Chronicle 03 3 2016

PROBING CANU No. 104480

THURSDAY MARCH 3, 2016

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Gov't opens probe into corruption claims at CANU 3 P.

Corruption hampering Guyana’s ‘narco’ fight ‒ US report

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Jail men set ablaze mattress at Camp St Prison 5

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OR conferred on Brazilian minister 2

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President David Granger, conferring Brazil's Minister of External Affairs, Mr. Mauro Vieira with the insignia of the Order of Roraima, at an investiture ceremony held at the Ministry of the Presidency

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Seeking the truth

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 3, 2016

…President says Rodney CoI did not explore the truth PRESIDENT David Granger has made it clear that he is not afraid of releasing the findings of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the death of Dr Walter Rodney, which has accused the founder of his party-the late President Forbes Burnham of playing a major role.

He also said that the commissioners did not explore the truth during their inquiry and again made mention of the blanking out of the former Crime Chief Cecil Roberts called “Skip Roberts.”

However, the Head of State is asking the public to be patient and to give Cabinet and the political parties an opportunity to study the document. He promised that the report will be given to the lawyers who were involved and the family of Dr Rodney and will subsequently be laid in the National Assembly.

The President made his intentions known on Wednes-

President David Granger

day following calls from politicians and lawyers to make the report public.

The Head of State told reporters that the report was laid before Cabinet on Tuesday and will be discussed at the Central Executive

Committee of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR). “Cabinet has not made any decision and in due course we will and I intend to release it; I am not afraid of releasing it and let the public judge for itself,” the President said.

The CoI was established in 2014 by then President Donald Ramotar to determine as far as possible who or what was responsible for the explosion that killed Rodney on June 13, 1980.

The commissioners, in the final report, concluded that Rodney was the victim of a State-organised assassination and this could only have been possible with the knowledge of then PNC Prime Minister Forbes Burnham. According to President Granger, “it’s a government document and all I ask is for time to give the Cabinet an opportunity to peruse it and an announcement will be made.”

Granger, who is also the Leader of the PNCR, noted that his party “will make its own announcement when it wishes to do so.”

DEEPLY FLAWED Upon receiving the report, the President had said that it was “deeply flawed” and pointed out that Guyanese have been starved of the truth and closure. However, despite his views, he does not believe that another CoI is necessary.

“I think we need to bring closure to the matter. I think persons who wanted to speak have spoken and I respect their views and other political parties will make their opinions public, I’m sure.”

The Head of State reiterated his views that the commissioners did not explore the truth as it relates to the death of Dr Rodney. He made reference to a key witness, former Deputy Commissioner of Police, Cecil

The late Dr Walter Rodney

“Skip” Roberts, who had knowledge of what had transpired but was not allowed to testify. “It was really bizarre that he was brought into the country and not be allowed to testify,” the President said.

Meanwhile, President Granger also made it clear that the PNC had supported the CoI, but had objected to the Terms of

Reference which the party believed was prejudicial.

“We [the PNC] do feel that there were aspects of the truth which were not fully explored or represented. We were concerned with the truth, we still are concerned with the truth but keeping people away from the commission for over two years suggests to me that there was some move to prevent people who knew the truth from providing the evidence,” the Head of State said.

The President has since revealed his intention to challenge the findings of the report, which also concluded that the late soldier Gregory Smith, carried out the killing and that he was then spirited out of the country to French Guiana in an elaborate operation spearheaded by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

OR conferred on Brazilian minister BRAZIL’S Minister of External Relations Mauro Vieira was on Wednesday conferred with an Honorary Order of Roraima (OR) by President David Granger at a simple Investiture Ceremony at the Ministry of the Presidency.

President Granger said it was an honour to present the National Award to Vieira while highlighting his contributions to Brazil’s foreign relations and the international community as a whole.

He said Mount Roraima represents the point where the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Federative Republic of Brazil touch.

In fact, Guyana, Venezuela and Brazil have established a tri-junction point over a

Brazil’s Minister of External Relations Mauro Vieira makes a point to President David Granger in the presence of Brazil’s Ambassador to Guyana Lineu Pupo de Paula

century ago. “Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana touch at that point so you have a very significant honour,” the President said.

“I am honoured to present to the Foreign Minister of Brazil this award which is first of all a testimony to his

more than four decades of service in the Foreign Service of Brazil. It is testimony to his long and successful career in South America,”

President Granger added.

Additionally, the President said, presenting the Order of Roraima to Vieira was also testimony to the strong partnership that spans decades between the two states. “Throughout our relationship we have always been able to depend on the friendship of Brazil and this award signifies the commitment of Brazil to peace on this hemisphere.” President Granger stressed that the one day visit by the Brazilian Minister was symbolic not only for bilateral relations between the two states but also the resolve to ensure that the continent of South

President David Granger places the insignia around the neck of Brazil’s Minister of External Relations Mauro Vieira

Brazil’s Minister of External Relations Mauro Vieira places a wreath at the Independence Arch, Brickdam following the simple investiture ceremony at the Ministry of the Presidency on Wednesday

America remained at peace.

Meanwhile, Vieira just after the conclusion of the Investiture ceremony, expressed gratitude to President Granger for bestowing the Order of Roraima on him. He said Mount Roraima is of great importance to the people of Brazil and he felt honoured having been awarded Guyana’s second highest national award.

The Order of Roraima is given to citizens of foreign nations for their outstanding service. This

is Vieira’s first official visit to Guyana and it is deemed a follow-up to discussions between the Presidents of Guyana and Brazil during the MERCOSUR Summit held in Brasilia last July. Vieira has also had discussions with Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge on matters relative to Guyana-Brazil bilateral cooperation programme as well as on issues of mutual interest on the regional and global agenda.

PROBING CANU 3

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 3, 2016

…Gov’t opens probe into corruption claims at CANU FOLLOWING damning allegations against the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) by self-confessed drug lord Barry Dataram, government has announced the establishment of a Board of Inquiry to investigate the claims.

This is according to President David Granger, who told reporters on Wednesday that the matter came up on Tuesday during the meeting of the National Security Committee where it was decided that a Board of Inquiry will be convened. The Head of State noted that the Head of that inquiry will be named shortly.

“That inquiry will determine the veracity of information which was published in the newspaper. The person will be given Terms of

Reference to investigate the allegations which are being reported in the press, concerning the alleged improper behaviour of officers of the State,” the President said.

Dataram, in an interview on HGPTV Channel 67 Nightly News, had said, “CANU, them is the most corrupted, rogue security force in this country. They are the biggest drug dealer this country has. The same drug that they seize, half of it goes back on the street.”

When questioned what would happen if anyone is found culpable, the President said, “We will deal with the culpable in a way that we always deal with the culpable.

We expect due process….we expect that the person after proper investigation is put be-

Self–confessed drug lord, Barry Dataram

Head of CANU, James Singh

fore the courts….we are not prosecuting anybody, but we just want to know the facts.”

is being established even though Head of CANU James Singh had already refuted the allegations levelled by Dataram. Singh in a statement issued earlier this week

DESPITE DENIALS The Board of Inquiry

‘GAWU threatening workers who refuse to strike’ – GuySuCo claims THE Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is denying that it threatened the Guyana Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) and is now accusing the Union of being the one issuing threats to the workers.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, GuySuCo claims it has “verifiable evidence” of GAWU’s executive threatening their own field representatives who have been reluctant to comply with directions to call workers out on strike.

Some 1700 sugar workers staged another strike on Tuesday in keeping with GAWU’s promise to call a 24-hour strike every Tuesday to press for negotiations to iron out issues relating to wages, the Annual Production Incentive (API), and the proposed closure of the Wales factory.

According to GuySuCo, the union has misled its membership into activities that only further deplete the production and productivity of the sugar industry and denying workers and their families a normal livelihood.

GuySuCo noted that the continued weekly work stoppages result in reduced pay,

Chief Executive Officer of GuySuCo, Errol Hanoman

President of GAWU, Komal Chand

as well as loss of the normal weekly incentives. “The corporation has noted the continued negative stance taken by GAWU with the union’s President [Komal Chand] contending that the corporation is issuing threats rather than sitting down with them to discuss issues. It is quite inconceivable that the corporation can or would employ any kind of threat to its employees,” the GuySuCo statement noted.

GuySuCo alleges that union officials were seen driving the workers to protest across the Industry. According to the sugar company, the weekly strike is hampering the production

drive and leading to additional costs being borne by the corporation.

“This can only result in the corporation sinking into a worse financial position than the one it is presently in.”

GuySuCo has since made it clear that there will be no further meetings/dialogue with the union whilst the one-day-per-week protest action is maintained.

“In addition, if the oneday-per week stoppage is found to be aggravating the financial position of the corporation, the crop will be stopped and will not resume until an assurance is given by the union that this stop-

page will cease,” GuySuCo stated. It was noted that the corporation on March 1, engaged the union’s leadership team from both central and local, which included the respective Field Officer, Branch Chairman and Secretary of all estates.

The union was reminded of the established protocols that must be adhered to with regard to the function of both the management and union officers in a continued effort to sustain the existing relationship.

“The corporation reiterated to the union’s leadership and delegation the dire financial position it is facing. However, that information seems to be falling on deaf ears.”

It was noted that in 2015, the corporation generated G$18.4 Billion as total revenue, whilst its employment cost was G$21.6Billion which is 17% above that of revenue.

It was also reiterated to the union’s delegation that until a road map is developed, there can be no framework to engage in negotiations on wages and salaries, and the API is up for acceptance by the union or the parties moving to the next level in keeping with the extant agreement, Arbitration.

urged citizens “to stand up, speak out, to have the tenacity to testify against the elements of the narcotic trade; and help the unit make Guyana a safer place.”

Dataram reportedly said that he decided to go public with the information after CANU officers conducted a raid on his nephew’s house and removed $13 million; however, they were however able to account for only $10 million.

In response to this particular allegation, the CANU Head had explained that Dataram’s nephew, Troy Dataram, had his concerns investigated by a relevant body independent of CANU. Singh claimed that the younger Dataram had signed a handwritten transcript of a lengthy interview conducted by the independent investigator in relation to the alleged

missing $3M, in which he admitted that he lied to the investigator about the quantity of cash retrieved in the operation and instead that it was in fact $9M. The CANU Head believes that Barry Dataram is uneasy and decided to attack CANU given his ongoing trial for possession of a large quantity of cocaine concealed in shrimp, which was found at his Diamond, East Bank Demerara home in 2015. A Board of Inquiry is an administrative process reserved for officers when looking into alleged sub-standard performance or misconduct. If allegations are substantiated, then this Board of Inquiry can go further and make a determination of whether or not the circumstances justify the officer’s separation from the service.

Chief Justice (ag) sworn in as JSC member

Chief Justice (ag) Yonette Cummings-Edwards is sworn as a member of the JSC

CHIEF Justice (ag) Yonette Cummings-Edwards was yesterday sworn in as a member of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

The swearing-in ceremony, a simple affair, took place at the Ministry of the Presidency, where Justice Cummings-Edwards took the oath before President David Granger.

Witnessing the event were Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams; Chancellor (ag) Carl Singh; Retired Justice Prem Persaud; other officials and special invitees.

An Appeal Court Judge for many years, Justice Cummings-Edwards, who began her law career in 1988, is the second woman to be appointed to the position of Chief Justice. The first was Justice Desiree Bernard.

The JSC is responsible for making appointments across the judiciary, and disciplining judges and magistrates.

The Chancellor of the Judiciary acts as Chairman of the Commission, and according to President David Granger, the appointment is significant, since the government has taken measures to strengthen the autonomy of the judicial system here.

He further assured the chancellor that the government will work towards preserving the integrity of the JSC, and the confidence and competence of members of the judiciary.

To Justice Cummings-Edwards, he said: “I’m confident in your ability to discharge your functions without fear or favour, affection or ill will.”

Mad rush for houselots

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday March 3, 2016

…as citizens cash in on 50/50 promotion

MINISTER within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for Housing, Valerie Patterson, on Wednesday met with hundreds of citizens who turned up at her ministry’s Brickdam office expecting to have a 50 percent discount on their houselots.

As early as 06.30hrs on Tuesday and again on Wednesday citizens turned up at the ministry following an announcement on Monday by the ministry that it was having a “Central Housing and Planning Authority 50/50 Jubilee payment plan” on houselots as part of the country’s 50th independence anniversary to be celebrated in May. Many of the people who showed up were under the impression that houselots would be sold to them for half of the amount that they had initially been told it would cost. However, this caused some amount of confusion for the ministry and its staff. Yesterday Minister Patterson reiterated: “Persons who were given lands despite the cost, if that person pays 50% of the total cost of the land by the end of April, then they qualify for a 50% discount on the balance which ought to be paid by the end of May” The minister said since the announcement there has been a mad rush at the ministry, but what ought to be clear to citizens is that no application that was made after Monday’s announcement would qualify for the offer. “Let me make it clear that persons who are now applying for houselots do not qualify for this payment plan; this is only for people who would have already had an allocation, would have applied in the past and are now waiting on their allocation,” Minister Patterson told reporters.

Minister Patterson also spent a lot of time Wednesday morning explaining to persons the how the system will work and about who are actually qualified. On the issue of repossession of lands, Minister Patterson explained that the ministry is not just going around the place and repossessing houselots that they perceived are not being occupied. She explained that the Department of Housing is presently going through its database and making visits to ascertain where those lands are that have been allotted and remain idle. It was noted that the department will then make contact with the persons to find out from them

Houselot applicants throng the Ministry of Communities on Brickdam if they are still interested in the lands that they have failed to occupy. In cases where persons are not willing to occupy the lands, the ministry will refund them before repossessing the property. Patterson also said that the department will be conducting outreaches to determine the amount of space available for the development of houselots. She pointed to an area in Berbice where the residents there who had requested houselots

GWI, RDC helping Region 9 weather El Nino

THE Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is collaborating with the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Nine on a strategy

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did not receive because they were informed by the previous government that there were no houselots in the named area.

However, the department found that there are actually 589 houselots available in the area which can be occupied by the persons in Berbice, but for some strange reason, those lands were never allocated and the residents were told they were not available.

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to help communities there weather the current dry spell brought on by El Nino.

According to Hinterland Engineer Cleon French,

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“GWI, in partnership with the RDC Region Nine, is addressing the water-supply challenges being experienced by communities in Region Nine by providing technical assistance, including the supply of materials, to ensure that water is accessed within the region.”

GWI and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) have also provided water tanks and electrical pumps, along with other materials for use in affected communities.

In addition, GWI representatives will, as of today, be mobilising communities to undertake remedial works in the villages of Annai, Maruranua, Katoonarib and Aishalton.

“We are conducting a number of well-cleaning exercises, in collaboration with the communities, to ensure

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that there is access to water,” French said.

“We are also lowering the well pumps in order to accommodate the decrease in the levels within the wells, due to the dry-weather conditions. This exercise will assist in achieving continuous service,” he added.

In addition, French said, GWI has sought the assistance of a hydro-geologist to conduct a technical assessment within the region to provide a comprehensive report with recommendations for short, medium and long-term solutions.

He also reported that the GWI team will continue to collaborate with the RDC, CDC and all other stakeholders to ensure that the communities will have access to potable water, especially during the present drought.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday March 3, 2016

Corruption hampering Guyana’s ‘narco’ fight-US report

THE Government of Guyana cooperates very closely with all relevant U.S. agencies and departments but is limited by resource constraints and high levels of corruption in the country, Washington said in its 2016 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) released to Congress on Wednesday.

The report is largely based on activities prior to the APNU+AFC Government taking office.

The report said too that the recently elected, David Granger-led government “has expressed a strong willingness to cooperate with the United States on drug control, extradition and mutual legal assistance, and other international crime issues.” “The United States said it would welcome increased levels of cooperation with the Government of Guyana to advance mutual interests against the threat of international drug trafficking and noted that this country has shown strong interest in furthering collaboration under Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI). The United States looks forward to tangible

progress on investigations, prosecutions, extraditions, security sector capacity enhancement, the engagement of at-risk communities, and enforcement of laws against money laundering and financial crimes,” the report released to the US Congress on Wednesday stated.

Meanwhile, only two days ago self-confessed drug trafficker, Barry Dataram accused the country’s anti-drug enforcement agency- Custom Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) of being corrupt, which has since prompted a full investigation of the unit’s operations by the administration. The US said that Guyana is a transit country for cocaine destined for the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, and West Africa, noting that cocaine originating in Colombia is smuggled to Venezuela and onward to Guyana by sea or air. Smugglers also transit land borders with Brazil, Venezuela, and Suriname. Cocaine is often concealed in legitimate commodities and smuggled via commercial maritime vessels, air transport, human couriers, or various postal methods.

It reiterated that the influence of narcotics trafficking is evident in the country’s criminal justice systems and other sectors.

“Traffickers are attracted by the country’s poorly monitored ports, remote airstrips, intricate river networks, porous land borders, and weak security sector capacity,” the report compiled by the US Department of State noted.

MONEY LAUNDERING In the area of financial crimes, the report stated that Guyana has legislation in place that could enable a more effective response to the threat of drug trafficking, noting that the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act of 2009, the Interception of Communications Act of 2008, and the Criminal Law Procedure Act (revised in 1998) were designed to enhance the investigative capabilities of law enforcement authorities and prosecutors in obtaining convictions of drug traffickers.

However, the report stated that to date the government has sought no prosecutions under these laws. It noted that in May 2014,

the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force identified Guyana as a money laundering and terrorist financing risk to the international financial system after it failed to amend its anti-money laundering laws, and Guyana was under targeted review by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

However, in June 2015 the Government of Guyana passed an amended anti-money laundering act in parliament and is making progress towards its compliance with FATF standards. In its October 2015 meeting, FATF kept Guyana under review in order to monitor its implementation efforts. The United States supports the Government of Guyana’s efforts in this area and has offered technical assistance.

ANTI-GANG LEGISLATION The report also cited that the previous Government started to draft anti-gang legislation in 2014, but this process remains incomplete. “The government also launched a new Drug Strategy Plan (2015-2020) in January 2015.

The Special Organized Crime Unit, which was established in

June 2014 to investigate suspected money laundering crimes and prosecute persons suspected of terrorism and financial offenses, became operational in 2015,” the report added.

Noting that Guyana has a drug enforcement presence at its international airports, post offices and to a lesser extent at port and land-border entry points, the report stated, the Guyana Defence Force supports law enforcement agencies with boats, aircraft, and personnel but has limited capacity and lacks law enforcement authority. The report mentioned too that GPF and CANU reported drug-related seizures and convictions for the first six months of 2015.

Through June, the GPF reported seizing 134.2 kg of cocaine, up from 92.7 kg over the same period in 2014. CANU reported seizing 568.3 kg of cocaine, and the GRA did not report any seizures. Guyanese authorities convicted 49 persons on drug related charges during 2015.

DEMAND REDUCTION On the issue of the demand for drugs, the report stated

that Guyana lacks a comprehensive demand reduction strategy that adequately addresses drug rehabilitation. It observed that Marijuana is the most widely used drug in Guyana, followed by cocaine. “The Guyana National Council for Drug Education, Rehabilitation, and Treatment, within the Ministry of Public Health, is the single government body responsible for addressing demand reduction. Non-governmental organizations also offer rehabilitation services.

The University of Guyana initiated a demand reduction curriculum through OAS/CICAD funding. As part of CBSI, the United States supports a “Skills and Knowledge for Youth Employment” project that provides vulnerable youth with alternatives to drug-related activities and provides skills for transitioning to the work force.” According to the report the United States supports a wide range of efforts designed to address crime and violence affecting Guyanese citizens, primarily through CBSI.

Jail men set ablaze mattress at Camp St INMATES of the Camp Street Prison on Wednesday night set ablaze their mattresses at the penitentiary during protest clamouring for their freedom and better living conditions.

Upon arrival at the scene, the Guyana Chronicle saw firefighters battling to contain the fire as the disgruntled prisoners shouted “We want we freedom.” Inmates

A section of the prison which was set ablaze

ensconced at the prison have in the past routinely set ablaze their mattresses and also staged ‘roof top’ protests for various reasons, inclusive of poor living conditions and lack of proper meals.

Shouting and shaking bars, the prisoners ranted, “we want justice! we want freedom.” Police later backed up their colleagues in the Fire

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Service and contained the fire and quieted the restless prisoners.

Speaking to Guyana Chronicle, a policeman at the scene disclosed that the uproar started at around 21:00hr. Asked what might have caused the uproar the officer was unable to disclose, but noted that the matter is currently under investigation.

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Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams Editor

Godfrey Wray

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

Editorial

Technology and the fight against terrorism

THE attempt by the United States (U.S) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to access the cellphone record of Syed Rizwan Farook, the attacker who on December 2, 2015 killed 14 people in San Bernardino, is an interesting case of the use of technology to disseminate information, plan, promote and execute terrorism, and the critical role of intelligence-gathering in combating this crime. The FBI wants access to the encryption of Farook’s iPhone. Apple, the company that makes this phone, has said no. The U.S. government feels Apple’s action will hurt national security.

There is some merit to the position of both sides and it is interesting to see how the matter will be resolved. Where the cellphone has become a powerful multi-function device and its content can be transmitted in seconds around the world, reaching multiple targets and communities, it is understandable that the FBI sees the importance of having access.

The effects of and fight against terrorism is multi-dimensional and borderless, equally as recruitment and purveyors of terrorist information and acts are. Where Apple has succeeded in ensuring a competitive edge, tapping into a large share of the market based on product-quality, inclusive of customer security, it is also understandable the need to protect same.

On February 16, 2016, Federal Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym ordered Apple to open Farook’s iPhone.

Apple refused and countered in an open letter signed

by Chief Executive Tim Cook, : “A Message to Our Customers” that, “The implications of the government’s demands are chilling. If the government can use the All Writs Act to make it easier to unlock your iPhone, it would have the power to reach into anyone’s device to capture their data. The government could extend this breach of privacy and demand that Apple build surveillance software to intercept your messages, access your health records or financial data, track your location, or even access your phone’s microphone or camera without your knowledge.”

What we are seeing here is an intersecting conundrum of customer privacy, terrorism crime-fighting and technology. This matter has also taken on a life outside of Apple and the FBI. The powerful American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) , weighing in, said the FBI’s demand is an overreach of government and argued that if Apple cedes it would mean a loss of civil liberties in the society. Apple supporters in the U.S. and around the world (U.K, U.S Hong Kong and Germany) protested in support of the tech giant’s fight with the FBI. The U.S. lawmakers and

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday March 3, 2016

Team Benschop must come clean AS we in Guyana get closer to local government elections, we see several political parties attempting to gain seats in municipalities of the cities and towns.

Georgetown appears to be attracting the attention of most of those who are hoping to be councillors.

However, I wish to single out one particular party – Team Benschop. Two things are very wrong with the campaign of this party.

First, it is asking citizens to vote for Mark Benschop for mayor. This is grossly misleading. Citizens do not vote for mayors,they vote for coun-

cillors. Elected councillors vote for mayors, deputy mayors, chairmen and vice-chairmen. So the campaign begins from the position of dishonesty and misinformation. This attitude could not help the efforts of the current government to develop the city and the country as a whole.

Citizens need to be aware that Team Benschop is misleading them at this initial stage. Imagine what will happen if such a person gets into local politics.

Second, Team Benschop must tell citizens who is financing its campaign. Word on the streets is that, that

party is apparently being bankrolled by the PPP. Noting wrong with that, but Mark Benschop and his team must tell us if this is the case, because “he who pays the piper calls the tune.” If this is the case, then it means a vote for Mark Benschop is a vote for the PPP. If the PPP is indeed financing team Benschop, then they are trying to get into council through the backdoor. The PPP knows that its poor performance record will prevent citizens from putting its members in councils, so they are using Mark to get in and then attempt to take control. I

believe that citizens need to know who is financing Mark’s campaign. He must tell us the truth.

Finally, Team Benschop is yet to come up with a sensible plan on how they will continue to rebuild Georgetown. Making small talk and empty promises will never work. Citizens need serious plans to assist their communities. Guyanese are fed up of politicians who are average and dishonest.

So let us hear the truth, the whole truth and nothing else but the truth.

JOHN JACKSON

The City has truly transformed THE Mayor and City Council must be congratulated for the great job they have been doing with Georgetown. Mr. Royston King, Town Clerk, and his team of administrators must feel very proud of the current state of the city.

The city has been truly transformed from garbage to garden. It is now very easy on the eyes and there is a general mood of goodwill for the council.

Guyanese will recall that about seven months ago, the city was characterised by rotting piles of garbage in every corner of every community. Street and alleyway

drains were clogged with stagnant water and rubbish, open spaces were left to the mercy of bushes, overgrowth and undergrowth, reptiles, bugs, dirt and homeless people. Mosquitoes and other nuisances were the order of the day. Municipal buildings were dilapidated and left in a ruinous condition.

For 23 long years, a previous administration superintended over the almost total destruction of the city.

That administration spent money to do pseudo mega-projects, but could not make available to the council small sums of monies to do basic cleaning. Instead,

presidential contenders also weighed in and some have argued that while they respect tech companies’ customer privacy rights, equally they demanded that these companies do more to help the government in its fight against terrorism.

In efforts to find a solution on Tuesday, March 1, the U.S Congress (legislature) House Judicial Committee began hearings with the FBI and Apple. FBI Director James Comey Jr is making the case that, “There’s already a door on the iPhone. We are asking Apple to take the vicious dog away and let us pick the lock.” Apple, through its general counsel, Bruce Sewell, countered, “The FBI is asking Apple to weaken the security of our products,” asking “Is it the right thing to make our society overall less safe in order to solve crime?”

It is also of interest to note that during the hearing, the FBI made it known that it has lost an opportunity to capture the data within the 24-hour timeframe of the

they appointed Carol Sooba as Town Clerk. She undermined the authority of the council and destroyed all the systems of the council.

Supported by that regime, she disrespected elected representatives of the people.

Georgetown was brimming with dirt and grime, but the previous administration could not care less about the health of Guyana’s capital. Today, the city looks great. I am proud to be a Guyanese and I respect the efforts of the council.

I would like to encourage the town clerk to keep up the good work, in spite of the naysayers and the negatives

peddled about by those who apparently hold no good for the city and its populace.

Mr. King should know he has the full support and cooperation of all civic-minded Guyanese who want to see Georgetown bloom and prosper.

I have been doing community work in my area to help the effort of the council because I know that it is not easy. We all have to work together to make Georgetown a better place.

So thank you Mr King and team for a job well done.

Keep up the good works.

AUBREY SUBNER

shooting, given that it had ordered the password be reset to Farook’s iCloud account. Apparently, while the FBI was of the opinion it was being proactive in securing access to the record, it has proven not so. The director in his own words said, “There was a mistake made in the 24 hours after the attack.”

In addition to this hearing, highlighting the complexities of the technology and conundrum for those who are not techno savvy, it provides a public forum to address and hopefully resolve the matter, as the public is being allowed the opportunity to hear competing positions.

What is certain however is whatever decision is arrived at it can have consequences for customer privacy in the fight against terrorism, not only in the U.S. but worldwide. As with any technology, the cellphone carries its pluses and minuses. However, the suspect use of this device when terrorism threatens lives, properties, national and global security, it is a thin line to walk.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday March 3, 2016

Regions One, Seven benefit from U.S. humanitarian assistance City Hall warned against fake letter writers

Dear Editor, PLEASE refer to a letter in the Tuesday, March 1, 2016, edition of the Guyana Chronicle captioned “NOT: Dr Seon Levius.” We should like to express sincere thanks to Dr. Levius for coming forward and bringing clarity and exposing the wicked and malicious campaign staged against the hard work of the Georgetown Municipality.

We believed that this and many other letters in the press have been written by a disgruntled employee who has ganged up with a Councillor and a particular political party.

It is evident that the media is used to peddle statements to belittle and besmirch the image of the Georgetown City Council and discredit the ongoing works, which aims at restoring the beauty of the city.

We recall at the Council that, several years ago, this very employee was embroiled in a serious act of impropriety relating to the purchase of uniforms for the City Constabulary Department.

Quite recently, we have observed a number of letters appearing in the print media under several pen names; one such is Nadine Jerrick. A check was made with a prominent member of the Jerrick family and we were reliably informed that the family is a closed, knitted one and the name Nadine Jerrick is not familiar to any member of that family. It is quite unfortunate that the names of innocent citizens are being used to advance the sinister agenda of a few disgruntled people.

However, regardless of the challenges we face, the work to beautify and advance the interest of the city will continue; we will not be discouraged.

All along we had suspected that this was the work of an individual who had a problem with the Council.

THE U.S. Embassy Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP), in collaboration with regional government officials, reached out to isolated indigenous communities throughout Regions One and Seven to provide education aids, clothes and other materials to residents.

A release from the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown noted that donation items were provided by both U.S. and Guyana-based Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), including Food for the Poor, Guyana Medical Relief, and Global Grins, while medications were funded by HAP. “All efforts to distribute the goods and services were through Regional Education and Health Offices, as well as local doctors working in Georgetown and the towns of Port Kaituma and Matthews Ridge,” the release noted.

In Region Seven, HAP Guyana conducted an education-focused donation through the Regional Education Office.

Mr Charles Holmes, Region Seven Education Officer, facilitated boat transportation to the indigenous communities of Batavia, Falmouth, St. Mary’s Quarry, and Wineperu.

The Regional Education Officer poses with Wineperu Primary School teachers and students It was noted that the outreach distributed graphic education aids, textbooks, teacher study guides, and reading and writing materials to each community. Students also received children’s shoes, clothes, and toothbrushes to take home to their families.

According to the release, the donation reached 246 students throughout the four primary schools. In Region One, HAP conducted a medical outreach between the towns of Port Kaituma, Sebai, Fallstop, and Arakaka.

“The Region One Democratic Council recognises the logistical challenges in providing medical services to the var-

DEBRA LEWIS Public Relations Officer (ag)

Officials need to set the example

ious communities spread out through the Matarkai sub-district, which stretches from Port Kaituma to Matthews Ridge.

In order to enhance the impact of the 14 doctors in Region One, Regional Health Officer Cerdel Mcwatt facilitated the HAP’s efforts to transport local doctors to Port Kaituma, Sebai, Fallstop, and Arakaka, impacting 512 patients over the course of three days.”

The release further noted that resident doctors at Port Kaituma and Matthews Ridge Hospitals were instrumental in assessing major health issues within the respective villages, such as malaria, gastroenteritis, and upper respiratory tract infections.

Dr. Damian Fraser, Head Doctor at Matthews Ridge, was able to assist with the movement of one pregnant patient from Arakaka to the

Matthews Ridge Hospital. In addition to treating patients for various ailments, the medical team was able to perform over 100 tooth extractions throughout the course of the outreach. “Medical and educational outreaches through the Humanitarian Assistance Program represent a core component of the U.S. Embassy’s continuing commitment to work with the Government of Guyana at the central, regional, and local government levels to support enhanced public health and enduring education for the people of Guyana,” the US Embassy stated.

HAP is an initiative under the U.S. Embassy to assist Guyana’s communities, particularly in underserved regions, in the areas of social, economic and medical development.

University of Guyana Student Laurel Seales tests patients blood pressure

Dear Editor,

I AM a daily reader of this news paper and was disturbed by the scenes displayed on your head line on Wednesday March 2, 2016.

I must say a great thank you to the relevant authority for works being done at the Kitty Market; despite the fact that I don’t live there, I see every development in Guyana as a benefit being a proud citizen of the country.

I was disturbed to see the Deputy Mayor Patricia ChaseGreene on the construction site “touring the Kitty Market, currently under rehabilitation,” according to your publication, but was obviously without the relevant safety gear.

Being an official and deputy mayor, one would expect that Miss Patricia Chase- Greene would be attired in her helmet, high visibility vest, and safety shoes or boots (Steel Toe); but obviously the deputy was not attired in any such gear.

I have nothing against the deputy mayor, I have never seen her face to face or any such thing, but I know that being a deputy she is a strong advocate for a healthy and safe environment and she should set the example in safety along with the other officials who were not wearing their safety gear, so she can live long to serve the people of the country.

SAMUEL GILLIS

Thursday March 03, 2016 - 12:30 hrs Friday March 04, 2016 - 13:30 hrs Saturday March 05, 2016 - 14:30 hrs

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday March 3, 2016

Wronged woman miner made right --thanks to Minister Broomes, GGMC staff

By Ariana Gordon A FIFTY-TWO-year-old female miner is now singing the praises of Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, for looking into her plight.

The woman, Sharon Mars, had complained to Minister Broomes last year about another miner who was working her claim at Aranka, in the CuyuniMazaruni (Region Seven) area, but was refusing to pay her.

The matter was resolved yesterday when at the Ministry of Natural Resources, Minister Broomes and staff of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) presented Mars with a cheque to the value of the $996,040 owed to her.

The money at reference represents the percentage she was due to receive from the man, after working her claim between October and November last year.

PROMISE FULFILLED Holding firm to her ministry’s position of equality and fairness in the mining sector, Minister Broomes reminded Mars of the promise she’d made her that she’d ensure she gets her money.

“I did promise you that, no matter what, you’d get your money,” Minister Broomes told Mars, adding that the money is hers to do with as she pleases.

Noting that the miner who worked her property did have a responsibility to give Mars her “cut” as agreed, Minister Broomes said: “We will not condone such behaviour with miners; miners will not get away with these kinds of things, and still come and receive all of the benefits government has to offer.”

She, however, made the point that while her ministry is not in a position to force miners

to do what is right, she is pretty sure that those very miners will want to benefit from whatever concessions are being offered by the administration.

“We cannot force them,” she said, “but we have the policy set. There is duty-free concessions etc; we could say they are ineligible for those benefits, based on our records.”

COME IN HANDY Meanwhile, Mars told reporters at the presentation ceremony that she is eternally grateful to the minister for her intervention, as the money will come in handy to help her sick son, murder accused Sheldon Case, who is currently a patient of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) undergoing dialysis treatment.

“I feel alright, because I have my sick son in hospital.

One year now he in hospital, and is everything now I does got to do for he,” Mars, who’s been in the mining business for over 27 years, said, adding: “I feel real good that I get my money, so I could look he after more better.”

The first to concede that hers was a frustrating situation, Mars explained that though the miner in question had worked her claim for two whole months and made over 100 ounces of gold, yet he blatantly refused to pay her the agreed 10 per cent on the recovery of the precious mineral.

“I was frustrated,” she said.

“That’s why I come to Simona Broomes. Today, I am feeling happy.”

She went on to say that not only did the man intend to fleece her, but he even had the temerity to embarrass her in public once.

“He was disrespectful,” Mars said, the hurt evident in her voice. “What he said hurt me; I proper cry. I didn’t

expect that from him; never expected him to disrespect me... And when he tell me I got weights pon me body that hurt me bad.”

ALL IS FORGIVEN But, notwithstanding the humiliation she faced, Mars has forgiven her mining colleague.

“No matter what he said, I forgive him. I thank him for giving me my money; I can’t hold nothing against he,” she said.

The miner said a part of her money will go towards her son’s treatment. She explained that her son was charged, along with four others two years ago, for murdering Foulis businessman Rajendra Sunil Singh at Le Repentir Cemetery.

Chase has been hospitalised for approximately one year, and according to his mother, had he received treatment earlier, his condition would not have deteriorated as it obviously has.

Mars said her son was imprisoned in 2014, and began suffering from kidney problems shortly thereafter. She said she was not aware of his condition immediately. She would learn of it while waiting for him to make an appearance at the Magistrates Court where she was informed that he was ill and was not strong enough to make it to court.

She said that after learning that her son was not receiving proper medical care while in prison, she was prompted to push for his placement at the hospital.

UNDER GUARD While Chase remains a patient under guard at the GPHC, his mom’s focus currently is to prove him innocent. And in order to do so, she plans returning to Aranka, as her being away from her mining claim is

Baby chopped during row over fowl

A ONE-YEAR-OLD baby was allegedly chopped to the head and her father wounded during a heated argument over a fowl at Two Friends Village, East Coast Demerara on Wednesday.

A source told Guyana Chronicle that the incident took place around 15:30h and lasted about five minutes. According to reports reaching this newspaper, the father of the child, Deon Daly, was sitting on his step holding his baby when a man, identified only as ‘Satan’, rode up on a bicycle, armed with a cutlass, and began an argument with him over a fowl.

Guyana Chronicle understands that as the argument escalated the man threatened Daly that he would “chop up” him and his baby, prompting him to give the child to its mother. As the child’s mother collected her, the man entered the yard and dealt the baby a chop to her head and Daly a sharp wound to his hand. Persons who gathered around managed to stop the battle and Daly and his family reported the matter at the Clonbrook Police Outpost. The baby was then taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH). Persons said they believed Daly was wounded in an attempt to save his daughter’s life.

what caused her to be cheated in the first place.

“Had I been there, this wouldn’t have happened,” she said, adding: “My son is innocent; I want my son free up… Is ah year I running hospital.”

Explaining how she came by the claim, Mars said, “My husband died in Aranka in 2007 and left me the property; and I have to work it… So I have to find a way to get back to Aranka.”

Meanwhile, Director of Compliance at the Ministry of Natural Resources, Derrick Lawrence, in handing over the money to Mars, cautioned miners against unfair and illegal actions.

He said, “This ministry, under new administration, will do everything in its power to ensure that there is justice and fairness in every situation, and that people comply with the laws and regulations.”

Lawrence noted that in the ministry’s efforts to ensure compliance across the sector, fair labour practices will not be excluded.

A happy Sharon Mars hugs Director of Compliance, Ministry of Natural Resources, Derrick Lawrence as he handed over the money on Wednesday at the Ministry of Natural Resources boardroom, Brickdam

Commander visits home of slain Matthews Ridge cop POLICE ‘F’ Division Commander, Senior Superintendent Ravindradat Budhram journeyed from Bartica to Linden yesterday to comfort the bereaved family of the late Sergeant Leonard LaRose.

LaRose, who was stationed at Matthews Ridge, was fatally stabbed in the line of duty on Tuesday evening.

There was not a dry eye at his home, as family members, still in a state of shock, tried their best to come to terms with his demise.

His wife, Abena, wept bitterly as she reminisced on the last conversation she had with her husband just 30 minutes before he was mortally wounded.

She was in church when she got the news of his demise. “A little after 7 o’clock, I spoke to him, and he told me that he go’n’ call me back; that he goin’ on duty,” the bereaved woman said.

A HUMBLE MAN Commander Budhram described the late sergeant as a humble man that was very dedicated to his job.

Noting that their friendship goes way back to 18 years, Budhram said that upon his appointment as divisional commander, Sergeant LaRose was the first to welcome him.

“La Rose was one of the

Commander Ravindradat Budhram with members of LaRose’s bereaved family, among them his wife and three of his children most knowledgeable police I know; you could have sent him anywhere on duty,” Commander Budhram said.

Known also for his patience in trying circumstances, he said Sergeant LaRose always preferred to use the easy-going method to arrest his suspects, and this humility of his may have been his undoing.

He rather suspects that he may have tried talking the suspect into giving himself up, which is how he came to be stabbed.

His sister said that in her eyes, her brother died a hero, as he was previously shot in the line of duty during the 2007 prison break. To this day, she said, the bullet is still lodged in his body.

The last time he was home, she recalled, was in late January. She cherished that visit, she said, as it was something he wasn’t able to do often.

Commander Budhram re-

assured the family that the Guyana Police Force will shoulder all expenses relating to the sergeant’s burial, right down to the upkeep of those of his children who are still minors.

The body was expected to arrive in Georgetown late yesterday so that the postmortem could be done tomorrow.

Sergeant LaRose and two other ranks were stabbed in the fracas, but unfortunately, his was fatal.

The incident occurred while they were attempting to arrest a suspect involved in the rape of a 13-year-old girl.

The suspect is currently in police custody, and is expected to be charged with murder. Sergeant LaRose, who had enlisted in the Guyana Police Force in 1995, leaves to mourn his wife, five children, his siblings and his 93-year-old mother.

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 3, 2016

Guyana pleased with UN’s efforts to resolve border controversy

By Ariana Gordon Guyana is pleased with proposals forthcoming from United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki Moon aimed at resolving the ongoing border controversy with Venezuela, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge announced on Wednesday.

He said the proposals received are “workable”.

“The proposals are workable. I am satisfied in that they are workable. Any specific element may have a problem but when you take them altogether in all the circumstances they are quite workable. It requires that they be worked,” the Foreign Affairs Minister stated.

He explained that as part of the Geneva Agreement

between the countries, it is mandatory for the UN Secretary General to proceed to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) should all other available options fail.

According to Greenidge, it is imperative for the Secretary General to go the route of the ICJ but if he chooses not to then he must provide a justifiable reason for his decision. “He needs to choose the ICJ or find a very good reason as to why he would not want it to get there but eventually he would have to get there unless Venezuela does the decent thing which is to abandon its contention that the (1899 Arbitral Tribunal) Award is null and void,” Greenidge added.

The Foreign Affairs Minister noted that the Guy-

Harvard Dean now special adviser to Guyana Foundation THE GUYANA Foundation announced the appointment of Mr. O’Neil Outar as a Special Adviser to its Board of Trustees. Born in New Amsterdam, Guyana, Outar is currently the Senior Associate Dean and Director of Development for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University.

In his position with the Guyana Foundation, he will be responsible for advising and facilitating approaches to international fund-raising, as well as networking with O’Neil Outar like-minded global organizations and individuals who are able to provide skills training in a variety of fields to meet the needs in the country.

According to Founder of the Guyana Foundation, Mrs. Supriya Singh-Bodden, C.C.H., “Mr. Outar brings a wealth of experience and knowledge that makes him invaluable to the Guyana Foundation team.

His accomplishments over the years are impressive, and the Foundation is very delighted that he has accepted its invitation to be a Special Adviser to its Board. We look forward to his technical guidance, support and advice as we continue our work to bring relief to people in need across Guyana.”

As the chief development officer for Harvard’s largest academic unit, Outar sets the strategic direction of all fund-raising activity for the $2.5 billion Campaign for Arts and Sciences within the $6.5 billion Harvard Campaign.

“I am honored to be joining the Guyana Foundation as a Special Advisor and to have the opportunity to give back to the people of Guyana in a meaningful way.

“The culture of Guyana has had a profound impact on my life and underpins many of the values that have shaped my life and career including the importance of education, the value of community, and philanthropy,” said Outar.

ana – Venezuela border controversy was discussed on Wednesday with Brazil’s Minister of External relations Mauro Vieira during his one day visit here. Vieira was on Wednesday conferred with an honorary Order of Roraima award by President David Granger.

According to the Minister, an update was provided to his Brazilian counterpart on the matter. “We gave them an update. They don’t need to be told anything else because they know everything. We just gave them an update with regards to the UN process,” he told reporters just after the simple investiture ceremony at the Ministry of the Presidency.

Refraining from disclosing the particulars of the proposals made by the UN

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge

Secretary General, Minister Greenidge said the proposals were aimed at finding a conclusion to the ongoing controversy. Greenidge noted that Guyana has every confidence that Brazil will continue to support Guyana on the border controversy

while pointing to the connection of the three states as they share a tri-junction connection at Mount Roraima.

“Brazil has a position that has been consistent over the decades namely that the resolution of border issues should be done peacefully, that they should be consistent with international law, and what is more is that Brazil is a party to both Guyana and Venezuela with respect of the tri-junction point,” Greenidge added. Despite Venezuela’s claims, Guyana has remained resolute in its call for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to pronounce on the status of the 1899 arbitral award on its boundary with Venezuela.

Venezuela contends that the 1899 Award is null and void.

That country’s claim

came by way of two decrees by its President, Nicolas Maduro. The first decree claimed the waters that include the area where ExxonMobil is drilling.

That claim was added to the previous claim to twothirds of Guyana. The second decree on the other hand replaced the first, and does not specify specific boundaries, but states clearly that Venezuela is poised to use military force to defend its new maritime boundary. Guyana has objected strongly to both decrees, contending Venezuela’s claim to Guyana has no basis in international law. Guyana has argued that the 1899 Tribunal Award had put to rest Venezuela’s claim to the Essequibo.

More plastic surgery for mauled Pouderoyen woman

By Shirley Thomas FORTY-five-year-old Radhidai Ramcharran, who was mauled by pit bull dogs in her Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara neighbourhood three weeks ago, was on Monday taken down to the theatre to have corrective surgery done to her face.

It was the second such procedure she’s had since being warded at the Georgetown Public Hospital following the incident.

Besides her face being disfigured, among injuries the widowed mother of four has suffered are a hole the size of a cricket ball at the crown of her head; a badly bitten left ear; and the loss of the right one.

THE ATTACK Ramcharran, who only recently moved to the Bella Dam area of Pouderoyen, recalls that she was on her way to one of the shops in the neighbourhood around 19:30hrs when the incident occurred.

She said did not know that there were pit bulls in the street, until she saw them advancing towards her.

Thinking them to be harmless, she tried shouting and shooing them away with her handbag, but that did not work.

One grabbed her by the right foot; another the left; and the third by her left hand, and together they began chewing away on her.

At some stage, one of the animals snatched her by the crown of her head, and refused to let go, no matter how hard she struggled.

As a last resort, Ramcharran said, she jumped into a nearby caiman-infested trench, thinking that the dogs would back off. But they jumped right in behind her and continued their vicious attack.

Conscious that she was losing the battle, she said, she began screaming for help. A brave young man jumped into the water to rescue her, but the dogs turned on him, too, and severely bit him. It was not until another man snatched up a piece of iron pipe and dealt them several lashes that they dispersed.

The injured woman was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, but was quickly evacuated to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she underwent emergency surgery.

NO COMPENSATION Asked what sort of action the dogs’ owners have taken, Ramcharran said though both the man and his wife have twice visited

Radhidai Ramcharran who was recently savaged by roaming pit bulls

since she’s been in hospital, they’ve made her no offer.

And once when her daughter asked about moving her to a private hospital, they chorused: “Who go’n look after that?” and walked away.

But, the dogs’ owners’ indifference and the constant pain aside, she still gets nightmares every time she lays down to sleep.

“Is like the dogs attacking meh all over again,” she said. “Many nights ah would jump outta meh sleep, screaming. Is something I’m not likely to get over in a

hurry,” she resignedly said.

But above all, she would like the police to move to have the couple exercise some strict surveillance over the dogs. She feels the animals should be locked up in a kennel and certainly not be out on the road to cause such harm and injury to others.

As she observed, there are children living in the street, and they too are at risk of being attacked in like manner.

“In fact, if it was the children, those dogs woulda kill them,” Ramcharran said.

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 3, 2016

Probe at GGMC over non-issuance of land SEVERAL senior officers of the Land Management Division of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) are now the subject of an investigation that is likely to see them facing strong disciplinary action.

A miner named Wallace Daniels has reported what he alleges to be corruption at the hands of these senior officers at an ‘Open Day’ held by the Ministry of Natural Resources. Daniels had applied for a plot of land that was, in fact, available, but the officers allegedly informed him that it was not.

He told reporters he had applied for the land in 2012, with the intention of prospecting and thereafter mining, but despite having no objections to his application coupled with the alleged availability of the land, he was told the land was unavailable.

At the intervention of Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, Daniels’ application for the land is currently being processed.

Minister Broomes told reporters yesterday that an investigation, which was

started immediately after the matter was brought to her attention, has proven that what Daniels has complained of was in fact true.

“We did an investigation, and the investigation proved that he was right; he did have the application,” the minister said, adding: “After careful examination of the matter -- and this was done by Land Management and reported to me -- we found that the area he had applied for was open and available, and there was no other application other than his; so it should have been processed.”

Daniels received a letter from the Land Management Department last December on the matter. That letter stated that the land applied for was unavailable. Strangely, the letter was delivered by hand to Daniels, and was backdated to September 2015.

According to Minister Broomes, the letter given to Daniels was inaccurate.

“That letter stated that he was unable to receive the property because it fell within a prospecting licence,” she said.

Given the findings of the investigation, a decision was

taken to rescind the letter issued to the miner. “We had to make a decision to rescind the letter that we had sent him, and allow for his application to go through.

As a minister, I had to apologise to him for what had happened,” the Minister told reporters.

She said that, over the years, there were many allegations of corruption, but under the APNU-AFC coalition government, corruption will be stamped out.

“We have been righting several wrongs,” she said, “but we may not be able to do all,” she confessed.

She noted that it was because of the “fresh approach” of the new leadership that the opportunity existed for Daniels to have his application for the land processed.

“I am happy that we are able to settle this matter once and for all, and get it over with,” Minister Broomes, who has vast experience in mining, said. The minister anticipates that, within the next two months, the process would be completed; and thereafter, Daniels should have access to the land.

“The processing has al-

ready started. I have received the letter from Mr. Dennison (acting Commissioner GGMC) and I have responded to that letter,” she said, adding: “It doesn’t take that long. It was delayed for over two years…. I asked that they expedite it; it would have to be published…I would anticipate that within the next six weeks to two months, because it will be published in the Official Gazette for about three weeks.”

Minister Broomes stressed that she and Minister Raphael Trotman will not sit idly by and allow corruption to grow under their watch.

“I did make it clear in my budget presentation that one of the things we are going to be stamping out is corruption,” she said. She noted that the laws, rules and regulations relating to the GGMC must be followed at all times.

Daniels, who also has experience as a Land Surveyor, said it is his experience that helped him realise that he

Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes

was deliberately being denied the land. He thanked the Ministers of Natural Resources for their intervention, while expressing satisfaction at the outcome.

“I had to put up with this for a long time. I would say that somebody had something especially against me, because I have heard of the same thing happening to

Miner Wallace Daniels

other people, but in my case I know the process. I am a professional in the same field, so the trivial excuses couldn’t get by me,” Daniels stated.

The relieved man said he had been pushed around

by Head of the Land Management Division, and is happy that action would be taken, so that others don’t have to experience what he has experienced.

Back in prison after less than a week AN 18-YEAR-OLD recently released prisoner was yesterday sentenced to six months’ imprisonment

by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan after pleading guilty to two counts of larceny.

Winston Lang, an employee of Jettoo Lumber of Timehri, East Bank Demerara, accepted that on February 28 at Regent and King Streets, Georgetown, he stole

from Leoni Robertson one Samsung Galaxy S3 cellular phone valued $40,000.

He also admitted that on the same day at Regent and King Streets, he also stole from Elizabeth Ramesaur a Samsung Galaxy S4 cellular phone valued $80,000 Lang further told the court that he was released from prison last Thursday and was out consuming alcohol with his friends. The

teenager admitted that he was unaware of his actions because of his drunken state.

However, according to the prosecution, both victims were on their phones in a route 44 minibus sitting next to windows when Lang walked up and snatched both phones. An alarm was raised and police on mobile patrol quickly apprehended the teenager with the phones in his possession.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 3, 2016

City Hall acquires new IT software …to improve financial accountability BY mid-month,, at least 40 staffers from the Mayor and City Council’s (M&CC) Information Technology (IT) Department and Treasurer’s Department among others, will have received complementary training for what is expected to further modernise City Hall’s service provision through better computerisation of its operations.

For the next two weeks, four staffers will be trained daily by Richard Langford, head of Innosys, a local software company developing a new method to help improve the council’s financial management capabilities.

The Revenue Collection and Management System (RCMS) is said to be 80 perecent complete and is expected to be running in a matter of weeks. Adunni Christian, the Council’s Network Administrator, said that RCMS has been in the making for some time and its primary aim was to “tighten council’s accountability and handling of revenue.”

He said that there were many benefits associated

with the system, particularly in the area of revenue collection, transaction/information management and customer service.

Christian explained that currently, the council’s system was an old version and was extremely limited in the number of tasks that could be performed at one time.

He pointed out that while RCMS will be a “response web-based application,” the existing system was desktop based, meaning that whatever was done could only be accessed on that particular computer. For example, it was mentioned that the collection of rates and taxes was presently done by one cashier, since the desktop application for that transaction is on that particular computer and cannot be easily accessed by other systems. This hampers the movement of information, wastes time and creates long customer lines.

Christian said that, “This new software seeks to adjust those constraints by allowing multiple cashiers to access the software [while]at the same time allowing for better

service.” He said it would also ease the lines that customers sometimes endure.

Outside of this, the software allows authorities to better track all revenue movements and access information through better system integration. Christian related that the Treasurer’s Department, the custodians that oversee every transaction in the Council would be better able to manage all monies coming in and going out. They will also be able to see the movement of every transaction and its facilitator.

Other RCMS benefits, the administrator noted, included the accommodation of payment options with financial institutions; the management of municipal subventions and disbursements; accuracy through validation and verification; employee productivity tracker; reduction of paperwork and possible loss of client information. It also facilitates information for better decision-making.

Hit by many financial hurdles in the past, Town Clerk Royston King said that Council was interested in

solidifying its accountability and transparency capabilities as part of its image-improvement programme.

“Many things have been

said in the past, and the idea of corruption at the council seems stuck in people’s minds.” King said, “It is the administration’s job

to reform our image just as we have reformed our city.

This software seeks to help us be accountable to our citizens.”

Pedal cyclist thanks his lucky stars he’s still alive

By Shirley Thomas A FORTY-ONE-year-old pedal cyclist is currently in the Male Surgical Ward of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) nursing a broken leg, after being run over by a truck early Friday morning.

Samuel Thomas, who lives in Diamond, was riding along Main Street on his way to work around 07:30hrs that day, when, as he was about to cross Holmes Street, a heavy-duty truck came from behind and knocked him to the ground.

As he lay there, winded, he said, all he felt was the left front wheel of the truck running over his right leg.

Luckily for him, he said, in spite of the excruciating pain in his leg, he was still able to manoeuvre himself out of harm’s way before the left rear wheel could finish the job.

He was also able to make out that the man at the wheel of the truck worked with a popular businessman, who is also an acquaintance of his employers.

But, fat lot knowing all that did him, as

all the man did was get out of the truck and plead with him to accept his apology and not press charges. And that, as they say, was the end of that!

Now he spends his days lying on a hospital bed awash in pain, a fixator attached to his leg.

But in spite of all this, the one thing he is grateful for is that the truck was not fetching any cargo on the day of the accident, or he might have died.

He’s also at a loss to know how he could have come to such a pass, after using the same route to get to work for going on 20 years without incident.

Insisting that the driver had to have seen him approaching the corner, and should have slowed down, the obviously overwrought Thomas burst into tears and said, “I thank God that I still alive, and I asking Him to save meh leg. He is in charge; and all is well.”

He is expected to return to the theatre soon, when he will know what his chances are where his injury is concerned.

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 3, 2016

GPHC to offer free glaucoma testing – in observance of World Glaucoma Week 2016 THE GEORGETOWN Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) will be offering free glaucoma testing from March 6 to 12 in observance of World Glaucoma Week.

The free screening sessions dubbed “Check your eyes for Glaucoma” will commence on Monday, March 7 at 12:00hrs up to 15:00hrs daily until Friday, March 11. However, in-

terested persons will have to make appointments for screenings because the ophthalmologists will only be seeing 50 patients per day.

Persons eligible for screening include all those who are 40 years or older.

Individuals below 40 years will be eligible only if they are among the ‘at risk’ population, such as persons with relatives diagnosed with the disease, persons of

African descent or if they are suspected to have the illness. Individuals who have already been diagnosed with glaucoma are not eligible for screening.

Appointments can be made at the Eye Clinic’s clerical desk at GPHC. In a release, the Ministry of Public Health said the undertaking is through with it and Ansa McAl group of companies. The latter will

also be launching a glaucoma poster on March 7 at the eye clinic at 12:00hrs to create public awareness about the disease, and to encourage persons at risk to undergo screening.

In Guyanese patients, open angle glaucoma is the most common form of the disease. Patients of Afro-Guyanese origin are more prone to develop open angle glaucoma and are more likely to have family members suffer from it. It has also been found that glaucoma in Afro-Guyanese patients is usually very severe and more difficult to treat.

There are many ways to treat open angle glaucoma but the GPHC offers

two common treatment methods; provision of eye-drops and glaucoma surgery which includes Laser Trabeculoplasty (open angle) and Laser Peripheral Iridotomy (closed angle). In 2015, the facility launched its first laser treatment for glaucoma and screened approximately 350 patients in

observance of the 2015 World Glaucoma week.

Laser treatment for glaucoma is not recommended for all patients. The theme for this year’s observation is ‘B-I-G – Beat Invisible Glaucoma’. This campaign was chosen because of the fact that many people who suffer with glaucoma are usually unaware.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 3, 2016

Stories and pictures by Vanessa Braithwaite

Region 10 television station granted licence

…Regional Chairman concerned about illegitimate ownership THE LONG-AWAITED television station licence for the operation of a television station in Region 10 has been granted.

The Guyana Broadcasting Authority has made this known via correspondence sent to the office of the Regional Chairman Renis Morian on Wednesday.

This approval came after residents made it known through the former Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon that a local television station was needed in the town taking into consideration the limited channels available through the state-owned station, NCN. While this may be good news for the people of Linden, the Regional Chairman is concerned that the station will be handed over to private ownership and the residents of the region will not be the beneficiaries of this initiative as was proposed.

The Regional Chairman told media operatives at a press conference held on Wednesday that he was reliably informed that the station was to be handed over to private owners. This he deemed as most worrying since this was not officially made known to his office.

“When residents of Region 10 made the open cry to access the station, this was not to be managed by any private resident to benefit private persons but this was to benefit the people of Region 10,” he articulated. The RC reiterated the authority of the RDC to manage the affairs of the Region hence any discussion of this nature should be channeled through his office and the office of the councilors. He is therefore calling on the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for public information and the Ministry of

Regional Chairman Renis Morian

the Presidency to look into this matter. “The residents of Region 10 do not want the station to be operated by private owners and

if this is so it has to be done in a manner that shows the best interest of the people,” he said.

Regional Chairman Renis Morian said that the station should be manned by a broad-based committee. Even though he declined to reveal the name of the individual or individuals advocating for this private ownership he said that his office was in receipt of information that even at the time of the press conference a dish was being erected at Richmond Hill, Mackenzie where the proposed location for the television station is.

“I was told also that they are supposed to be a handing over by weekend and there would be a trial run. As the chairman I don’t know and this is happening under the radar,” he said. The Regional Chairman is calling upon the relevant Governmental authorities to

put a cease order in place and to implement a system that all correspondence pertaining to the television station must be channeled through his office as the elected representative of the people of Linden. The television station should be an investment in the Region that will provide jobs and a much needed service for the people of the Region.

Even though this discussion had been made during the office of the previous Regional Chairman, Morian said that there should be a continuation of this operation and the members of the previous administration should no longer be in control of same. Regional Chairman said that correspondences are presently being sent out to the relevant ministers to have this issue addressed with the hope that it will be addressed earliest.

Journey now begins for Charis

By Vanessa Braithwaite OUT OF LINDEN comes a voice that keeps the audience awake.

We are all blessed with talent, but only some are given the opportunity to use theirs in full capacity. One of these privileged individuals is an enthusiastic, positive and passionate young professional who rose out of the dust of Linden and is still rising. Her plethora of attributes can equate her to being not only talented but multi-talented.

Being a primary school teacher by profession, she also holds the title of television and radio personality, model, motivational speaker, event hostess, party coordinator, etc. If you ask any child in Linden, if he or she is familiar with the name Charis Joseph, you can be assured of an answer in the affirmative.

Charis Joseph is known far and wide in Linden, for her captivating and attention-catching voice that would captivate anyone despite age or interest. Her weekly television show ‘Live Wire’ has not only captivated a large audience because of the content, but definitely because of the voice and charisma of the hostess. Her wide fan base increased significantly after the start of her popular radio show ‘Tell it to Karma.’

Charis said that her journey to the entertainment world started when she was only 20 years’ old with her first television show called “The Weekender.” “My friends and I travelled from county to county to capture anything that was deemed entertaining so that Lindeners would be able to know what

Charis Joseph

was going on outside of the town,” she said.

As her popularity grew, she diverted a little from the entertainment and broadcasting fields to pageantry, and her natural poise, curvaceous body, intelligence and confidence combined to make it easy for her to capture the title, Miss Jamzone 2009; the first Lindener to do so.

Charis said praise for her accomplishments must go to her upbringing and the support and encouragement her parents gave to her so that she could recognize her poten-

tial. A former student of the Watooka Day Primary, she was awarded a place at Queen’s College but opted to attend President’s College. The curiosity of wanting to experience life on her own prompted this decision.

At one stage she wanted to become a doctor, then an actress but life granted her the opportunity of becoming a teacher and she entered the profession at the tender age of 17.

“My greatest passion is my classroom and helping my students to be ready for any situation,” she posited. Being the determined and outgoing young person, Charis Joseph has decided to reach the unreachable and experience the feeling of accomplishing all of her dreams. These include attaining a Masters degree in Communication Studies, managing her own school and having her television show ranked with those on the international scene.

“I want my show to be ranked with Ellen De Generes and I want to own my own school as I truly love the classroom and teaching,” revealed Charis.

Being brought up as a Seventh Day Adventist, Charis said that the wind beneath her wings is definitely God as He believed in her and the heights she could attain. “I believe in God and He believes in me as He invested the strength inside of me and knows my ability to actualize my deepest dreams and what I can become,” she said.

Her Christian background has motivated her to be involved in several humanitarian ventures as a means of giving back. One of the most memorable ventures was the

creating of public awareness on the disease scoliosis. She even organized an entire concert for a victim of the disease in an effort to raise funds for her to undergo surgery overseas.

“The surgery was successful and she (the former victim) is now in the maintenance stage and I am happy about that,” she relayed. In addition to this, she has been involved in toy drives, feeding the needy and giving hope to the hopeless.

This highly accomplished young woman is far from perfect as she has experienced quite a few stumbles along the way. This, she says, does not deter her from dusting herself off and getting back up as she uses the faults to stand taller.

“During hardships, you can choose to remain stagnant and fearful or learn to overcome misery that others would want to inflict upon you,” she articulated, noting that even her critics were her motivators.

Charis Joseph is definitely one of Linden’s renowned entertainers and has the drive to reach places with a unique and touching voice. Her latest accomplishment was that of hosting the commissioning of a school with President Granger being a member of her audience. His commendation on her ability to host an event was noted as he even joked of wanting to learn how to host a programme like her.

She has had the opportunity to interview several artistes, such as I Octane, Konshens, Glen Washington and RDX. Out of the dust of Linden, there is a gem and her name is Charis Joseph.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 3, 2016

SPOTLIGHT ON

LGE:

ONE OF THE TWO independent groups competing for the votes of Lindeners at the upcoming Local Government Elections had its official launching last Saturday in Amelia’s Ward. Ambassadors for Progress which comprises enthusiastic and zestful young people identifies themselves as Team Ambassadors and are very optimistic of winning the votes of the electorate as their aggressive campaigning becomes more noticeable.

Decked in pink as a colour of hope, Ambassadors for Progress candidates wore smiling faces and a positive outlook as they made public their stand to serve the people of Linden without bias and partiality.

Candidate for Mayor Norris King told the audience that the group’s mandate was to bring Lindeners together to foster social and economic growth. “This is much needed,” he said, “as the town has suffered too long during the tenure of the

previous administration and by community leaders who stymied the efforts of the administration to invest in the town.”

“This bias and irresponsible attitude has resulted in the regression of the town’s economy. We believe it is time for us as members of this community that we call home to band together and put our shoulders to the wheel to improve where we are today and to improve our beautiful town,” he posited.

One of the areas that will be prioritized is the agricultural sector, which has been rejected for many years.

“We will be re-establishing the Suripanna farm so that we can provide not only for Linden but to feed the entire Guyana,” King said.

Describing Linden as the bread basket of the country, King felt all that was needed was unity and that the Ambassadors for Progress would serve the people with the help of the Almighty.

“The Ambassadors for Progress is not about PPP, PNC, APNU, WPA. It is about

Linden Ambassadors for Progress launched Linden and moving Linden forward,” he positively exclaimed.

AFC Chairman Nigel Hughes reiterated his belief of not supporting prominent political parties contesting the Local Government Elections as national problems were not local problems. He said that as we celebrated 50 years of independence as a nation we should also celebrate independence of thought, mind and action, hence his support for independent groups remained vibrant.

Hughes said that Linden was blessed with human resources and was by far the best positioned region as it connected with many of the other regions and was the gateway to the interior.

For the town to progress however, he advised that introspection be done so as to use these advantages in the interest of the people.

He reminded the young candidates that expectations of them would be high as they did not have a track record.

“Because you are new and

because you are young, the expectations of the people will be very high,” he urged.

Linden Ambassadors for Progress candidates believes that youths are the future and that the time was now to give these

youths the opportunity to bring change to Linden.

They plan on working assiduously with the government to have the town return to being second to none. Their objectives include maintaining a clean

and healthy environment, encourage, promote and instill a positive outlook in youths and their development and to promote an accessible environment that will cater for all Lindeners.

Linden Town Week to be launched THE LINDEN Town Week 2016 is expected to have its official launching next week after the committee had its contractual re-signing last week. The three-year contract that was signed by franchise holder VYBZ Entertainment had to be re-signed this year as a flaw was discovered and this had to be amended. The re-signing was done by VYBZ Entertainment chairman, Devin Sears and the chairman of the social committee under the Mayor and Town Council, Winston Caeser. Also present at the re-signing was the Town Clerk and another executive member of Vybz Entertainment who signed as a witness to the contractual agreement.

The agreement states that VYBZ entertainment, the official franchise holder will pay a 25% progressive fee to the Mayor and Town Council who owns Linden Town Week. Chairman of VYBZ Entertainment said that a payment of $1,000,000 was already made to M&TC

in 2015 and a progressive payment will be made this year and next year which will see the expiration of the contract.

“In 2015 we made $1M, in 2016 we will pay $1.25 M and in 2017 we will pay $1.5 M,” he explained. He posited that there would be a continuous partnership between the two entities but VYBZ entertainment had complete control over the execution of the activities. “Linden Mayor and Town Council is the overseeing body as they own Linden Town Week but they have leased it to VYBZ entertainment.

Ten days of Paradise Mr. Sears made promises of Linden Town Week 2016 being a history breaking celebration as the town’s independence celebrations will be merged during the week. The first event on May 14 is the Linden Town Week Independence Pageant with the official opening being on May 15. The opening promises to bring a feeling of carnival to Linden

which will be different from the customary ceremonial opening. “This is going to be huge, we will be getting fireworks display with a carnival feeling, lots of fun and excitement,” he revealed. The committee is hoping to be graced with the presence of President David Granger and other government officials and dignitaries including the Chinese Association.

The plethora of activities has given priority to events for school involvement which includes essay writing competition, debating competition and visual arts competition among others. In addition to this, events will also focus on community development. With some traditional events being on the calendar of activities, there are several new activities such as the two-day boat cruise from Georgetown to Linden and back. There will also be a peace conference which will see the collaboration of several religious organizations hosting interfaith events in an effort to promote peace and unity.

Even as optimism seems high on the successful execution of these activities, Sears highlighted that challenges are being experienced, the main one being the lack of accommodation. “We don’t have enough hotels and guests houses but we are encouraging persons who have accommodation to register it and we will

put that out there to persons will know is available.

Thinking ahe by 2017, Linden be an internationa promoted worldw strategies that we

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 3, 2016

Heightened tourism interest in Region 10 THE REGION 10 Tourism Development Association is optimistic of the region’s tourism sector being highlighted and the residents benefiting from same. This optimism was sparked recently with a visit from Director-General of the Ministry of Tourism (MoT), Donald Sinclair and two other officials of the ministry.

The officials came in search of ideas and recommendations from the association and stake- holders who have a genuine interest in the region’s tourism industry. Sinclair, who serves as a liaison between the people and Minister of Tourism Cathy Hughes, came to gather first-hand information, so that the minister would get a better understanding of the proposals and active projects to which the ministry can give financial and technical assistance.

Sinclair informed the attendees of the groundwork that needed to be laid in order for tourism in the region to take off. He said that the pillars of tourism include attractive sights, interesting history, efficient services, security, transportation and medical facilities.

He was informed of active projects and those that will be embarked on in the near future.

Currently, Region 10’s Tourism Development Association has been seeking donations to

construct a heavy-duty industrial museum. This museum will house antique equipment and machinery used in the early days of bauxite mining that still exist in Linden. The association has already managed to refurbish a train used to transport bauxite that is still located on Watooka Drive opposite the Watooka Guest House. The train has been painted in a bright yellow as it originally was before being corroded.

In addition to this project, the officials were briefed on works being done on the Dacoura creek located in Wismar in an effort to transform it into a beautiful tourist attraction. The River Front Festival which was initiated last year saw many water-related activities. It saw the support of many Lindeners, but the organisers of the event petitioned for the assistance of the ministry to have the event bigger this year. A West Watooka farmer who boasted about the unique location of his farm which complements the Demerara River like an island, proposed that it could become a tourist attraction if he gets support from the ministry.

Other tourism ventures being brought to the fore include the modernisation of the Hymaira Park, the Rock Stone Fish Festival and river tours amongst others.

d next week

o the diaspora so that what accommodation

ad, Sears said that Town Week should al event that will be wide. “Some of the e will be using is the

Linden Town Week magazine and other means of promoting Linden and selling Linden as a tourist destination. He revealed that negotiations were being made with airlines to have ticket prices reduced so that persons in the diaspora could benefit from this occasion.

Sinclair encouraged the association to collaborate with stakeholders to complete a tourism development plan for the region. This plan will encompass all ideas, projects and the timeline for these to be completed. He also posited that the association needed to improve on marketing, since that would capture the rest of

the country’s attention to what Linden has to offer and also to persons living in the diaspora.

Senior Vice-President of the association, Wilfred Simmons, said that the body which was registered in 2003 was manned by volunteers and for improvements to be made in the industry, the office needed

to be put in place…with trained staff , a website and having the support of the government.

He said he was happy that the MoT has come on board and was optimistic that change would come to the tourism industry. Simmons revealed that the association had been neglected

for years by the previous administration and correspondence sent to former Ministers of Tourism were not even given a response.

Before leaving Linden, the Georgetown officials were given a brief tour of monuments in Linden such as the Water Wheel.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 3, 2016

Mackenzie High School student presented with laptop ‒ Regional Chairman says it is prelude to many more contributions A VERY ASTONISHED Tamera Duncan, a fourth form business student of Mackenzie High School was the recipient of a laptop presented by Regional Chairman Renis Mori-

an on Monday. Regional Chairman Morian made the presentation to the student after she had made an appeal to his office to assist the students of the school who could not afford

laptops. The unavailability of computers in the school has made it a requirement for those desirous of sitting Information Technology and Electronic Document Preparation and Manage-

ment for CSEC to own or have access to one.

Young Duncan revealed that her family was not in a financial position to replace the laptop she previously owned and which was cur-

Regional Chairman Renis Morian hands over the computer to Tamera Duncan

rently in a state of disrepair.

Ms Duncan said that this was hampering her studies tremendously, especially the timely completion of her School Based Assessments.

She was truly appreciative of the kind gesture and expressed this to the regional chairman as she continued to appeal to him to consider her fellow students who were in dire need of assistance.

Tamera, who will be sitting 11 subjects at CSEC, said that the donation would assist her tremendously in achieving her goals. The regional chairman made a promise to the other students to take their best interest at heart by seeking out the corporate community to make donations in this regard. In the interim, students were presented with exercise books.

LAPSE IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM Regional Chairman Morian commenced visits to several educational entities in the mining town to ascertain what difficulties were being experienced and how these could be addressed at the earliest. In addition to Mackenzie High School, the chairman also visited the National Library and Regma Primary School. Much to the team’s surprise, those institutions were in dire need of attention and had been seeking same for years.

The Head Teacher of Regma Primary, which is noted as the top-performing

primary school in the region, said teachers of the institution were forced to achieve those results under strenuous circumstances, one being the lack of space for students to enjoy extra-curricular activities and the classrooms were packed to capacity. In addition to this, there were several parts of the school compound where there was a backlog of stagnant water that could be deemed dangerous, considering the zika virus being on the rise.

The head teacher said that several pieces of correspondence were sent to the then Minister of Education to have the issue rectified, however no assistance was rendered. Regional chairman Morian said that funds have to be found to have these issues fixed earliest. “Now that we are going in to our 50th Anniversary, something has to be done, monies have to be found not only for the schools but to clean up the entire region.”

He said that a format would be prepared to have monthly inspectors for both health and education submit reports to him, so that his office could have an idea as to what issues needed to be resolved. “The same old same old can’t continue, as the President said the traffic light has turned from red to green, so I need to see action,” he articulated.

Region 10 has received its first complete budgetary allocation of $3 billion dollars.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 3, 2016

‘It’s just a little dust’ ‒ says PTA president

By Shauna Jemmott WHAT’S so wrong about children inhaling “a little dust”, when at the end of the day, they’re getting a brand new school.

A whole sight lot, it seems, according to an official from the Rights of the Child Commission (RCC), who says that the law specifically stipulates that children have a right to a healthy environment, as much as they have the right to be educated.

couldn’t for the life of her fathom why the media would want to report on something as frivolous as that.

So eager was the President of the school’s Parent Teachers Association (PTA) to rush to her defence, she could’t wait for the acting-head to finish speaking.

“I’m the PTA President,” she said, voice brimming with authority, “and I wouldn’t want anything of that sort to be published in the newspaper.”

Soesdyke, both of which are some distance away.

She said that it was because of this dilemma that the school decided that they had no alternative but to put up with the dust.

“These children are from this catchment area,” she said, meaning the village of Supply and its immediate environs. “We don’t have nowhere that we could send them; we cannot do a shift system, and that is why we choose to bear with it for a short while.”

By now wishing she had held both her tongue

Under Construction: The new Supply Primary School building adjacent to the building currently used by the school

But to back up a bit, it all started when the Guyana Chronicle was called in to investigate a situation at the Supply Primary School on the East Bank Demerara, whereby children are being forced to attend classes, in spite of the profusion of dust coming from the construction, in concrete, of a new school building on the very site as the old one.

When the Guyana Chronicle paid the school a visit last Thursday, children could be seen playing on the premises, blithely unaware of the adverse effect the visibly swirling dust could have on their young lives.

But what was even more troubling was that, dust and all, a fund-raising food sale was in full progress, right there on the premises at the time, and while the argument could very well be made that there was no evidence of dust inside the old school building where the food was being sold, there’s no telling what vermin was in the atmosphere that the naked eye could not see.

BIG DEAL! When the Guyana Chronicle approached the acting head-teacher for a comment, she, in not so many words, said she didn’t see what all the fuss was about; and

She then went on to say that the school had enough problems, as it were; that it was “just a little dust;” that the more dusty part of the work was already done.

“This is just some finishing wood work,” she said.

“You see! The floor already finish! We had dust with the roof and the floor!”

She was just getting started. “Before you go over there,” she said, “I would want you to check this building to see the struggle we had here, before we could get that; so why should we complain about a little dust now, when we had sand in our head.”

A WELCOME DEVELOPMENT At this point, the acting head, who had by now found her voice again, chimed in: “The school is just glad for that building; we welcome it,” she said, adding that she would not make any further comment on the matter, since she was not authorised to do so.

For that matter, as acting headteacher, she was not authorised to speak to the media.

Not so Ms PTA President; she had lots more to say. She explained that the closest primary schools to Supply were at Craig and

and her temper, she tried to make ammends by explaining that the old school building had been in such a deplorable state, that she took it upon herself to approach the Ministry of Education about constructing a new building to house the school.

And, to their credit, they have responded admirably; she is especially pleased that they did. And while construction only started last October, it is already near completion, and scheduled to be handed over to the Ministry of Education on April 17.

But her patience was wearing thin. “You know what hurts me the most? Is to know that all the years this school with sand, nobody don’t come and give we nothing...

“We have to raise funds here to get test-paper money. We want a fridge and a stove! Who we going to?”

And, pointing to an area in the wall where the accumulated dust was once so thick, "it fell on whoever happened to be in the area at the time", she said, “We have no problem with dust or anything; and we’re not comfortable to go on media. If you want, put this about a little dust...

“I am the PTA president, and if I had a problem

with the dust and our children and went to Ministry, then...”

As Ms PTA spoke, one woman who appeared to be a teacher, was overheard saying, “We ain’t geh no asthmatic child in we class!

We don’t geh no asthmatic

child here!”

But according to Article 24 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child Commission, “Children have the right to good quality health care; the best health care possible; to safe drinking water, nutritious food, a

clean and safe environment, and information to help them stay healthy.”

And according to our source at the RCC, the Commission is likely to look into the matter and make the necessary recommendations.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 3, 2016

High Court trial for man charged with murder

‒ Paid sexual encounter that ended in death

Murder accused Ron ‘Andel’ Forde

Nephi Noel Luther

THE MAN accused of killing transgender sex worker, Nephi Noel Luther, has been committed to stand trial in the High Court for the capital offence of murder.

Ron ‘Andel’ Forde, 43, of Rahaman’s Park, East Bank Demerara, is charged with the murder of Noel, which occurred on July 27, 2015 at Quamina and Carmichael Streets, Georgetown.

He appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, and was committed to face a judge and jury following the conclusion of the Preliminary Inquiry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. Forde was informed that a prima facie case was made out against him for the indictable offence.

The case was prosecuted

by Inspector Neville Jeffers while Forde was represented by attorney-at-law Peter Hugh.

Forde was arrested after

wanted bulletins were issued for two suspects in connection with Noel’s death. Noel, of D’Urban Street, Wortmanville, was gunned down on July 22, 2015 at about 02:35 hrs, while plying his trade in the downtown area of Carmichael Street in Georgetown.

He was shot once to the chest when confronted by the duo during an argument over a paid transaction.

Reports are that a male client had earlier visited the transgender sex worker for a paid sexual encounter, but was apparently not satisfied with the services and had returned to Noel.

Dissatisfied with the response, the client returned with another man, who reportedly shot Noel dead before fleeing the scene in a sports utility vehicle.

During the preliminary inquiry, the prosecution called 20 witnesses, including the mother of the deceased, who became emotional while testifying.

Suspected seawall robbers remanded THE DUO accused of a series of robberies on the Kingston Seawall was Wednesday remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Jason Thomas, 22, of Canje, East Berbice and Christopher Niles of Uitvulgt, West Coast Demerara, appeared jointly on two robbery charges and denied the offence.

It is alleged that on February 22, at the seawall in Georgetown, they robbed Drusilla Drepaul of one hand bag valued $10,500.

It is further alleged that the same day at Kingston Seawall, they robbed Sel-

ville Happle of a wallet, a backpack and $5,000 in cash, altogether valued $22,000.

Police prosecutor Deniro Jones strongly objected to bail because of the nature of the crimes. Jones further pointed out that the two accused posed a flight risk since the men had given conflicting addresses to the police.

The court heard that the stolen items were recovered when the suspects were apprehended by police on patrol.

Both men were remanded to prison by the magistrate and their matter transferred to City Magistrate Alex Moore for March 15.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday March 3, 2016

Andre Russell facing two-year ban

WEST Indies all-rounder Andre Russell has committed an “anti-doping whereabouts” rule violation, the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) told Reuters yesterday.

The 27-year-old, named in the West Indies squad for the World Twenty20 in India that starts next week, has missed three doping tests within a 12-month period.

“We received notification of Russell’s violation about two weeks ago and I’ve appointed a panel to hear his case,” said JADCO independent disciplinary panel chairman Kent Pantry.

Russell, who helped West Indies win the 2012 World Twenty20, faces a possible two-year ban from cricket if found guilty.

“There is a process regarding the findings by JADCO. All that will be observed and you will be advised accordingly,” the West Indies Cricket Board told Reuters.

Athletes must tell their local anti-doping agency where they will be for at least one hour each day to facilitate drug tests, World Anti-Doping Agency rules

state.

If an athlete misses three drug checks within a 12-month period that counts as a positive test.

Russell, who last month helped Islamabad United win the Pakistan Super League and was named man-of-the-tournament, also plays for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.

Curry, Spieth among Laureus nominees STEPHEN Curry and Jordan Spieth have earned maiden nominations for the Laureus World Sportsmanof-the-Year award ahead of an April ceremony.

The shortlists for the 2016 Laureus World Sports Awards were announced yesterday, with Stephen Curry and Jordan Spieth the two first-time nominees in the Sportsman-of-the-Year category.

Golden State Warriors point guard Curry, 27, has emerged as the NBA’s biggest star, while the 22-year-old Spieth threatened to pull off an unprecedented calendar

grand slam in golf, following victories at both the Masters and U.S. Open in 2015.

The two Americans have been shortlisted for the Sportsman-of-the-Year award together with dominant tennis world number one Novak Djokovic, who claimed the prize in 2015, sprinter Usain Bolt, five-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi and triple Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Serena Williams is again in the running for the World Sportswoman-of-the-Year award, having received a record 10th Laureus nomination.

Last year’s winner, Genzebe Dibaba – the 2015 IAAF Female Athlete-of-the-Year - is also on the shortlist after breaking the 1500m world record in 2015 and claiming gold and bronze medals at the world championships in Beijing.

The other nominees are skiing world champion Anna Fenninger, swimming sensation Katie Ledecky, Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Carli Lloyd, scorer of a hat-trick for the United States in the final of the Women’s World Cup. Curry’s Warriors, Mes-

Andre Russell

si’s Barcelona and the USA’s victorious women’s footballers are among the six nominees for the Team-ofthe-Year gong.

Their competition comes from the New Zealand side that defended the Rugby World Cup, Formula One top dogs Mercedes and Great Britain’s Davis Cup team, who lifted the trophy for the first time since 1936.

A further four awards will be handed out at a ceremony in Berlin on April 18, with nominees decided following a ballot of the world’s media.

Stephen Curry

WICB fears T&T boycott WEST Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is concerned that the Trinidad and Tobago government will refuse to allow the hosting of the third Test match of the upcoming series against India at the Queen’s Park Oval.

The worry comes amidst calls from the regional leaders of CARICOM for the WICB to be disbanded, with new T&T Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley being particularly strident.

Rowley stated that based on discussions at a recent CARICOM meeting in Belize, which spoke to the ineffectiveness of the current WICB management system and the current impasse, it was felt that there was nothing more to gain f ro m t a l k s w i t h t h e WICB. It is that particular statement that seems to have caused worry for the Board.

“Given all that the prime minister has said, it seems impossible to believe that he will support the match being staged at the Queen’s Park Oval.

Once they do not support it, there is no way that a

T&T Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley Test can be staged in T&T,” The Trinidad and Tobago Guardian quoted an unnamed official as saying.

Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) president Azim Bassarath is, however, confident that the government will continue to remain corporative with the WICB. The Indians are scheduled to tour the West Indies from July 14 to August 11 for a series of four Tests with the third scheduled for T&T from July 28 to August 1. The first Test match will be played in St Lucia, while the second is scheduled for Antigua and the fourth in Jamaica.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday March 3, 2016

210 schools to benefit from Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket programme Programme has played a significant role in the development of the game locally, says Kaladeen

By Rajiv Bisnauth DUBBED a unique developmental tool which has evolved over the past 16 years, the Guyana-leg of the 2016 edition of the Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket programme was officially launched yesterday in the boardroom of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).

Scotiabank’s Kiddy Cricket first bowled off in the year 2000; a joint effort between the financial institution and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to help foster skills and passion for the game among West Indian children.

The showpiece has grown, encompassing 14 Caribbean countries, with more than 750 000 now participating.

The programme was relaunched in Guyana in 2014 after a two-year hiatus due to

unforeseen circumstances, and this year some 210 primary schools countrywide will benefit from the programme.

Over the years, the programme has helped primary school children gain and maintain appreciation for cricket and treasurer of the GCB Anand Kaladeen says it continues to play a significant role in the further development of the game locally.

GCB Assistant Territorial Development Officer, Anthony D’Andrade, in his remarks said, the programme is a highly significant aspect of the GCB’s cricket development programme.

“Obviously, it is believed that once the correct techniques are learnt at an early age it will positively impact on the players’ future ability to execute his/her cricketing skills. Apart from techniques,

the programme emphasises the importance of discipline, commitment among others,” D’Andrade said.

Marketing Manager of Scotiabank, Jennifer Cipriani, said her organisation remains committed to the growth and development of cricket locally as well as regionally.

“Scotiabank is proud of the achievements of this partnership with the WICB regionally and the GCB locally.

We are seeing the benefits from the investment of money and time into this programme and we are more than happy with what we see,” Cipriani revealed.

Speaking also at the launching was Assistant Chief Education Officer (Primary), Baydewan Rambarran, who commended Scotiabank, WICB and the GCB for taking such initiative, adding that the programme

will assist students to choose a career path at an early age.

Sports Chairman of the G u y a n a Te a c h e r s U n i o n (GTU), Seon Bristol, reflected on the days when the GTU was leading the way in promoting ‘grassroots’ cricket, noting that sport in schools plays an important role in the development of each child. He urged each participating child to make use of the opportunity offered to them.

Yesterday’s launch was also attended by Nicholas Fraser of the Education Ministry’s Allied Arts Unit and Taaliba Speede of the Child Care and Protection Agency.

Scotiabank’s involvement with West Indies cricket began in 1998 as the Official Bank of West Indies Cricket; in 1999, it became the exclusive sponsor of Kiddy Cricket.

Primary school students from two schools in Georgetown attended the launching ceremony.

Students from two Primary schools in Georgetown attended the launching ceremony.

NOTABLE DATES

MARK Harris’ quest to win the vacant Commonwealth welterweight title ended on March 3, 1981. Harris lost by technical knockout (TKO) to Welshman Colin Jones.

Harris, at 28, was seven years Jones’ senior going into the fight, staged in the Conference Centre at Wembley, London.

Referee John Coyle stopped the scheduled 15-rounder in the ninth round to hand the victory to the undefeated Jones.

Born on June 16, 1952, Harris was two months short of turning 25 when he made his pro debut in 1977.

He won the six-rounder against Eddie Campbell at the Westchester County Centre, in White Plains, New York.

Harris engaged in two fights with another Guyanese legend Brian Muller. He lost the first held in August 1979 but gained revenge in the return bout on Boxing Day 1980.

Harris had his last fight on October 23, 1982. He died in February 2008 at the age of 55 and left a record of eight victories and six defeats. He fought five times in his native land losing twice. One of the defeats came at the hands of Puerto Rican Luis Resto in October 1978.

Florida to host CPL matches under lights

THE first six Caribbean Premier League matches to be played on U.S. soil will include two games under floodlights at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida as well as two weekend double-headers to round out the league phase of the tournament, from July 28 to 31.

The CPL organisers announced plans last month to stage six matches in Florida for the upcoming season and sources had told ESPNcricinfo that the games would be held at some point in the final two weeks of July.

An advanced copy of the schedule obtained by ESPNcricinfo shows that Guyana Amazon Warriors and Barbados Tridents will feature in the first match in Florida to be played under lights, on Thursday, July 28. The following day, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots will take on Trinbago Red Steel under lights again.

Night matches at the stadium are a major change after the ICC-certified facility initially failed to get clearance in 2010 to have T20Is between New Zealand and Sri Lanka played under floodlights due to a design flaw.

The floodlights at the stadium were originally installed too close to the field, creating excessive shadows which were deemed a safety hazard for night time cricket. As a result, both those matches as well as the T20I series in 2012 between New Zealand and West Indies were scheduled for daytime.

However, a series of upgrades and facility renovations were carried out at the stadium in 2013, including a relaying of the turf square. ESPNcricinfo also understands that the stadium floodlight towers were dug up and repositioned to reduce the shadow effect in order to allow for night-time cricket to be played at the professional level.

Saturday, July 30, will feature a daytime double-header starting at 12:00hrs local time between St Lucia Zouks and Jamaica Tallawahs, followed by Tridents against Amazon Warriors.

The final day of the group stage on Sunday, July 31 will have another slate starting at noon, beginning with Red Steel and Patriots, followed by Tallawahs against Zouks.

As for local connections in the rosters, Tridents keeper-batsman Steven Taylor grew up in Miramar, just 18 miles south of the stadium in Lauderhill and turns out regularly to play club cricket in the Florida Southeast Cricket League (FSCL).

Recent Tallawahs draftee Timroy Allen is also a Florida resident, though he is based a few hundred miles further north in Orlando.

The Lauderhill Cricket Stadium in Florida

GCB/Banks DIH/DIGICEL NSSCL Combine Elite Phase

West Demerara Combine topple East Bank Demerara Combine

WEST Demerara Combine defeated East Bank Demerara Combine despite a fine all-round performance

by Sagar Hithiramani, as the Combine Elite phase of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) National Secondary School Cricket League (NSSCL), sponsored by Banks DIH Ltd’s Coca Cola and Rainforest Water along with DIGICEL, continues.

Played at Zeeburg ground, West Demerara Combine took first strike and rattled up 273-9 off 40 overs. Ganesh Jitlall struck an even 50, inclusive of four fours and four sixes.

He (Jitlall) received good support from Ajita Persaud,

who made 45 with five sweetly-timed fours. Bowling for East Bank Demerara Combine, Sagar Hithiramani had impressive figures of 4-36 off eight overs.

In reply, East Bank Demerara reached 196-7 in 40 overs as Hithiramani returned with the bat to top-score with 69. His knock was decorated with five fours and two maximums.

Orlando Ghisiawan also contributed 45, hitting three fours and a six, while Antonio Anthony supported with 35. Bowling for West Demerara Combine, Reaz Khan took 3-40.

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday March 3, 2016

E-Networks second Cross-Fit Games officially launched

FITNESS enthusiasts and teams, excited by the idea of endurance tests, will line up for the second instalment of the E-Networks Cross-Fit Games, officially launched last evening at the 704 Sports Bar.

Presented by Guyana Fitness games in collaboration with the cable company, the event will be held on March 13 from 10:00hrs to 18:00hrs in the National Park.

Last time around, it was Team USA who picked up

GTTA juniors and cadets clash tomorrow

THE Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) will serve off its National Junior and Cadet championship from tomorrow at the National Gymnasium. National coach Linden Johnson said the championship will see the best of Guyana’s young talent on display.

Competition begins at 16:00hrs when the novices begin their battle, while later in the afternoon Under-9 and Under-13 players will move into action.

The Under-13 Boys category is expected to be keenly contested as it is stacked with talented players, the likes of Nyron Bissu, Isaiah Layne and Kaysan Ninvalle.

Colin Wong and Dhanesh Persaud are the top seeded Boys Under-9 players while Ninvalle is expected to be challenged by Kristian Shahadeo and Wong in the battle for honours in the Boys Under-11.

The Under-13 Girls’ category is expected to see a close contest between Nevaeh Clarkson and Abigail Martin.

According to Johnson, the championship will conclude

USA’s Joe Rivera is encouraged by judge, Kerwin Clarke, during his pushups drill in last year’s challenge. the group category title, Alisha Fortune the female division and Joe Rivera (of the winning team) the male Linden Johnson

on Sunday and is critical to achieving the crowning and naming of national champions in the respective categories into the annals of history of the sport.

In addition, the holding of the upcoming competition will foster the establishment of ranking system which would guide the national selection process.

It will also establish a benchmark to which players must aspire and improve the competitiveness of the sport domestically and it allows for the promotion and marketing of players.

The championship is sponsored by GTTA.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Thursday March 03, 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: Robert Karl Nunes Rohan Kanhai

Today’s Quiz: Who captained the WI to victory in a Test match for the first time?

Who captained the WI to victory in an ODI game for the first time?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

champion.

According to the organisers, the 2016 games are expected to feature even more

competition as compared to the inaugural event.

Team USA amassed 1 376 points for the win, leav-

ing GDF second with 1 181 and Elite Systems from Berbice a further 20 points behind the Army (1 161).

Warriors win without Curry, in-form Trail Blazers roll on KLAY Thompson starred in the absence of Stephen Curry, while the Portland Trail Blazers won for the 18th time in 22 games.

No Stephen Curry, no worries as the Golden State Warriors pipped the Atlanta Hawks 109-105 in overtime. Reigning NBA MVP Curry sat out the game in Oakland on Tuesday due to an injured ankle.

But the Warriors still won in Curry’s absence after All-Star forward Draymond Green (15 points, 13 rebounds) nailed a three-pointer as the clock expired with 40.2 seconds remaining in OT. Thompson stepped up in his team-mate’s absence, posting 26 points for the Warriors (54-5), who claimed consecutive overtime wins.

Andrew Bogut contributed 19 points as the Warriors extended their winning streak at home to franchise-record 43 consecutive regular-season games. The Hawks were led by Paul Millsap’s 19 points.

Damian Lillard helped

Klay Thompson (Left) and Draymond Green the in-form Portland Trail Blazers past the New York Knicks’ 104-85. Lillard recorded 30 points to extend Portland’s winning streak on the road to six games.

The Trail Blazers have now won 18 of their past 22 games. Carmelo Anthony (23

points, 10 rebounds) was the pick of the Knicks players.

Also on Tuesday, the Miami Heat downed the Chicago Bulls 129-111. The Los Angeles Lakers snapped an eight-game losing streak thanks to a 107-101 win over the Brooklyn Nets and

39 points from D’Angelo Russell.

Wesley Matthews lifted the Dallas Mavericks to a 121-108 victory at home to the Orlando Magic, while the Charlotte Hornets were too good for the Phoenix Suns 126-92.

GUYANA CHRONICLE THURSDAY MARCH 3, 2016

THURSDAY MARCH 3, 2016

27

GTTA juniors and cadets clash tomorrow See Story on Page 26

Linden Johnson

210 schools to benefit from Andre Russell facing two-year ban Scotiabank Kiddy See Story on page 24

Cricket programme

See Story on page 25

Andre Russell

(From left) Seon Bristol, Baydewan Rambarran, Taaliba Speede, Nicholas Fraser, Jennifer Cipriani, Anand Kaladeen, Anthony D’Andrade and GCB Territorial Development Officer Colin Stuart.

E-Networks second Cross-Fit Games officially launched

See Story on page 26

Organisers and sponsors of the second E-Networks Cross-Fit Games (Cullen Bess-Nelson photo) Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216.

THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016