member Tacuma Ogunseye reminded of the party’s position that “political parties should not contest

President David Granger

local elections.” Despite the party’s position on the matter, Ogunseye, in his letter, said, “Our position remains unchanged. Since the WPA is an integral part of the APNU and the government, we will be supportive of the collective decision on this matter.”

Meanwhile, The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has said it has begun to identify potential candidates to contest the elections based on a 50 per cent ratio of non-party members appearing on the list of representatives.

The party’s General Secretary, Clement Rohee, had said in November: “We have our machinery in place; we have our technical and political machinery in place. We are involved in the claims and objections period also; we are involved in identifying candidates on the basis of a 50/50 split to stand as persons that will contest the elections at the various levels. That is the job that is going on right now.”

CONSULTATIONS Notwithstanding the views of some, President Granger has said the coalition has consulted with its supporters and the consensus is that the coalition will be contesting the elections as a unit.

“The people have been consulted and this is the response we have gotten from the six political parties. We have had consultations, and I would say (that) in keeping with the results of the elections, we represent a broad cross-section of Guyanese society.

This is what the people want.

We are not behaving like a government; we are behaving like a political entity which is responsive to the views and feelings of the public.”

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

The President said the coalition is “giving the people what they want.”

“If the people want to go through their political parties, which they know and trust, we allow them to do that; that is democracy,” the President added.

The President was quick to state that if the people feel it wise for the parties in the coalition to contest LGE indi-

vidually, then so be it. “They can go on their own. We have not prevented or obstructed any person or any group to stand as an independent or go on their own. We are not corralling people into the parties, but the majority of people who have been consulted within those six parties want us to participate in LGE as a coalition.”

The coalition has submitted its symbol to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The President, who is also the leader of the People’s National Congress (PNC), said he cannot prevent those in his party from wanting to contest the LGE as a political party.

“If they come to me and say they’d like to go in as a civic group, I’d say good, go ahead; but it is a democratic organ to choose, and some people chose the party.

LGE, he stressed, is the heart of democracy, and it enables neighbourhoods, communities, municipalities

to run their own affairs.

“Look at the difference in the city of Georgetown between what happened when the old administration inflicted a town clerk who operated against the wishes of the councillors and after the 11th May, when that town clerk was replaced by someone who was supported by the councillors. The city was transformed because there was greater trust between the municipality and the central government, and between the people and the municipality.”

Additionally, the President said LGE is very important, as persons who are placed in local offices would not be inflicted or imposed, but elected.

Meanwhile, political parties, groups, or persons interested in contesting LGE have up to January 5 to submit their applications for approval of symbols to contest the elections. Nomination Day is scheduled for January 26.

President prays for Guyana

President David Granger kneeling in prayer on arrival at the church last Thursday evening

As Guyanese across the nation ushered in Guyana’s Jubilee Year on Friday, President David Granger, like many others, spent the time in prayer and reflection at the Church of the Transfiguration on Mandela Avenue.

Speaking on Thursday, President Granger said his New Year resolution is to create a virtuous cycle of public trust and confidence, while providing the resources for the country to move forward.

The President said he believes this will see Guyanese becoming more committed to the development of the country. “My New Year resolution is to ensure that we continue to increase the level of public confidence and public trust. That is most important to me.

That public confidence can move mountains; public trust can move mountains. Once people are sure that the government is on their side, they will come out to clean up their communities; to clean up the city; to invest and to turn the economy around,” the Head of State said.

President Granger said he is confident this can be accomplished in 2016. He said, “We are creating the virtuous cycle in which people (would be more) confident in this country after 50 years of Independence; they see the roads being built, they see the city being cleaned, they see better health and education, better sanitation, they feel more secure, I believe this will be good for Guyana.” (Ministry of the Presidency)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2016

Inadequate marketing hampering tourism development – Captain Gerry Gouveia

By Navendra Seoraj TOURISM could serve as one of the major pillars of Guyana’s economic salvation, once the right strategies are in place and more funding is pumped into the industry by the government and the private sector, says prominent businessman Captain Gerry Gouveia.

Gouveia, who has investments in the tourism sector, says if the orientation of government is right, Guyana would have a flourishing industry which would create sustainable economic development.

He said, “Around the world, countries invest as much as US$60B in tourism, US$20B of which are used to promote eco and adventure tourism, which are the main types of tourism in Guyana.”

However, Guyana invests less than US$1M in tourism, although the sector is classified as one of the largest employers of human resources.

Regardless of all the major tourist attractions available in Guyana, Gouveia emphasized, proper funding is needed so there can be improvements in the industry.

MARKETING “Successive governments failed to appreciate and understand the way to market Guyana. This comes with the failure to pump enough fi-

nance into the system. This is so because our administrators fail to understand the potential tourism possesses for us,” he said.

He noted that at least US$10M would be required to develop a marketing programme to change Guyana from the “unknown” to the “known”.

Marketing, he said, is a massive hurdle which must be cleared. All the festivals and other activities will fall short unless government gets the flow and breaks through the barrier. Until then, private sector investment will always be “crawling”.

PEOPLE FOLLOW BRANDS The investment in the Marriott Hotel was a significant move, he said, a step in the right direction because of the brand it brings. And the Marriott should be made Guyana’s flagship for tourism, he said, since it is known that people follow brands.

Apart from that, modernising of the airport and other infrastructure are good initiatives, but without a proper marketing programme, that would never be enough, Gouveia thinks.

NO MAJOR INFLUX The stagnant yearly arrival figures of between 100,000 and 200,000 persons show that there has been no major

influx in persons entering Guyana. Therefore, “if more emphasis is placed on tourism, there will be an enormous difference. And even if the tourists came for a week, by checking 500,000 a year at US$1,000 per person, you are talking a good game,” he said.

However, when persons come to Guyana, they are not only enthused by its natural beauty, but also the hospitality of the Guyanese people.

The combination of nature and beauty mixed, with the people, makes an ideal tourism product that could take Guyana right up, he thinks.

As such, the investment would not only be for the natural resources, but also the human resources which would help to better develop Guyana as an ideal tourism product.

“The amazing natural geographic features, Amerindian people in their natural habitat, all make for a great tourism destination. By investing in and marketing these assets, attracting tourists would be a breeze,” said Gouveia.

RUPUNUNI Once there are adequate investments, a major tourist attraction, the great Rupununi, can be taken care of and preserved. Given that it comprises low wet lands similar to the lands in Brazil, it floods every 5-10 years, Captain Gouveia said.

Hard Money= Brighter Days THE new year holds good prospects for the media following President Granger’s pledge of “hard money” to the Guyana Press Association through training and education – with no strings attached. Well, that’s a breath of fresh air. Here’s to better training and brighter days for media workers! Public comments centred on hopes that Captain Gerry Gouveia

As such, all of Guyana’s economic development needs to be scientifically based, because of the low lands.

Those lands contain amazing biodiversity, and if they aren’t preserved, all resources would be lost or damaged forever, thus everything has to be carefully looked at, Captain Gouveia said.

The tourism stalwart said that due to agricultural activities conducted in the area, all the pesticides and other chemicals are there, and they end up in the crevices.

He said the Kaietuer Falls and the Rupununi could serve as Guyana’s two main tourist attractions, but without proper care and development, the level of their attractiveness would remain the same.

this would mean more balanced reporting, more research and a little less misinterpretation (hint: Guyana Times). But then, the question arises: with better trained journalists, would this make way for better pay conditions and benefits as well? Fingers crossed!

HISTORY LESSON The PPP have learned a new word and are determined to use it every chance they get: Gestapo -- a term used to refer to the secret police of Nazi Germany. The party has chosen to allocate this historically offensive term more than once in recent times, going as far as connecting the term with the current government. One such instance was the visit by GRA officials to Khurshid Sattaur’s home, where they reclaimed property owned by GRA, including Sattaur’s gun and PC. The PPP feels that this move could have been done with more tact. Fair enough, but how does it compare with Gestapo tactics?

Renewable energy under spotlight

Someone needs a history lesson.

THE Hinterland Electrification Programme (HEP) aims to complete a public awareness campaign which would promote the benefits of using renewable energy technologies (RET) in 2016.

Hinterland Electrification Programme (HEP) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Horace Williams made this disclosure during his presentation at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s endof-year press conference recently held at the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority.

He said other aims for 2016 include: installation of four wind data collection equipment and the commencement of wind data

The burning to death of a woman has set the

collection at four sites on the coast; procurement and installation of solar PV community systems in at least 20 hinterland communities to support livelihood activities and provide energy for the enhancement of social services; and procurement and installation of the solar gridtie systems on seven public buildings to demonstrate the benefits of utilising such systems.

Other goals include upgrading the generation systems at Port Kaituma and Mahdia to improve their reliability; extension of the electricity systems at St Cuthbert’s Mission, Siparuta, Orealla and Moraikobai to add more than 100 households

on the grids; procurement of a generator and power transformer for Matthews Ridge, to improve system reliability; and construction of office buildings for Port Kaituma & Mahdia power utilities.

The CEO noted that, for this year, the HEP hopes to accomplish those projects that faltered during 2015 while intensifying the overall performance in 2016. Last year, over 6,000 households benefitted from solar power in the hinterland, Williams said.

He stressed that another successful project was the provision of two MVA power transformers to benefit the Mahdia Power and Light Inc. and Port Kaituma Power and Light Inc. In addition, the In-

ter-American Development Bank (IDB) funded a grant of US$5M for the Sustainable Energy Programme, aimed at promoting awareness of the importance of renewable energy, hiring of consultants to provide advice, installation of wind data collection equipment, installation of community-based isolated solar PV systems, and installation of grid-tie solar PV systems on seven public buildings in Georgetown.

Unfortunately, Williams reported, a number of the projects listed were not completed, due to delays on the part of the consultants hired.

As a result, only $6M had been utilised out of the $40M that had been provided in the 2015 Budget.

INTOLERABLE CRUELTY public alight with rage over the cruelty of such an act, and has set new heights in the extent to which persons would go to steal. Bandits reportedly tied up a woman and her son, after demanding cash and jewellery from them, and then set the house afire before leaving. The woman’s son managed to escape, but she was not so fortunate.

Now, all the praise that the police received via the operations of Dragnet went down the drain, as members of the public are asking: where have they gone?

Yet more questions are flowing in the direction of whither our humanity is headed, if this is the level to which the thieves would stoop. Hopefully, the investigations would reveal a true motive, as this seems a bit too extreme to just be a simple robbery.

10

Fire destroys East Canje home

The Canje house that has been destroyed by fire

CHUNILALL Basdeo, 61, of 1103 Canefield Settlement, East Canje Berbice is contemplating his next move after his home was destroyed by a fire of unknown origin yesterday at about 11:00 hrs.

Basdeo told the Guyana Chronicle that he was alerted

to the blaze by his 10-yearold granddaughter who lives with him. The child reportedly smelled something burning and raised an alarm. On checking, he noticed smoke emanating from a bedroom in the upper flat of his home, which he said was furnished

Monday, January 4, 2016 - 13:30 hrs Tuesday, January 5, 2016 - 14:00 hrs Wednesday, January 6, 2016 - 14:00 hrs

with all modern amenities.

He estimates his loss to be in the millions.

The elderly man said he raised an alarm, but the fire spread quickly. Neighbours called the fire service, and though they arrived promptly, they could not control the blaze.

“I don’t know how the fire started, because nobody does go upstairs or live there.

Me just smell something burning, and like it happen so fast,” he said.

Basdeo, who makes a living by selling produce from his kitchen garden, said he is devastated at his losses. One of his brothers has since offered him a place to stay.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2016

Trotman plans to bury corruption

– says 2016 is year to ‘straighten out’ mining sector

RECAPPING his initial six months in office, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, described it as challenging and a “trying, difficult process of bringing things in order”.

He described what was inherited as “disorder, not only in (the) mining sector and forestry, but in other places”.

He praised his staff as willing, adding that they were all working to pull things together.

In regard to the mining sector, Minister Trotman said he, like many others, viewed the industry with a “sense that things were not right”, despite the glamour and glitz that is often associated with it. He noted that there were all kinds of anecdotes, such as “bribes being paid; small miners being run off land; and processing of papers taking weeks, instead of being done in days”.

With more than 451,000 ounces being declared, surpassing the yearly target, he said, mining remains lucrative, but regulation and management of the sector need improving.

“We are taking steps to improve not just the substance, but the image of the mining process,” he declared.

Minister Trotman revealed that, a few weeks prior, an inference was brought to his attention that his signature to approve duty-free concessions for miners was worth some US$3,000. He said, “I discovered this, and it was quite a shock. These are things we are chasing down; and if need be, the police will have to be brought in”.

He emphasised that order would be brought to the sector, noting that, “It’s not going to be done overnight, but it is a process that is going to be

done and we are going to see it through in 2016”.

Corruption remains a challenge, he said, and no effort will be spared to “keep it down”, the Minister said, “It is not easy, as even when you have dealt with A, C and D are going to pop up somewhere”.

He said that major focus is being placed on the affairs of small miners, to ensure they also have a “fair share of the pie”. He added that their plight is one that has resonated with him. “They come here, and some of them are literally in tears. Many of them are very frustrated, and some of them, I can see, have been pushed to their limits. I can see some of them either contemplating suicide or even murder, because they just feel pushed”.

The larger operators in the sector will also be catered for, he noted. He named Aurora and Troy Resources as two investments of several in the sector that were welcomed.

“We will make sure they are happy too, and that they function well here,” he declared.

JOB CREATION The two companies are a boost to the local economy with the creation of jobs, capacity building, technology transfer, and cascading benefits.

Guyana stands to benefit from what Minister Trotman described as better deals in regard to the multi-millionUS-dollar investments. “We want to make sure that taxes are paid, they respect the workers’ rights, they pay them benefits; their mining practices are safe,” he said.

Government has taken a “hands-on approach”, and there are regular visits to the investment sites, he added.

“We have been on the ground.

We are quite impressed with the technology being brought to bear. We are impressed with the fact that Guyanese are getting jobs. We are impressed with their shipments; and they are paying their royalties on time, so thing are working out, and we are paying close attention”.

The fact that mining will disrupt the environment is a given, and government is moving to ensure that the mining sector lessens its impact on the environment, according to Minister Trotman. He said, “We have got to ensure that it is done to a minimum, with improved mining techniques so that we can recover more gold from mining locations, rather than have a multiplicity of spots. You might recover 40% from this hole and then move on, when a technique (can be applied) that would actually give you 70 to 80 %

(recovery),” he said.

The restoration of mining sites is also a cause for concern, and strong action will be taken in this regard, Minister Trotman said. “Miners mine and they move on. The rivers get polluted and there are gaping holes left in the land, and there is an Environmental Bond that is only $100,000.

We will be reviewing that”.

Miners will soon pay a bond that is more realistic and commensurate with their action, scope and size of operation, he explained.

Mining will also be done in the future in zoned areas, and not in a capricious manner, the Minister said.

Staff efficiency will be improved to better have them serve the stakeholders; and this, Minister Trotman said, will boost the sector.

“Maybe with some training, which we want to improve on, and with a little more encouragement, we could move to about 80%.

Yes, more staff may be needed, but we will get greater potential from the existing staff,” he said.

Staffers are willing to work, and now they have a clear vision as to where they will go, he added.

PETROLEUM SECTOR Looking at the petroleum sector, Minister Trotman said that Exxon discovery is the major investor that will benefit “generations for years to come”. Their find has resulted in increased interest from other petroleum companies, and the coalition government intends to see that Guyanese benefit.

“We will be looking at local content, making sure there are sufficient Guyanese involved that are trained. There are scholarships, working on the service side. We want more local involvement…we want to know there are petroleum engineers, boat captains, and we have environmental specialists and we have the people who supply the chicken and the greens and the water. At every level, we have got to do some work,” he said.

The coming year will see closer collaboration with the Business Ministry as government seeks to unveil opportunities for Guyanese.

The President of Exxon/ Mobil is also scheduled to visit Guyana for talks with President David Granger and government officials, the Minister revealed.

“The fact that Exxon is the largest company in the world tells you that there is something special here. We are working on that, and we hoping that we get closer and closer to production,” he disclosed.

No turning back!

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2016

– says Miss Guyana World franchise holder

By Shauna Jemmott NATASHA Martindale had never dreamed of taking things this far! But now that she has reached new horizons in pageantry, the Miss World Guyana franchise holder says turning back is not an option, despite the grave challenges of lack of sponsorship and her venturing into a whole new world on the other side from home with little to work with and less than enough in pocket!

Being the first pageant franchise holder to have reaped back-to-back successes, with queens advancing into the spotlight at Miss World, the longest-standing pageant of international prestige, and excelling at it against the tests, she stands to declare that, though it wasn’t easy, it was indeed worth it.

Sticking through for both queen and director hangs on purpose and will of Miss World, a will which instigates and motivates the ‘beauty with a purpose’ and ‘the challenge’ to be a woman of allure and greatness, and one pushed to higher levels in life’s climb.

Martindale believes that though all three of her queens have done well, with Boyer also being in the top 32 in 2013, the most important

Natasha Martindale

challenge of Miss Guyana World has been sponsorship.

She wonders if she is doing the right things to secure sponsorship for her queens, since, despite some efforts, the organisation struggles for the financial support that is needed to build delegate confidence. Still, the girls rise.

“It is nerve-shattering,” Martindale said, “when you have a promising ambassador for the country but her confidence is shot because of lack of sponsorship -- which gives way to poor styling, watered-down versions of the plan or concept created, insufficient wardrobe for the amount of time at the pageant; not enough anything.”

She also said that “travelling long hours in stressful economy at a time when the mind needs to prepare

Miss World in 2014 Rafieya Hussain

Miss World in 2014 Lisa Punch

mentally to battle; when a sponsor commits and pulls out last minute, or fails to return your calls, that tells on the representative, as it is she who wears the flag of her country and is the face of all of us”.

Martindale recalled that, in 2013, when Ruqayyah Boyer represented Guyana, she had to assure the Queen that she could do it despite the odds.

“I remember telling Ruqayyah in 2013 not to worry, you will get to Indonesia even if it’s with one shirt and a pants.” And as two additional years and queens have come and gone, she said,

She said she is responsible for submitting to the Miss World Organisation at least three major local sponsors showing country support for Miss Guyana.

“I am yet to attain this, but I am hopeful that it will get better,” she disclosed.

She said there is a particular thing about Miss World, reflected even through Miss Guyana World, which should erase doubts about where a sponsor’s money adds value. “Miss World is a pageant that is of purpose and substance. It caters to young women who are well rounded and, most importantly, genuinely cares about the less fortunate, especially children,” she explained. Its ‘beauty with a purpose’ campaign is an outstanding component of

NIGHTMARE “That is the reality and nightmare that is relived year over year”.

the contest, with participating queens from various countries being encouraged and supported through a campaign of worth.

She said: “It is the ethos of the Miss World Pageant which separates it from the rest.”

As pageant director, Martindale plays a great part in ‘beauty with a purpose’, and is the one who spearheads the platform crusade, for which 40 per cent of the Miss World Organisation score is allotted.

“It is important because Miss World is looking for the core of a young woman who has chosen to use her skills, talent or time towards making a difference in the lives of those who are troubled, those who are less fortunate,” she explained.

VOICE Issues which affect women, children and youths are being addressed at the Miss World Pageant. “She must be a voice for those who can’t speak, and it has to be genuine. It must be a combined sincere effort of the franchise and the titleholder, and it must make a tremendous impact on the country. It must also be something with continuity…. Lisa can’t return and forget all about prevention of teenage suicide.”

Martindale’s desire and

responsibility is to ensure that all three of her queens – Ruqayyah Boyer, Rafieya Hussain and Lisa Punch -continue their purpose.

Excellence in the purpose was what fast tracked Rafieya into the top ten in Miss World in 2014.

She was the queen with the most influential campaign. In 2015, Miss Guyana World’s, Lisa Punch’s, victory in the Talent Competition made her the more exceptional queen and shot her into the top 25; and with additional scores in other levels of the competition, she eventually placed in the top ten.

“Having placed in the top 10 in Miss World backto-back is an impactful achievement as well as impressive,” she said, adding “Ruqayyah started with domestic violence; Rafieya came in and continued it from a teen-dating perspective; Lisa came up with teenage suicide prevention.

I can’t wait to see what next year queen will bring.”

Each delegate in Miss Guyana World is given the liberty to select her ‘purpose’, and the delegate who wins the local pageant will have the opportunity of having her vision brought to light, giving her a voice, and helping to make her platform a reality.

Sheriff Street-Mandela Avenue Project being reviewed THE WORKS Services Group (WSG) has commenced a review of the Sheriff Street-Mandela Avenue Project, and upon completion of the exercise, the findings will be discussed with Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, before being sent to Cabinet for approval.

This is according to WSG Coordinator Geoffrey Vaughn. He made the

announcement during the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s recent end-ofyear press briefing at the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) on High Street, Kingston.

The road covers a length of some seven kilometres, and the contract is to the tune of US$24M. In July last, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board received five bids for the roadway expan-

sion and enhancement of the Sheriff Street– Mandela Avenue network.

The engineer’s estimate was US$36,377,564 (see list of bidders provided) The government has received a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank to fund the Sheriff Street- Mandela Avenue Roadway Enhancement project. The scope of works for the Sheriff Street into Mandela Avenue road

WSG Group Coordinator Geoffrey Vaughn

corridor includes asphaltic pavement, road safety, upgrading traffic intersection signals at each of the major road junctions, and traffic and drainage improvement works. There will also be structural works to bridges, culverts and other supporting infrastructure. Pavement works will include the construction of a two-lane roadway with a median partitioning the two lanes along Sheriff Street.

The first section of Mandela Avenue will involve expansion from a two-lane to a four-lane roadway with a median in the centre, while the second section will consist of three lanes.

The total distance of roadway to be rehabilitated/constructed is 7km and would involve road-widening, reconstruction of failed sections, and asphalt overlay.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2016

Scenic Riverview

– yearns for secure employment, worried about losing culture TOURISTS travel great distances to catch a glimpse of the vast Essequibo River; and for most Guyanese, it takes a special occasion to overlook this superb body of water -- so wide, so deep and so mighty.

This view is ever so magical, and whenever we get the opportunity to experience it, the impact is extraordinarily strong.

To the envy of many, the residents of the small Amerindian community of Riverview, commonly known as Goshen, experience the grandeur of the river every day. Like Goshen in the Bible, which overlooked the Nile River, this little village spans 15 miles across the mighty Essequibo River.

With a population of a little more than 4000, these

Amerindians take pride in the river, and do not only enjoy its scenery, but involve it in their daily domestic activities. It would not be a rare sight for passersby to see a group of lads taking their morning bath in the river while a housewife is in process of washing her dishes by the riverside.

As is customary, indigenous folks are in sync with

their environment, and the residents of Riverview are no different. Even though the community is only three miles away from Bartica, the people -- especially the elders of Riverview -- maintain their simple indigenous life as much as their environment allows.

The main economic activity at Riverview is logging, which the people sup-

A scene in the community of Riverview

plement with farming, fishing and hunting. As they look to nature to supply their daily needs, there is never a hungry mouth in the village, and even though affluence is not known among the villagers, destitution cannot be found.

LOSING THE HERITAGE Toshao Elvis Williams is concerned that the younger generation has a yearning to be modernised. This, he said, can be both beneficial and detrimental to the individual and the village as a whole.

With the absence of tertiary educational opportunities and secure employment within the village, the youths migrate to the city, or even to Bartica, where they can benefit from these. For those who return, there is evidence that the influence of the fast life has a negative impact on the youths. Toshao Williams has observed a moral breakdown within the community.

The majority of youths do not return to little Riverview, and this has resulted in a generation gap, as there is a noticeable difference between the number of youths and the elderly.

“The youths are the ones who should return and develop Riverview and to give back to the little children coming up, but instead, they do not return, and those who do are not setting a good example,” he posited.

Riverview, the toshao said, has raised several distinguished persons, including current Public Health Minister Dr George Norton. The toshao laments that many of these persons do not return and assist in development of the community.

Another grave concern to the toshao is that the community is lacking the relevant equipment and resources to develop the love for sports, especially football. There is currently a football team that competes with other communities during tournaments.

The team has been emerging victorious in matches played

with Bartica over these previous months, and the community is indeed proud of their achievements. With the aim of participating in more recognised matches, the team is lacking the fundamental equipment and resources to do so.

First on the list is a playfield in which training and practice can be done.

The team is now practising among the dead, as the burial ground is the only open space they have to train.

“After dark, everybody is running away because they are afraid of the burying ground, so we need a proper field and playground to develop our team,” Toshao Williams said.

DISRESPECT Currently, the villagers are fighting for the lands that were seized from them under the previous administration.

A demarcation line has been drawn on the map which removes the occupied lands that face the river from the territory of Riverview. With this new development, in which the people are fighting for their ancestral lands built through sweat and blood, loggers are encroaching on the land and are operating without paying royalties to the community. This has been deemed disrespectful and unfair by the residents, as their daily bread is being taken away since they no longer have control over the land.

More important to the residents is the issue of taking away the lands that give them the view of the Essequibo River. “That river to us is a source of hope, a source of comfort, and a measure of pride to us -- knowing that we can sit under our benabs and enjoy the splashes of the water when the sun is hot,” said one resident.

According to the toshao, the community was built with the river in mind, and the community should remain viewing it as its namesake, Riverview.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2016

Girls’ education boosted by pioneering technology CAMFED, the campaign for female education in Africa, needs to know when one of its sponsored pupils fails to attend school.

Thanks to its pioneering deployment of technology, teachers are able to report an absence immediately.

An automated alert is fed back to Camfed staff in the area, says Daniel Probert, head of IT innovation at the UK-based charity. “They can then investigate, find out why she was not there, where she is, and ensure that she stays in education if she has moved.”

Every financial transaction is also logged on the database, showing how much has been spent on individual girls, from school and exam fees to soap powder for washing uniforms.

All data are integrated into a single screen per girl, making them easy to access and understand.

Last year, Camfed’s governance and systems were recognised by the OECD when it named the charity a model of best practice in taking innovation to scale.

“Camfed is a game changer,” says Charlotte Finn, vice president of programmes for the charitable arm of Salesforce, which works with 26,000 not-forprofit organisations.

“It’s not just that information is integrated, but that it permeates the entire culture and ethos,” she says.

Many government, education and corporate organisations fail to achieve the potential of technology because they do not get this buy-in, says Finn.

“Camfed is so successful because it has made technology an intrinsic part of its culture and operation across its entire ecosystem, including donors, activists and the girls themselves.”

The level of integration means Camfed can generate reports and monitor success in fine detail, making it highly efficient, transparent and accountable. If an item of data is missing for a girl, it won’t activate another payment.

Camfed has, since 1993, supported 1.4m students in Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The international development funds, charitable foundations and companies which support it usually specify where and on which age group they want their money to be spent. So the

detailed reporting on information such as enrolment, retention and progression is crucial.

TRACKING Donors might want to support 2,000 girls over four years of secondary school in Zimbabwe and Tanzania, says Cotton. “We can track each girl and show her exam results. We can also compare the group’s results with other local schools, to demonstrate the benefits of our programme.”

The data are also fed back to the communities and the individual girls, says Cotton.

“The data are the child’s safety net. We know which school and class they are in, who their parents are, where their families live. This information is continually updated so that we can be dynamic in our response to each child’s needs.”

Probert says: “The aggregation of personal, social and financial data this required has been a fascinating technical challenge.”

When he joined four years ago, the finance and programme management systems were separate.

“There was a time-consuming process of reconciliation between the two systems every quarter, in order, for example, to be able to track payment on shoes for Jessica in Malawi.”

Some 18 months ago, Probert set about implementing a system that could scale and adapt, using software from FinancialForce and Salesforce applications companies. It is cloudbased, with data uploaded by teachers using the cheapest available mobile phones or tablets.

New information is verified against data from community workers, which minimises the risk of error and corruption. The system is easy to use, and gives instant acknowledgment so that field workers know their data have been collected.

“This boosts confidence and usage,” says Cotton.

“Also, being able to show the 137,000 activists that their efforts have produced, for example, a 15 per cent improvement in exam results helps sustain enthusiasm and commitment.”

Probert says the project to change the financial systems will probably take another 18 months to com-

plete.

Camfed is also collecting information about alumnae — 33,000 so far —

many of whom are now running businesses for which it has provided grants. The aim is to demonstrate return

on investment, and apply data analytics to discover more about what makes individual businesses successful.

“We can learn not just from accounting data, but also from geography and weather patterns,” explains Probert. “Next year, we plan to look at trends in successful businesses, so that, for example, if a young woman in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, wanted a loan to set up a pig farm, we could automatically reply that it might not be the right time of year

because of flood risk.

“We might also be able to point out that while there are already 12 pig farmers in Bulawayo and 12 chicken farmers, there is a demand for sheep which nobody is supplying.”

Another aim is to connect alumnae businesses. “It would be great to be able to link a chicken farmer in Bagamoyo in Tanzania with someone in Dar-es-Salaam selling chicken feed. That’s the next development phase.”

(Financial Times.com)

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Last Friday’s Results

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday January 4, 2016

Crossword

Sudoku

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2016

MONDAY JANUARY 4, 2015

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2016

MONDAY JANUARY 4, 2015

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday January 4, 2016

Lynn 75 off 32 powers Heat to their first win FINALLY, four Big Bash games too late, Brisbane Heat are underway, and their Big Bash League campaign is still alive. This time, they were not completely reliant on Chris Lynn, but of course he was the star, marshalling a remarkable chase with 75 from 32 balls as the Sydney Thunder failed to defend 186 in driving - perhaps to the point of being hazardous - rain.

Throughout the Heat’s enthralling innings, the eyes of the batsmen flicked from the DLS calculations sheet, to the umpires, then finally to their own footing, with both Lynn and Nathan Reardon slipping at the crease.

(Scores:Brisbane Heat 4 for 189 (Lynn 75, Peirson 40) beat Sydney Thunder 5 for 186 (Hussey 56, Watson 46) by six wickets).

Life was tougher for the Thunder bowlers, whose interest lay with the front line (no amount of sawdust could ever be adequate in these conditions) and the ball, which was changed three times and was impossible to keep dry, like their own hands.

The umpires, admirably putting the 27,507 spectators first, resisted the temptation to take the players off the field.

They were rewarded with another blockbuster finish.

Lynn, for once, came to the crease after a platform had been laid by Lendl Simmons and Jimmy Peirson. Michael Hussey - even shorn of the bowling of Jacques Kallis, who had earlier injured his back running between the wickets - had been confident enough to post a short leg, but the field had soon enough spread as Peirson timed pulls

Chris Lynn followed his last two scores of 101* and 75 with another 75.

crisply, while Simmons sent Clint McKay handsomely over long-off for six. After the first five overs, the Heat were 0 for 45.

The introduction of Fawad Ahmed’s spin put the brakes on slightly - impressive, given the troubles gripping the ball - and Simmons fell to Shane Watson’s first ball, opening the face and ramping straight to third man. Two overs later, Peirson was stumped off offspinner Chris Green, trying to accelerate, for a 36-ball 40.

Never mind, leave that to Lynn. Fawad was drilled for six over long-on, before Watson’s return - when the Heat needed almost 13 an

over - was brutally targeted. A full toss was sent to the midwicket fence and was followed by a cover-driven four and a brutally-pulled six.

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After Andre Russell had Reardon caught at short fine leg, the game was won with an outrageous assault from Lynn on Gurinder Sandhu’s return.

The seamer was sent into the stands at midwicket, then longon, before a top-edge earned four, and a six - the biggest of the lot - went into the top tier behind square.

The over’s penultimate ball was skied but slipped through Kurtis Patterson’s hands at deep midwicket.

The damage had been done, but Lynn still found time to

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flay Sandhu’s next over for 18 more.(ESPN Cricinfo).

Bulls stop Raiders ...

From Backpage and to a lesser extent Niles Dennis, turning on the heat on the experienced Raiders, outscoring them (Raiders) 22-10 in front of their loyal fans.

Welch turned in a Most Valuable Player (MVP) performance to end with 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block shot, Turner had a game-high 17 points, three assists and two steals as power forward Dryden scored 11 points, raked in 15 ‘boards’ and dished off five assists.

The Raiders’ best players were Roberts with 14 points and 13 rebounds to go with six steals, while Cameron had 10 points and Hartman five points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.

The Malta Supreme Brand Manager Clayton McKenzie was on hand along with Shondel Easton, the Linden Branch Manager for Banks DIH and president of the LABA Lawrence Simon to meet the teams before the final.

The trophy and prizes won along with the various replicas and medals and prizes will be handed over at the official presentation to be held later this week.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday January 4, 2016

England bludgeon South Africa bowlers on day of records

By Mark Gleeson

(Reuters)-Brutal batting from Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow broke a host of records as England declared on 629 for six before South Africa replied with 141 for two at the close of play on the second day of the second Test at Newlands yesterday.

Stokes bludgeoned the fastest 250 in test cricket in a 399-run world-record partnership for the sixth wicket with Bairstow, who was 150 not out after scoring a maiden Test century.

Hashim Amla (64 not out) and AB de Villiers (25 not out) were defiant at the close as South Africa cut back the deficit to 488 runs.

On a day like few others in test history, England set about the home bowling

Jonny Bairstow lets out his emotion on reaching three figures in CapeTown on the second day.

with abandon, approaching the first session as if it was a Twenty20 game with relentless attacking that never waned.

England resumed on 317-5 but raced to 513-5 at lunch in a morning session of 196 runs before declaring some 30 minutes before tea after amassing the highest first-innings total in a test at the picturesque Cape Town ground at a rate of some eight runs per over.

Stokes, who was 74 not out overnight, scored the second fastest double century in Test history, his 200 coming off 163 balls, 10 more than record holder Nathan Astle of New Zealand.

England’s previous fastest was by Ian Botham who took 220 balls.

The 24-year-old Stokes reached his 250 off 196 balls,

Sussex bowler Matthew Hobden dies at the age of 22 SUSSEX cricketer Matthew Hobden has died at the age of 22. In a statement, the club said it was “deeply shocked and saddened”. The cause of death has not been given.

Born and educated in Eastbourne, seam bowler Hobden made his first-class debut in 2014 and represented Sussex in all formats of the game.

England’s lead fast bowling coach Kevin Shine said: “His potential was huge. He was improving rapidly and I’m certain that he would have played for England.”

England’s players are wearing black armbands on day two of the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town on Sunday as a mark of respect for Hobden, who made his final appearance in a one-day match against Essex last August,. (BBC Sport)

Notable Dates

ANTHONY `The Pearl’ Andrews suffered his 10th professional defeat on January 4, 1997. Andrews and manager Odinga Lumumba had travelled to Australia where the slick `Pearl’ faced homeboy Darren Obah.

At stake were the World Boxing Association (WBA) Fedelatin and PABA middleweight titles.

The 33 year-old Obah, who was one year older that his Guyanese opponent, won the 12-round contest by Unanimous Decision. While Andrews joined the pro ranks in 1982 at the age 18, Obah made it into the professional arena in 1993. `The Pearl’ started out as a bantamweight and would secure the Guyana title in 1984 following an 11th round TKO of Michael Parris, a 1980 Olympic bronze medallist. Two years later Andrews moved to the USA which resulted in his career and record taking a nose dive.

The three-year sojourn in the USA proved to be a losing spree for the orthodox boxer as he won two of nine fights.

Upon his return to Guyana in 1989 Andrews clashed with and was defeated by Barrington Cambridge while contesting for the national welterweight title.

In May 1995 Andrews made an unsuccessful challenge for the WBA middleweight title. He was TKOed in the 12th round by champion Jorge Castro.

Matthew Hobden

beating Virender Sehwag’s former record for India (207), and was eventually run out for 258 after facing 198 deliveries, a knock which included 30 fours and an England-record 11 sixes.

Stokes also set the highest score by a Test batsman at number six, passing a 39-year-old mark held by Australian Doug Walters.

HORROR DAY He was eventually out in something of an anti-climax as he skied a shot to De Villiers, who dropped a simple-looking catch only to sweep up the ball and hit the stumps to run out Stokes as he ambled back to the crease.

South Africa’s horror day did not end after the declaration, which came when

Bairstow got to 150.

Stiaan van Zyl was run out for four in the third over of their first innings, setting off for a quick run but being sent back by opening partner Dean Elgar.

Stokes then reminded the hosts of his all-rounder ability with a rising ball which removed Elgar for 44 after a thick outside edge found the diving hands of Nick Compton at backward point.

De Villiers was dropped on five by Joe Root at second slip, while Amla’s half-century was his first in exactly a year as he battles with poor form and continuing questions around his captaincy. England lead 1-0 in the four Test series after a 241-run victory in Durban last week.

SCOREBOARD

ENGLAND 1st innings (Overnight: 317-5) A. Cook c Morris b Rabada 27 A. Halesc de Villiers b M. Morkel 60 N. Compton c Bavuma b Rabada 45 J. Root c de Kock b Morris 50 J. Taylor c de Kock b Rabada 0 B. Stokes run out (, de Villiers) 258 J. Bairstow not out 150 M. Ali not out 0 Extras (b-12 lb-6 nb-8 w-13) 39 Total (for 6 wickets declared, 125.5 overs) 629 Fall of wickets: 1-55 A. Cook,2-129 A. Hales,3-167 N. Compton,4-167 J. Taylor,5-223 J. Root,6-622 B. Stokes Did not bat: S. Broad, J. Anderson, S. Finn Bowling: M. Morkel 29 - 5 - 114 1(nb-1 w-5),C. Morris 28 - 3 - 150

– 1, K. Rabada 29.5 - 2 - 175 - 3(nb-7 w-8), D. Piedt 25 - 5 - 112 – 0, S. van Zyl 10 - 0 - 43 - 0 D. Elgar 4 - 0 - 17 – 0.

SOUTH AFRICA 1st innings D. Elgar c Compton b Stokes 44 S. van Zyl run out (Compton, Bairstow) 4 H. Amla not out 64 A. de Villiers not out 25 Extras (lb-2 w-2) 4 Total (for 2 wickets, 43 overs) 141 Fall of wickets: 1-7 S. van Zyl,2-85 D. Elgar To bat: Q. de Kock, T. Bavuma, F. du Plessis, D. Piedt, C. Morris, K. Rabada, M. Morkel Bowling: J. Anderson 9 - 2 - 24 – 0, S. Broad 9 - 2 - 32 – 0, M. Ali 9 - 1 - 30 – 0, S. Finn 9 - 1 - 30 – 0, J. Root 1 - 0 - 3 – 0, B. Stokes 6 - 1 - 20 - 1(w-2).

RHTYSC offers congrats to Fudadin and Crandon T H E R o s e H a l l To w n Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC) has expressed congratulations to its members Assad Fudadin and Royston Crandon on their selection to the Guyana Regional 50 overs team. The RHTYSC is quite delighted at their selection and wishes them and the Guyana team the best in their quest for championship honors.

The club in a statement said, “Royston Crandon’s selection has a special feeling for all of us at the RHTYSC as he continues to dedicate himself to the game of cricket despite severe challenges and disappointments and we are confident that like in the 2015 tournament, he would be an asset to the team. “ “Assad’s selection is just

– condemns non-selection of Jonathan Foo

Jonathan Foo a reward for a disciplined and extreme hardworking player and completes a full circle of selection to the four days 50 overs and Amazon Warriors 20/20 cricket teams,” the statement continued.

It reminded of its the players of the club’s formula of success – ‘Sheer

hard work, discipline, faith in the god we serve, honesty and a steel determination to succeed against all odds’.

As we collectively celebrates of being granted a Medal of Service Award by the Government of Guyana, the RHTYSC is confident that they would fulfill their responsibilities as Ambassadors og Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation.

Meanwhile, the club also stated its disappointment at the non-selection of Jonathan Foo of the Albion Cricket Club. Foo was without doubt, one of the leading performers in the recent GCB 50 overs tournament and his per-

formance is the watchword for selection.

“Our club and the Albion club have a long standing rivalry but as every cricket fan would be aware, the RHTYSC has always put the game of cricket first and Jonathan Foo deserves to be selected – full stop.”

“We would also like to condemn the treatment of our own Clinton Pestano and Eon Hooper who both performed well throughout the tournament, both of them were belatedly called for the second trial match after the club was informed less than 24 hrs before the game by an individual who has no proper record as a cricket administrator, ” concluded the club.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday January 4, 2016

Australia’s spinners peg West Indies back in Sydney rain

By Nick Mulvenney

S Y D N E Y, ( R e u -

ters)-Australia’s spinners Nathan Lyon and Stephen O’Keefe took key wickets between rain showers to peg West Indies back to 207 for six at the end of a weather-disrupted opening day of the dead rubber third Test yesterday.

More than two hours and 45 minutes of play were lost to rain in a stop-start day at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), where the tourists fell away in the early evening gloom after winning the toss and making a solid start.

Denesh Ramdin, unbeaten on 23, and Carlos Brathwaite (35 not out) will resume on day two, weather permitting.

The hosts had rolled the dice on the twin spin attack at the SCG for the first time in a decade and got their reward when Lyon and O’Keefe got plenty of turn off a straw-coloured wicket.

Off-spinner Lyon (2-68) produced a stunning delivery that pitched wide and turned in to take the bail off Jermaine Blackwood’s off stump for 10 and returned after the second rain break to remove dangerman Kraigg Brathwaite for 85.

Left-arm orthodox spinner O’Keefe (1-42) then pitched in to have West Indies captain Jason Holder caught superbly at short leg

by Joe Burns and claim his first test wicket on Australian soil.

Trailing 2-0 in the three-match series after thumping defeats in Hobart and Melbourne, West Indies had started the day by building on their improved batting performance in the second Test.

After the early loss of opener Shai Hope (nine), Kraigg Brathwaite and DarKraigg Brathwaite scored a handy 85, but ren Bravo (33) looked in fine Australia kept West Indies in check by taking nick as they ushered the tourists to lunch at 92 for one. six wickets on day one at the SCG ©A

Chelsea thrash Palace, Spurs draw at Everton

By Martyn Herman LONDON, (Reuters)-Chelsea began the year offering signs of a revival as the Premier League champions won 3-0 at Crystal Palace yesterday before Tottenham Hotspur underlined their top-four credentials with a 1-1 draw at Everton.

Goals from Brazil duo Oscar and Willian and one for Spain striker Diego Costa earned Chelsea the points at Selhurst Park and gave standin manager Guus Hiddink his first win since taking over last month.

Hiddink’s side began the day in 16th place, three points above the relegation zone after a woeful opening half of the season, but comprehensively outplayed seventh-placed Palace in torrential rain.

Chelsea’s biggest league victory for 12 months, only their third in their last 11 matches, moved them up two spots on 23 points, 13 points behind fourth-placed London rivals Tottenham who shared the points in a tight tussle at Goodison Park.

Former Spurs winger Aaron Lennon gave Everton the lead but Dele Alli equalised on the stroke of halftime as the visitors stretched their

unbeaten away run to nine games.

Tottenham have 36 points, six behind leaders Arsenal who moved top with a 1-0 home win over Newcastle United on Saturday, four adrift of sur-

Terry told Sky Sports.

“A near year, a new start, we just have to keep winning games now. We are where we are, we knew as a group we had to get better and we have done so slowly and surely and

and shortly afterwards Chelsea struck.

Cesc Fabregas, booed by Chelsea’s fans in the wake of Mourinho’s dismissal, split the Palace defence with a measured pass and Costa, another player who has disappointed this season, advanced on goal before unselfishly squaring the ball for Oscar to stroke home after 29 minutes.

Palace keeper Wayne Hennessey saved well from Cesar Azpilicueta soon afterwards as Chelsea began to pop the ball around confidently on the sodden turf.

Wilfried Zaha wasted Palace’s only opening of the second half when he shot tamely at goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Willian scores the second goal for Chelsea then extended their lead in spectacular fashion on ChelseaReuters / Dylan MartinezLivepic the hour, Willian’s ferocious prise package Leicester City today hopefully is not the last rising drive from just outside and three off Manchester City. of it.” the penalty area giving HenEverton remain in mid-table nessey no chance. with 27 points.

MEASURED PASS Six minutes later Costa While a top-four finish Palace, who stay on 31 capped a hard-working perstill appears unlikely for points but could have gone fifth formance with a close-range Chelsea, captain John Terry with a win, were without two of third goal after Willian’s shot said the club is now moving their most influential players was saved. in the right direction having in suspended midfielder Yohan Chelsea’s only concern lost nine of their opening 15 Cabaye and injured winger was an injury to their Belgames.

Yannick Bolasie but more than gium forward Eden Haz“This was the Chelsea of matched the visitors for 25 ard who limped off midway last year, the football was first minutes. through the first half after class and we kept the ball in Frazier Campbell had a signalling to the bench that tough conditions,” captain half chance but sliced wide he could not continue.

Australia’s bowlers emerged from the break re-energised, however, and James Pattinson got the breakthrough when Bravo’s miscued pull sent the ball flying to Usman Khawaja running in from the deep.

That broke a 91-run partnership and brought Marlon Samuels to the crease looking to break his run of eight Test innings without getting to the 20-run mark.

He failed in farcical fashion looking for a quick single that always looked like a gamble, left stranded when Brathwaite scuttled back to his crease as Peter Nevill broke the stumps.

After a long glare at his partner, Samuels headed back to the pavilion with four runs to his name and the rest of the players and umpires followed in his wake as heavy rain came down on the ground.

Kraigg Brathwaite had brought up his eighth Test half-century just before lunch by clipping all-rounder Mitchell Marsh past long leg for two runs off the 78th ball he faced.

He fell 15 runs shy off his fifth Test century when Lyon got a little bit of extra bounce to a delivery which caught the opener’s glove and was snaffled up by Steve Smith at slip.

SCOREBOARD

AUSSIE SPINNERS… WEST INDIES1st innings K. Brathwaite c Smith b Lyon S. Hope c Nevill b Hazlewood Da. Bravo c Khawaja b Pattinson M. Samuels run out (Hazlewood, Nevill) J. Blackwood b Lyon D. Ramdin not out J. Holder c Burns b O’Keefe C. Brathwaite not out

85 9 33 4 10 23 1 35

Extras (b-5 lb-1 nb-1) 7 Total (for 6 wickets, 75 overs) 207 Fall of wickets: 1-13 S. Hope,21 0 4 D a . B r a v o , 3 - 11 5 M .

Samuels,4-131 J. Blackwood,5-158 K. Brathwaite,6-159 J. Holder To bat: K. Roach, J. Taylor, J. Warrican Bowling:J. Hazlewood 12 - 2 - 35 – 1,J. Pattinson 13 - 2 - 41 - 1(nb-1), N. Lyon 32 - 11 - 68 – 2, M. Marsh 4 - 1 - 15 – 0, S. O’Keefe 14 - 4 - 42 – 1.

IPL pays Sunil Narine more than Pollard, Gayle SUSPENDED spinner Sunil Narine is the highest paid West Indies player in the Indian Premier League(IPL), earning US$1.2 million from Kolkata Knight Riders for his participation in the season.

The next highest-paid player from the West Indies is the injured Kieron Pollard, who takes home US$1.46 million for his efforts.

Surprisingly, Chris Gayle, the man widely agreed to be the most dangerous player on the planet, has to make do with a measly US$1.26 million.

Among retained players in the league, Dwayne Bravo of the West Indies is the worst-paid.

Bravo, who will play for the expansion IPL team Rajkot, will earn just over US$600,000 this season.

The IPL seems to reward home-grown talent most significantly with Vi-

Sunil Narine rat Kohli, who will collect US$2.26 million this season for his enterprise with the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was widely believed to have been the highest player in the league, falls behind Kholi by some way, coming in second with a salary of US$1.89 million.

Dhoni will play for the Pune franchise, one of the entities to replace the suspended Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.(Sportsmax.com)

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday January 4, 2016

Lady Jags in preparation mode for CONCACAF Olympic Qualifier tournament Head Coach Mark Rodrigues taking the Lady Jags through training during their camp in Toronto Canada.

GUYANA’S senior National female football team, more popularly known as the ‘Lady Jags’, are presently encamped in Toronto Canada, in full preparation mode for their participation at the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifier Tournament, in Texas USA. The Lady Jags will play their first game of the tournament against Canada on Thursday February 11, at the BBVA Compass Stadium.

Guyana was placed in Group B of the tournament, along with Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala, while World Champions USA heads the perceived ‘Group of death’ that also includes rivals Mexico, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica.

By virtue of defeating Jamaica 2 – 1 to finish third in the CFU tournament (behind winners Trinidad and second place Puerto Rico) in the Twin Island Republic, the Lady Jags would have qualified for their second CONACACF tournament, making them the country’s most successful football programme, given the fact that our men’s national team are yet to play in a major confederation championship.

Head Coach Mark Rodrigues will have his assistant Clement Browne, Goalkeeping Coach Richard Reynolds and Technical Director Claude Bolton in Toronto to help in getting the Lady Jags tournament ready .

According to Rodrigues, “the girls quickly responded to playing together again and gelling as a unit”.

Rodrigues highlighted that the new players in the team “fitted in well” and he’s hoping that the coaching staff “achieved what we needed in terms of tactics. Each day will be an advancement on the prior day’s sessions”.

It will be only the second meeting between Guyana and Canada with the first being at the 2010 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

The World Cup-champion (USA) will face Costa Rica to open the eight-team CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament.

The United States has won the past three tournaments that determine the Olympic representatives from CONCACAF, and went on to win the gold medal in the last three Olympics.

The top two finishers earn Olympic berths.

The event is scheduled for Feb. 10-21 in Houston and Frisco, Texas.

THE SCHEDULE

Wednesday, February 10 – Toyota Stadium 6 pm (5 pm) Puerto Rico vs. Mexico 8:30pm (7:30pm) USA vs. Costa Rica Thursday, February 11 – BBVA Compass Stadium 6 pm (5 pm) Guatemala vs. Trinidad & Tobago 8:30pm (7:30pm) Canada vs. Guyana Saturday, February 13 – Toyota Stadium 1:30pm (12:30pm) Costa Rica vs. Puerto Rico 4 pm (3 pm) Mexico vs. USA Sunday, February 14 – BBVA Compass Stadium 1:30pm (12:30pm) Guyana vs. Guatemala 4 pm (3 pm) Trinidad & Tobago vs. Canada Monday, February 15 – Toyota Stadium 6 pm (5 pm) Mexico vs. Costa Rica 8:30pm (7:30pm) USA vs. Puerto Rico Tuesday, February 16 – BBVA Compass Stadium 6 pm (5 pm) Trinidad & Tobago vs. Guyana 8:30pm (7:30pm) Canada vs. Guatemala Friday, February 19 – BBVA Compass Stadium 5:30pm (4:30pm) 1B vs. 2A 8:30pm (7:30pm) 1A vs. 2B Sunday, February 21 – BBVA Compass Stadium 5 pm (4 pm) Winner SF1 vs. Winner SF2

Lady Jags Coaching Staff – (L-R) Richard Reynolds, Claude Bolton, Mark Rodrigues and Clement Browne

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Monday January 04, 2016) 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: (1) 31 Tests (30 for WI & 1 for ICC XI) (2) 6 Test centuries

Today’s Quiz: (1) Which WI scored a century in the first Test of the current WI/Australia series?

(2) In which Test match one WI player took a hat-trick and another scored twin tons?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Veteran softball cricketer Troy Kippins to lead Berbice Masters for cricket festival WITH the highly anticipated softball and hardball cricket festival scheduled for the Guyana National Stadium on January 30 fast approaching, Berbice has appointed veteran Inter-County and current Regal Masters captain Troy Kippins to lead their team against Demerara in a feature softball game.

Even though Berbice has not quite shortlisted their team, it is expected that prolific batsmen Eon Abel, Rudolph Baker and Khemraj Sumair will lead the batting.

Other players of calibre that are expected to be part of the squad are: Jagga Bhoj, Verapen Moonsammy, Anthony Ameerally, Subramani Mangali, Rampersaud Ramcharitar, Richard Kellowan, Randolph Latcha and Georgetown- based Ricky Deonarine and Anil Beharry.

An Essequibo softball team is also onboard, making the softball competition a truly national event.

The day of fun and frolic for the entire family, which includes a fun park for children, is being organised by Legacy and 007 Promotions, who have collaborated with corporate sponsors, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and the Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA).

The event promises to be a high-intensity one in front an anticipated capacity crowd.

Essequibo confirmed their participation in the Open 10/10 category, which also includes Karibee Boyz from Berbice, Wolf’s Warriors of West Demerara and Regal of Georgetown.

A recent release from

Randolph Latcha Ricky Deonarain, Vice-President of the GFSCA stated that an entire Demerara team could have been selected from Wolf Warriors and Regal players, but some very good players would have been left out. As a result, the organisers decided that both teams will be representing Demerara.

The final will played under lights preceding the feature event, a T20 contest involving some of the best players in the Caribbean.

The winner of the softball Open final will battle for $500,000 and a trophy. Demerara will face off with Karibee girls from Berbice in a female game, while Berbice Masters will take on Demerara Masters.

Tickets will go on sale from the middle of January.

Khan chased Mayweather and Pacquiao to avoid Brook, says promoter

KELL Brook’s promoter Barry Hearn says Amir Khan has being avoiding his client by chasing unrealistic fights with Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

Khan has been unable to secure a major opponent in the United States, with Mayweather instead opting to end his glittering career against Andre Berto and Pacquiao set to face Timothy Bradley in April.

Hearn says Khan’s pursuits of such big names were futile and have been used s an excuse to sidestep IBF wel-

Amir Khan terweight champion Brook.

“I’m very disappointed because Khan has been almost impossible. He doesn’t seem to want to fight any-

body. [Being in America] is an excuse,” he told Sky Sports.

“I can make excuses too – I want to fight Deontay Wilder myself, right now.

Am I going to get that fight?

Extremely unlikely.

“What I’m saying is that you have to be realistic and live in the real world. He spent 18 months chasing Floyd Mayweather without one per cent chance of ever fighting Floyd Mayweather.

Then he spent six months chasing Manny Pacquiao.”

However, Hearn believes a fight between

Khan, who has not been involved in a world title fight in over three years, and Brook is edging closer as the 29-year-old runs out of potential opponents.

“I’m getting more optimistic because, one by one, all of Khan’s alternatives [are disappearing],” Hearn said.

“He doesn’t want to fight Brook. He was gambling that he’d get a bigger payday, but he’ll get a lot of money for fighting Brook – but he may get beaten and I think he probably will.”(Sportsmax.com)

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday January 4, 2016

GFF President ready for ‘uphill’ task in 2016 PRESIDENT of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Wayne Forde described the year 2015 as one of the most challenging in the sport’s history and said that he’s prepared and ready to lead his executives through the uphill task that’s ahead in 2016.

Forde took charge of ‘the beautiful game’ when the GFF’s 22 members and affiliates took to the polls in what was described as one of the most important elections ever held.

Prior to Forde soaring to the helm of the GFF, football in Guyana was governed by a FIFA installed Normalisation Committee (NC); a body headed by businessman Clinton Urling.

“The earlier part of 2015 saw situations that overlapped from 2014 where they were not a lot of football being played. Good enough the NC was able to pick things up and the STAG Elite League is a marked improvement and shift away from the start/stop operation we had in local football over the past couple of years” Forde highlighted.

Forde, the former President of Fruta Conquerors Football Club, reminiscing on the year 2015, described the implemen-

Cites CONCACAF licensing, STAG Elite League as biggest achievements in 2015

GFF President Wayne Forde tation of the eight-team STAG Elite League and the establishment of the CONCACAF Club Licensing as the year’s (2015) biggest achievement.

In January of 2015, FIFA, in collaboration with CONCACAF, informed its member associations about the implementation of the FIFA Club Licensing System in CONCACAF, that intro-

duced a set of minimum criteria into national and continental competitions from 2015 and 2016, respectively.

In Guyana, under the guidance of Technical Director Claude Bolton, CONCACAF licensing was implemented, with CONCACAF Club Licensing Manager Andres Portabella and FIFA Consultant Michael Gandler

hosting a seminar for the 11 clubs who had met the criteria.

Of the 11 teams, Alpha United, Slingerz FC, Fruta Conquerors, Buxton United, Monedderlust, Pele FC, Georgetown Football Club (GFC) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) where teams named to participate in the two-part STAG Elite League .

“I think the Club Licensing programme could be considered as one of more significant achievements as we all know in every country in the world football really starts at the club level.

If we could get clubs functioning on all levels, then you’re likely to get players coming out from that environment bring into our national programme where you don’t have to spend a lot of time and resources developing”, Forde said.

Despite its many challenges, Forde believes “the

year (2015) ended very well for football” Looking ahead, Forde is of the opinion that “2016 will see a more consistent trend once the technical director gets his programme rolled out. I think with the emphasis needs to be on football from every youth level mainly the focus on the U-15 because that is where the identification and the talent and the potential for the players are zoned in on” INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN Both Guyana’s senior male and female national teams were actively involved in international campaign in 2015, with the men participating in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and the women vying for a spot at this year’s Olympic Games in Brazil. Of the two, only the women saw some amount of success.

Guyana’s world cup

hopes were ended by St Vincent and the Grenadine but Coach Mark Rodrigues was able to lead his ‘Lady Jags’ to the final stage of qualification that will determine who will be CONCACAF’s representatives at the event in Rio de Janeiro.

“Our international campaign didn’t went as well as I trust all involved could’ve planned, but hopefully in 22016, with some of the work we’re going to focusing on, we’re hoping to change some of that”.

Nonetheless, Forde added, that in 2016, “I want to see a more vibrant senior men’s and senior female programme, we want to see a consistent league arrangement through the country, a continued emphasis on coaches and managers education. We also want to see the emphasis also being placed on building capacity among the functioning managers within the sport of football”

Players must share Crandon happy with 14-man NAGICO Super 50 squad blame for Windies ... confident of 10th title as squad departs today for St Kitts decline - Roberts

By Rajiv Bisnauth

FORMER legendary West Indies fast bowler Andy Roberts insists the players must take some responsibility for the regional team’s malaise despite the majority of fingers being pointed at the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

All eyes have been turned sharply on once unbeatable West Indies team currently on a disastrous tour of Australia. In two Tests so far the regional team has not only lost, but for the most part failed to compete.

The WICB under pressure in recent months, following a player walkout in India, in 2014, have also faced recommendations they be disbanded following an independently funded assessment report. Roberts, however, believes some of the attention must be focused on the pitch.

“I am going to not lay the

Former West Indies fast bowler Andy Roberts blame totally on the Board, but I will lay the blame on the feet of the players, because the players have to take up responsibility to develop their cricket, so that they can have positive results,” Roberts said.

“You don’t have to win, all you have to do (is) to compete, but at the moment we (West Indies) are not competing, definitely not competing,” he added.(Sportsmax).

THE Guyana Jaguars depart these shores today for St Kitts, where they will begin their hunt on January 7 for a 10th regional NAGICO Super 50 one-day title.

Guyana has not won a Regional One-Day title in nine years. Their last of nine titles was during the 2005-2006 season when they defeated Barbados by seven runs under the Duckworth/Lewis method.

However, Head Coach Esaun Crandon said he is happy with the 14-man team selected and was optimistic about the players giving a good account of themselves, and at the same time make Guyana proud.

“We have put together a very good squad, so I am really happy with the bunch of guys we have.

“I think we have a decent mix of experience and young players which I’m satisfied and prepared to work along with,” Crandon revealed.

The squad includes four players with One Day International experience, among them the Caribbean’s

Esaun Crandon most capped Test batsman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Crandon recently disclosed that his main aim will be centred more on playing as a cohesive unit which is vital for the team’s success.

“Teamwork will be the key for us. Last year we played some good cricket leading up to the final, but we didn’t manage to pull it off. Sunil Narine was at his best, and we didn’t really handle him in the circumstances,” Crandon had told Chronicle Sport recently.

He added: “We have been playing some good cricket in the four-day version, but it will be that transformation from the four-day to the limited overs, but I don’t see that

huge difference, the same basic things are required.”

Hard-hitting opener Kevon Boodie, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie and fast bowler Romario Shepherd are the three new caps named in the Guyana Jaguars squad.

The 14-man squad will be captained by Leon Johnson with Christopher Barnwell the vice-captain.

The NAGICO Super50 tournament will again be contested among eight teams, comprising the six territorial franchises, as well as the Marooners and an ICC Americas composite side.

The Jaguars have been placed in Group ‘B’ alongside the Jamaica Scorpions, Windward Islands Volcanoes and Leeward Islands Hurricanes.

Group ‘B’ will be played in St Kitts.

The preliminary competition will be played under a non-elimination format with the eight teams equally divided into two groups.

Each side is carded to play six matches apiece during

the preliminary rounds, with each playing the others in their group twice.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals at Queen’s Park Oval, where the group winners play the runners-up from the opposite group in a one-off match for a place in the Grand Final on Sunday, January 24, at the same venue.

This equals a total of 27 matches for the biggest, senior regional domestic 50 overs-a-side tournament ever staged by the WICB. Group ‘A’, which will be played in Trinidad and Tobago, comprises Red Force, Marooners, Barbados Pride and ICC Americas.

The full squad reads: Leon Johnson (captain), Christopher Barnwell (vice-captain), Assad Fudadin, Kevon Boodie, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Vishaul Singh, Raymon Reifer, Anthony Bramble, Steven Jacobs, Veerasammy Permaul, Gudakesh Motie, Paul Wintz, Romario Shepherd and Royston Crandon.

GFF President ready for ‘uphill’ task in 2016 See Story on Page 23

Bulls stop Raiders 64 – 45 to lift Malta Supreme Basketball title in Linden

By Joe Chapman

THE all-round, talented Half Mile Bulls proved too strong for the Retrieve Raiders as the team from the western half of the Demerara River outscored them (Raiders) in the final strait to secure a comprehensive 64-47 victory and capture the Malta Supreme Christmas Open basketball championship.

A packed Mackenzie Sports Club Hard Court was witness to the Bulls’ dominating performance to lift the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) organised tournament title on Saturday last.

Led by national guard Keon Cameron and former national power forward

Dwayne ‘Brown Sugar’ Roberts, the Raiders raced to a 10-7 in a low-scoring first quarter.

Roberts and Cameron continued their good final showing, but the Bulls through their shooting forward Kevin Easton, Keifer Tappin and national-guard Michael Turner, turned the game around for the Half Mile team and rebounded to take a one point (25 – 24) lead at the halfway mark.

By this time Roberts had scored 10 of his 14 points as he remained a focus of the Bulls going into the third period of play.

While Roberts seemed to be doing much for his side, the support of Cameron fell, with the point guard scoring seven points and would later

be held scoreless after, until the final seconds of the game as the total team effort of the Bulls would take centre stage.

Holding the Raiders to 12 points and danger man Roberts scoreless, while netting 22 in the third quarter, the Bulls would take control as power forward Traven ‘Babylon’ Dryden made his presence felt inside the paint, coming up with big baskets and leading them to a 46-37 advantage going into the fourth quarter.

This is where the versatility of the Bulls was mirrored, with Terron Welch in the company of Turner See Page 19

The victorious Half Mile Bulls

Stokes adopts simple mantra in incredible 258 … “ See ball, hit ball is the only way to describe it”

By Mark Gleeson CAPE TOWN, (Reuters)-Ben Stokes’ reaction to his record-breaking day with the bat was almost as nonchalant as his approach in scoring 258 to help England to a stunning 629 for six declared in the second test against South Africa yesterday.

“See ball, hit ball is the only way to describe it,” he told reporters after helping England from 317 for five overnight to a massive second-day score with a bludgeoning display that had the Newlands crowd enthralled.

Stokes, who resumed yesterday on 74, had not Ben Stokes struck 11 fours and an England record 11 sixes in scored more than 21 in his his 258 against South Africa at Newlands in the second Test. previous seven Test innings for England, and had only Photograph: Gallo Images/Getty ...

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216.

managed one 50 in his last 13 test knocks.

“I felt a little bit of pressure coming into the game with not having too many runs under my belt in the Tests before this,” he said.

“It meant more emotion than I usually show when I got to 100 but I just tried to keep on going and wasn’t really thinking of any landmarks as I went along.

“I just tried to hit as many boundaries as I could because it was too hot to run,” he joked.

Stokes scored a Test record for a number six batsman and starred in a record sixth wicket partnership of 399 runs with Jonny Bairstow, who was 150 not out when England declared.

Stokes, who had overcome a shoulder injury suffered on tour with England in October, also hit the fastest 250 (off 196 balls) in test history and the second fastest double century (163 balls).

His tally of 11 sixes was a new Test record for an England batsmen.

“I didn’t want to hang around and just nudge my way to 100 because I’d be a little bit annoyed with myself if I took the selfish route,” he said. “I just wanted to get as many runs as quickly as I could.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet, and quite a lot of adrenalin is running through me, but at this moment in time, I don’t know, I’m pretty tired.”

MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016