Chronicle 12 14 2015

GIRLS RESCUED No. 104401

MONDAY DECEMBER 14, 2015

Price: $80

– TIP Unit removes underage girls from Mahdia rum shop

Baracara children examine toys they received from President David Granger, who visited the Berbice riverine community on Sunday (Delano Williams photo)

Bandit shot Boat captains Driver dies as Dragnet after ramming tightens still missing coconut tree

7

P.

5

P.

6

P.

3

P.

2

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 14, 2015

GIRLS RESCUED 3

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 14, 2015

– TIP Unit removes underage girls from Mahdia rum shop

By Svetlana Marshall SEDUCTIVELY dressed and sitting among grown men, chatting and laughing, three girls were first sighted in a shop at the Mahdia and Konwaruk Junction in Region 8.

Unaware that they were being observed, one of the girls, a purse slung across her shoulders, got up and took an order for beers; and while serving the men, she playfully placed a beer on one man’s chest, and he responded with laughter.

Something was not right, and sitting in one of the vehicles that were parked in front of the shop was a member of the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Unit; but, more importantly, Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Broomes, a prominent TIP activist, was also around.

Allowing the worker from the TIP Unit and other technical personnel from the Labour Department of the Ministry to take the lead, Minister Broomes remained in her vehicle.

Questioned by the TIP worker, the girls said they were sisters and were taken into the interior by their mother. The woman who was identified as their mother appeared and said her daughters were in the interior for six weeks, since she had no one to take care of them; but she stressed that they were leaving the area in a few days’ time.

It was business as usual, until the team started asking questions as the Minister observed from within her vehicle. Initially, the children’s mother appeared calm when the officers asked to inspect her business. Without hesitation, the woman opened up the premises for the inspection to be conducted.

UNDERAGE GIRLS But when the spotlight was placed on the underage girls, the woman became

very agitated. “Yes! Yes! They are my daughters!” she told the TIP officer, although she was unable to provide any evidence.

“They didn’t walk with their ID cards, and I don’t have their birth certificates (here), I have them at home,” the woman quickly said.

Grilled as to why the young girls were made to sell alcohol, the woman shifted into defence mode.

“No! No! They don’t sell alcohol! I brought them here to help me cook. They don’t sell alcohol! They’re here on vacation, but they’re going back on Wednesday.”

However, not long after that, she admitted that, indeed, the girls -- two of

whom were wearing long tights and vests and the third a short, close-fitting dress -- were indeed selling alcohol.

At that point, Minister Broomes left her vehicle and informed the woman that it was illegal to have minors engaged in the sale of alcohol. Additionally, she was informed that the TIP Unit was also investigating a case of human trafficking, and so the children would be taken to the Mahdia Police Station, in keeping with the protocols, since she could provide no form of identification.

VERBAL ABUSE The woman was invited to accompany her daugh-

ters, but she turned down the offer as she began to rant and rave, verbally abusing the TIP officer and her supporting colleagues from the Labour Department.

“Come here! Y’all come here!” the woman shouted to the teenagers, who instead calmly entered the vehicle shown to them by the TIP officer. By this time, some of her male customers joined in verbally abusing the ministerial team, using racial slurs in the process, forcing the team to exit the location in haste.

Upon informing the Mahdia Police Station of the alleged case of trafficking, Minister Broomes asked that the statements from the girls be taken at

the hotel where she was slated to stay. She explained that the girls were not criminals and should not be treated like criminals, nor should they be intimidated in the process.

At the hotel, the three girls gave varying stories, but they all said that they were not being trafficked by their mother, and were never forced to engage in sexual activity for money.

They did, however, say they were promised $20,000 a month by their mother.

They explained that, as children, they had grown up with their grandmother on the East Coast; but, two years ago, their mother took them away. Now they reportedly live on the East

Bank of Demerara.

However, one of the twins subsequently told Minister Broomes that she did not like the interior area, but was promised by her mother that they would have been taken back to the coast on Wednesday. They had been at the junction, cooking and selling at the shop for approximately six weeks.

Another of the sisters said she had no clue that she would have been visiting the area, until her mother appeared one day and told them they would be travelling to Mahdia.

Based on investigations conducted so far, the girls were taken out of school weeks before they were slat-

ed to write the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations (CSEC), and taken to the interior location with the promise of being paid $20,000 each.

Even a six-year-old toddler was taken out of the school and housed at the shop with his grandmother.

With the police investigating the matter, the girls were informed that they needed to do a medical at the Mahdia Regional Hospital. By then night had crept in, and the Minister, in considering the safety of the girls, informed one of the cops that if the police did not have an appropriate place for the girls to stay, her Ministry would provide a room at the hotel for them

Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Broomes

to stay in the custody of a female officer; but this suggestion was never conveyed to the higher ranks.

HOSTILITY Instead, the junior rank who was given the message appeared hostile to the Minister, even to the extent that he suggested that the ministerial team was out of line in their investigation.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, the girls’ mother, who had travelled to Mahdia, continued her verbal abuse, using profanities in the process; but was not restrained by the police. She mustered up support, and along with a small group, created a scene, forcing the doctor in charge at the time to close the doors of the hospital.

The woman lay on the ground, screaming and shouting at the members of the ministerial team while her supporters beat drums.

Totally disregarding the suggestion made by Minister Broomes, the junior police officer handed the girls over to their mother, and it was business as usual again.

It was not until Friday morning that Minister Broomes learnt that the girls were not in the custody of a female police rank at a safe home, but was in the custody of their alleged mother, who had no evidence to prove that she was indeed their mother.

The ministerial was gravely disappointed at the manner in

which the police handled the case, and the ranks were told that the TIP Unit, the Welfare Unit, and the Child Care and Protection Agency would be awaiting the arrival of the underage girls on Monday for further investigation.

It was pointed out that even though a case of TIP may not be proven, the environment in which the girls were found ought not to be condoned.

In an interview with Guyana Chronicle last Friday, Minister Broomes said children are sometimes trafficked by their parents. She said it is nothing new, but it often poses a serious challenge to the TIP Unit, because the police would usually become sympathetic with the parents, to the detriment of the victims.

Minister Broomes explained that it was her hope to have the girls transported to the Child Care and Protection Agency in Georgetown on Thursday, but the process took longer than expected.

“The girls’ stories are conflicting: ‘Mommy says she will pay us $20,000.

Mommy says she will carry us. I didn’t know mommy carrying us. When I heard, I didn’t want to go. Mommy says I got to go’,” the Minister said as she summarised the children’s stories.

She made it clear that it is never government’s intention to remove children from their parents, but children ought to be protected, even if it is from their own parents.

“We don’t want to take children away from their parents. Children belong with their parents, but even if it is against their parents, we got to protect them. Once they are in danger, we have a responsibility to protect them,” the Minister said.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration denied that Trafficking in Persons existed in Guyana; but “we, the APNU+AFC Government, will confront human trafficking,” Minister Broomes said firmly.

Granger pushes education in riverine communities

4

By Ariana Gordon

EDUCATION, technology, creativity and innovation are needed to take the residents of small communities like Baracara and Sandvoort out of poverty, opined President David Granger yesterday, when he visited the two communities and stressed the importance of children having a sound education.

“Baracara is an ancient community,” he said, as he noted that education is the gateway out of poverty. “You can only free yourself from poverty if you acquire an education.”

In keeping with his aim for every Guyanese child to be educated, regardless of their location, President Granger committed to donating a boat to the students of Baracara through his Three Bs’ initiative, which is aimed at affording every child an opportunity to attend school.

“You must keep the children in school… I am going to give you a boat to go to New Amsterdam…. My

first promise is to give a boat before Guyana celebrates its 50th anniversary,” he told the residents, who were overwhelmed with emotion at his kind gesture.

“There must not be a single child who does not go to school here!” the President said as he noted that the community is in need of a learning centre.

Pointing to the importance of information technology, Mr Granger said, “Any country that does not embrace information technology will be left behind.” He said efforts will be made to get computers into the community, but the village leaders must submit a proposal to his ministry for same.

Poverty can be eliminated, the President said, through creativity and innovation.

He emphasised the need for persons to “think outside of the box”.

Located in the upper reaches of the Canje River, Baracara is predominantly an agricultural community.

BE INNOVATIVE “You can’t continue doing

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday December 14, 2015

the same thing your parents and grand-parents did; you’ve got to be innovative,” President Granger told the residents, as he urged them to think of ways in which they can enhance the economy of the community with the resources they have available to them.

“I want to ensure that the community of Baracara has the resources it needs to bring about the change it needs,” the President added.

Having visited the community to distribute gifts to the children, an impassioned President Granger told his audience: “No matter how many gifts you receive, unless you build a strong economy, you will never come out of poverty. I don’t want to see you poor,” he declared while stressing that Baracara needs to become an “independent economy”.

Accompanied by Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally, the President distributed toys to the children of Baracara, and gave a television set and a DVD player to the community.

“This is just a token,” he said, “but my message is one of self-reliance and independence.”

Mr Granger also reminded the residents of the threats to Guyana’s territorial sovereignty by Venezuela and Suriname.

“Guyana has been a victim of aggression by Suriname and Venezuela…I am travelling to protect the territorial sovereignty…. What I inherited as President, I will bequeath to you and your children… Do not take this territorial issue for granted.”

Medex Karl Anderson thanked the President for remaining true to his promise to return to the community after elections.

“This is history…we looked forward to this day… since Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham visited us, no other President has visited Baracara… that is why to-

DATE: 12/12/2015 L 04 10 17 25 14 19 12

12/12/2015

08

17

18

day is so special.” On behalf of the residents, he invited the President to return to the community.

The President relayed to the children of Sandvoort a message similar to the one he had relayed at Baracara. He noted that while Christmas is fast approaching and he had taken them gifts, parents and community leaders must play a vital role in ensuring that they go to school, and remain in school.

While he made no promise to immediately provide transportation to the community of Sandvoort, he said his Ministry would “try to ensure that every child gets transportation to go to school”.

Every year, over 4000 children drop out of school.

“We want you to stay in school,” Mr Granger told the children.

He extended a hand of cooperation to the Community Development Council (CDC), and urged its members to contact the Ministry of the Presidency if they needed assistance for educational purposes.

Two children escorted President David Granger when he arrived at Sandvoort

Residents of Baracara sat under an umbrella as President David Granger addressed the community (Delano Williams Photo)

23

26

12/12/2015

6

7

1

12/12/2015

04

05

08 09

13 17

21

5

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday December 14, 2015

Police in fight against child exploitation --but welfare officers needed in North West

By Leroy Smith RESIDENT Welfare, Child Protection and Probation Officers are badly needed in the Port Kaituma/Baramita and other areas within the Matarkai Sub-Region of Region One, to properly address the issue of child exploitation.

Stephanie Miguel, of the Guyana Women Miners organisation (GWMO), who operates in the area, related this observation to the Guyana Chronicle in an interview in Central Port Kaituma on Friday morning.

Miguel said the police have been supportive of recent, but that organisation can do only so much; and had the community received the necessary police support in times gone by, the situation in the region would have been much improved.

According to Miguel, she has been working in the Port Kaituma area for the past year, and for her, the biggest concern is trafficking in persons. Before she came into the area, she said, she was informed that the area was without resource persons (welfare, child protection and probation officers), thus she has been voluntarily playing the role of those persons since going to live at Port Kaituma.

While it is not a problem to her, as she cares about the community, the officers are needed there because she is often overwhelmed.

“All the calls come to me, and I try my best. The police support me because I go (to them) and I make complaints, and they help by going into the Backdam, where (once) we find a 12-year-old girl pregnant and there is a lot of

An aerial view of an area just outside Central Port Kaituma advantage taking place there, but no representation for those children,” Miguel explained.

This publication was also told that recently, during a visit to the area, Miguel and her team came across children below the age of 11 sleeping on the road all night.

She said that, in such cases, they collaborate with all the relevant government agencies and the GWMO office in Georgetown, to ensure that actions are taken in Georgetown that can cause a chain effect in addressing the issue when those are unearthed.

GOLDEN CITY She said that in an area called “Golden City”, there are lots of children who are separated from their parents and living the road life, and there is no immediate mechanism to bring the parents to answer to any authority in the district. She said that it is the intention and wish of the GWMO to see some parents, especially mothers, being charged for knowingly allowing their children to have

a street and club presence.

Example was also given of a 7-year-old girl who had a ‘hickey’ on her neck. According to Miguel, the GWMO and its members were hurt to the core, and it pushed them to even more robust advocacy for better attention to be paid to the hinterland regions and the children there, especially girls.

Miguel was frank in speaking of the neglect the community has suffered over the years in the area of eliminating and/or reducing the instances of child exploitation and abuse of all sorts.

“A seven-year-old with a hickey on her neck is bad and disturbing for me and this organization! This area had been condemned during the life of the previous government; I see nothing that they did in here. There is a place called Canal Bank, and that is another area which has more than 900 people living, and the concerns there are many also,” Miguel stressed.

She said she gets police

Bandit shot as Dragnet tightens TWENTY-one-year-old Devon Forde of Stevedore Housing Scheme, Georgetown is nursing gunshot wounds he allegedly sustained in a standoff with police early yesterday morning in the community of Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

He is currently a patient under guard at the GPHC, while his reputed accomplice managed to escape.

Police say that 50-year-old Cheryl Embrack of Grove Housing Scheme, EBD was entering her home when she was attacked by two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun.

The men took her into the house, and took away a stereo set and a cell phone.

While the robbery was in progress, neighbouring residents informed the police, who responded and encountered the perpetrators as they were leaving the scene.

The police reportedly came under fire, and returned same, injuring Forde, from whom they retrieved an unlicensed .32 pistol with 10 matching rounds of ammunition.

Forde’s capture is another plus for Operation Dragnet, which came into effect at the beginning of this month to curb criminal activity. It has already resulted in a noticeable reduction in serious crimes.

support to take the 9- and 11-year-olds out of the discos, but the GWMO is able to hold those children for only 72 hours; and sometimes their parents do not show up, so those parents cannot be charged. She added also that when the 72 hours expire, the biggest problem is where to place the children, since there is no facility in the region to cater to that contingency; so the children eventually end up right back in the situations and environments from whence they were rescued.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE The issue of domestic violence is also a matter that the GWMO is battling with, in addition to protecting the rights of children. Reference was also made to a recent case wherein a man almost beat his wife to death in the community.

She said that when it comes to making a difference

in Port Kaituma and the Matarkai Sub-Region, there is need for support; and, if possible, the entire Region 1 needs support. She said the region is receiving a little support, and if that support was previously forthcoming, the region would have been a far better place with less problems.

On the issue of teenage pregnancy, Miguel said the instances might have been far lower had the welfare, probation and child protection officers had a constant presence in the area. The issue the region has experienced, she admitted, is the location of the community and the cost to get there.

Based on her experience working in the community, she was asked what might be responsible for the children being victims of exploitation

and teenage pregnancy.

Miguel’s explanation was as follows: “They get involved because they are not properly educated. At the school, there is a high rate of (truancy) and parents are the ones who ought to be blamed too! Because of the poverty in Port Kaituma, the children who used to work the mines every now and then to earn a small piece are now looking to get involved with the big businessmen for money, especially the girls.”

It was also pointed out that this problem spiked after the mining areas in Port Kaituma were ordered shut down by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), who claimed that the residents were mining on the claims that were actually other persons’ (investors) claims.

GWMO member Stephanie Miguel

6

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday December 14, 2015

Boat captains still missing

Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams

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

Editorial

Crime wave in perspective

DOUBTLESS, one of the biggest challenges for this government and society at large is fighting crime. The crime wave, begun before this government came to power, has continued; and politicians have traded words over who ultimately is responsible for the situation.

While we appreciate that parties must engage in political rhetoric and debates, we hold the view than when crime reaches the proportions that presently obtain, partisan grandstanding must take a backseat to the national interest.

In the final analysis, crime is both a national security and socio-economic security matter that consumes all of us.

Here, in Guyana, our crime wave has its origins in two places in our social landscape. First, much of it arises out of the abject poverty which still haunts the majority of our communities. There is a linkage between poverty, poor education, unemployment, and the prevalence of crime. So long as poverty is not dealt with frontally and practically, we will continue to experience higher than normal crime rates.

The second cause of high crime in Guyana is the extent to which sections of the state have become part of the criminal enterprise and political outfits have come to rely on criminals for both defence and offence. Professor Clive Thomas has referred to this phenomenon as the “criminalisation of the state.” A significant element of this has to do with the narco-industry and its penetration of both the state and poor communities.

In this regard, there are some sad truths about crime in Guyana. Our culture of official corruption breeds criminal behaviour, which trickles down into, or is emulated by, the wider society. We know that a preponderance of illegal guns on the streets is one root cause of the problem. We know that the growth of criminal gangs with connections to high places is a contributory factor in the inability of the state to combat crime. In this regard, a compromised police force is a terrible hamstring to crime fighting. The poor remuneration of police officers has been cited as also a crucial part of the problem.

At the level of the wider society, the glorification of criminals as role models has compromised our communities’ ability to be agents of crime-fighting and crime-prevention. The increased lure of material wealth drives a lot of our young people in the direction of crime, while some parents turn a blind eye to criminal activity by their children in exchange for the economic relief the loot brings.

Ultimately, we seem to have incorporated accommodation with criminal activity into our survival culture.

The boldness that characterises the activity of criminals boggles the mind; it is as if we are a society without morals and laws. No individual or section of the society is immune to the effects of criminal activity in our society. The criminals act as if they have the security forces covered. Governments tend to have two attitudes to such heightened incidences of crime: deny its pervasiveness, or kill the criminals. Research has shown that nether approach yields much positive results.

We understand that, in our situation, the police feel as though the only recourse available to them is to kill the

By Svetlana Marshall UP to late Sunday afternoon, the bodies of boat captains Roy Roopnarine and Trevor Persaud had not been found, after both men, who hail from Itaballi in Region 7, some 15 minutes’ travel from Bartica, went missing when their boats collided on Saturday at about 20:00hrs.

Roopnarine was transporting three persons to Bartica from Itaballi when his boat collided with the one in which 27-year-old Persaud was travelling. Persaud has gone missing after the mishap. He and the captain of the boat, identified as ‘Thom’, were heading to Itaballi.

From the crack of dawn, a search team comprising ranks of the Guyana Police Force, three divers and scores of miners and boat operators spread out in the Essequibo River between Bartica and Itaballi in search of the missing men. Violet Ramraj, who has been living with Roopnarine for the past eight years, joined the team

yesterday in search of her reputed husband. Ramraj, who had left their Itaballi home on Friday for Soesdyke, Region 4, said she had last spoken to the 46-year-old father of three at about 12:30hrs on Saturday.

“Meh 12-year-old daughter that he mine from small had school concert at Soesdyke; so when he call, he talk to all de children and he told me mek sure ah video her dancing, so he can see,” Ramraj said.

At about 20:30hrs on Saturday, Ramraj received the devastating phone call.

“Somebody call me and seh two boats crash up and they ain’t finding meh husband and another man,” she recalled.

At the time, boat captain Roopnarine was transporting three businessmen to Bartica from Itaballi when the boats collided in the Essequibo River in the vicinity of 7th Avenue, Mazaruni. However, although the boats collided, they did not capsize.

“One of them tell me that after the impact, he (Roopna-

rine) fall out of the boat, and one of the businessmen run and slow down the engine, but another one drive it to de shore,” Ramraj said.

The men reportedly began shouting for help, and ranks of the Bartica Police Station were quickly called in.

The area where the accident occurred was subsequently revisited, but there was no sign of the two men. “They search for about three hours, but they ain’t see nothing.”

Asked whether Roopnarine’s boat was equipped with lights, Ramraj responded in the positive, explaining that two sets of lights were installed on his boats in addition to the torch light he had in his hand at the time of the accident.

Meanwhile, Persaud’s family members were also in the area on Sunday, assisting with the search. His reputed wife of five years, Dacia Cornette, told Guyana Chronicle that he had left their Itaballi home at about 12:30hrs on Saturday after receiving a phone call that 15 passengers at Bartica needed to be

transported to Supenaam, Region 2.

“He went Bartica, get a boat and carry de people to Supenaam. So is coming back he coming back from Bartica when the accident happen,” she said.

Persaud was on his way home, but his reputed wife explained that he was not driving at the time of the accident.

“He was going to drive back home, but another man call him and fuh go in he boat. So is just de two of them went in that boat. He call me about 6 o’clock and tell me he coming home,” she explained.

Since the accident occurred, Cornette has been seeking for information.

“Nobody ain’t telling me nothing! When I asked de boat captain, Thom, all he saying is the other driver bend down to fix some light; and that is when de accident happened,” she explained.

She was reportedly told the same story by the passengers of the other boat.

Roads, water supply need to improve -- North West residents tell ministerial team

By Leroy Smith THERE is a general feeling that Port Kaituma and the Matarkai sub-region have been neglected over the years and development in such areas as potable water, infrastructure, education, health and social protection for residents have all fallen below expectations.

This was the view expressed by residents of central Port Kaituma and the other villages on its outskirts when they met with Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs Sydney see Page 7

The condition of a road leading to the site where a new regional hospital is to be opened soon. Minister Ferguson said the road has to be a priority one to promote quick access to medical services

criminals on sight. Indeed, over the last few days, this is precisely what has been happening. While we recognise that, in some instances, this is the only recourse, we feel that it cannot be the norm; there still has to be respect for human rights.

To this end, we are glad that President Granger has spoken out on this issue. We believe that he is correct in favouring apprehension of criminals over their killing. As he puts it, “I would like to see due process; I would like to see persons arrested and brought before the courts, so we can find out who is the mastermind. Is there a gang leader? Are there guns, and whom are they coming from? If you kill them, you don’t know these things…

And I would always put the saving of human life as a greater priority than just shooting down people; I don’t like that at all”.

For a number of larger socio-economic reasons, we have to bring crime under control. There is a relationship between crime and economic growth. Foreign and local investments do not flourish in a crime-ridden environment. Tourists stay away from areas with high crime rates. It is difficult to fight crime and defeat the Venezuelan threat at the same time.

Finally, the task of fighting crime is not just the government’s responsibility; it is a national problem that deserves a national commitment. All political parties must do more that condemning crime; they must pledge to tackle the root causes. The so-called NGOs must put crime-prevention at the top of their agendas. As our national poet cautioned long ago: “All are involved, all are consumed”.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday December 14, 2015

Driver dies after ramming coconut tree

By Rabindra Rooplall A MAHAICONY family was plunged into mourning as one of its members who was returning from a trip to Berbice on Saturday evening lost his life on the Letter T Public Road, Mahaicony East Coast Demerara (ECD), after his car crashed into a barbed wire fence and slammed into a coconut tree.

Dead is 40-year-old carpenter Darwyn Michael Gordon of Zeskendren, Mahaicony, ECD.

He leaves to mourn five sisters and three brothers.

A doctor at the scene pronounced him dead before he reached the Mahaicony Hospital. His mangled Toyota Premio motorcar, PRR 8791, was removed from the scene and taken to the Mahaicony Police Station.

A police release said investigations are being conducted into the fatal accident which occurred at 20:30hrs Saturday evening on the Letter T Mahaicony Public Road and resulted in the death of Gordon. It was revealed that the driver of

the motor vehicle was driving at a fast rate when he lost control of the vehicle.

According to an eyewitness, Gordon raced past him along the West Berbice road a few minutes before he met his demise. “By the time people reached the scene, he was already dead.”

The man’s sister, Jacqueline Roberts, told this publication that her brother returned home from work on Saturday while she was on an overseas call to another sister.

“I hear he went downstairs and start the car, and

Dead: Darwyn Michael Gordon

I thought that he was going to park it, so I didn’t check;

Roads, water supply ...

From Page 6

Allicock, and Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, who paid a two-day visit to the area last week.

In central Port Kaituma, which is usually referred to as “The Compound”, there is need for a well so that residents would no longer have to travel miles to get potable water.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, Timothy Peters said that if a well is drilled in the area, residents would not have to “expense themselves to go ‘till down floor’ (several miles away from central Kaituma) in taxis to return with drinking water.”

He acknowledged that water does come through the taps in central Kaituma, but he said the water is not good enough for drinking, as it is polluted due to mining

activities close to the creek.

Those who cannot go to the well, several miles away, would use the same creek water after boiling it; while others add bleach to it. It costs $1,000 to go from central Port Kaituma to the well and back.

“If they could drill one closer to the Compound, it will be better, because people walk mostly to come to the Compound but no one really walks to go to the ‘floor’ for water, and is only

who having car and who could afford it might able to pay a taxi to go and bring clean water for their families to drink,” Peters explained.

Asked if the residents would come together to assist in making the well a reality for the community, Peters said “yes”, but noted that they would be unable to contribute financially to such a venture, and could just give of their time.

Another resident explained that, during the dry season, the hospital and the rest of community always face a problem, particularly in meeting the needs of children. According to the man, the water situation is a mess, and while parents prevent their children from drinking it at home, when they go to schools it is the same water that they drink, as it is pumped into the tank.

ROAD WORKS There is a general view that once the road works are carried out, the evident congestion within central Port Kaituma would be eased, as persons may be willing to move to the other areas that can be developed. There are sections of the road that can be traversed only by trucks.

During a community meeting with Ministers Allicock and Ferguson, residents were eager to address various issues affecting the community.

One resident, Fitz Duke, said the community of Port Kaituma is a “forsaken one” which is forced to bite the bullet. He called for the reopening of the mining area which has been locked off

and I went to bathe and rest, then I received a call so that residents can go on with their lives.

With respect to the condition of the roads, the man said, “We have in our community a rock that we call the black rock. We know financially it would be too strenuous on our administration to give us the kind of road that we would like to see, but all I am asking or suggesting is that the big ‘lakes’, the big ‘ponds’, the creeks and streams that we have on our roads we could cap it, full it with this rock, and start to make a foundation for the road.

As it is right now, there is no foundation for the road.

Over the years bulldozers and graders have removed every single thing of it, and it’s the bare loam resting

7

and someone told me he had a crash and he died,” Roberts lamented.

Family members and relatives who gathered at the home described Gordon as a jovial and friendly individual. They also noted that his death has sent shockwaves throughout the family, as there will be no real Christmas celebrations this year. “Only God knows what happened, I don’t know what to say or what exactly happened,” Roberts said in a sad tone. there now; and when it rains the model M trucks with the 20, 30 barrels of fuel mess up the road,” Duke explained.

He added that they would love to see a revetment to the entire water front area, which is suffering erosion.

He admitted that the exercise would be costly, but said that after it is fixed there can be added economic benefits for the community as ships would have to pay when they dock.

Minister Ferguson, in addressing the concerns of the residents, said that there is no way that the government would be able to allocate funds to fix all the roads in Port Kaituma ,as there are other regions in which works have to be done. But she promisedpriority works will be executed.

Timothy Peters speaks of the water and road situation in Central Port Kaituma

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 14, 2015

Gafoor fetes 4,000 children, elderly GAFSONS Industries Limited yesterday treated more than 4,000 poor and less fortunate elderly persons and children at its Houston, East Bank Demerara Complex as it joined members of the corporate community in ushering in the Christmas season.

The party, hosted by Executive Chairman Sattaur Gafoor, attracted persons from all walks of life. They were treated to breakfast and lunch, and they all received gifts.

The business magnate has been involved in giving at every opportunity, feeding scores of

persons over the decades. Yesterday, children and the elderly were served by Gafoor, his wife Ameena, special invitees, and his employees.

The gates of the mega-complex had to be closed as pockets of persons were allowed in, since the many tables were

Sattaur Gafoor serving one of the many rows of tables made available for children to have a meal before receiving their gifts

packed with children and the elderly.

The crowd was entertained by steel-pan music and a merry Santa Claus.

Administrative Manager Dionne Foo said persons from the Palms, Dharm Shala and Nazareth Home, and chil-

dren from the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) and various orphanages and homes were entertained.

Foo noted that the company would host several major feeding programmes annually, and engage in other charitable drives.

Not one to blow his own trumpet, Gafoor donates to all charities, and has been a leader in fulfilling his corporate responsibilities.

Meanwhile, the complex opened a new section for business on its ground floor yesterday.

Sattaur Gafoor distributed gifts to the many children at the Houston mega complex yesterday

32 women empowered as entrepreneurs THIRTY-TWO Rupununi women are now much more business-savvy after completing a five-day ‘Self-Reliance and Success in Business Workshop’ held under the auspices of the Office of the First Lady, at the Indigenous People’s Conference Hall in Lethem, Region 9.

The workshop, which is the third of its kind, aims to inspire and empower ordinary Guyanese women to tap into their entrepreneurial potential and become successful business owners.

It commenced on Monday at the Indigenous People’s Conference Hall.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony yesterday, First Lady Sandra Granger said she was pleased with the level of interest shown by the participants, and assured that this is not a oneoff intervention.

“We will continue to explore other ways to help you as funding becomes available, because we believe that once women progress, nations progress,” the First Lady said.

The First Lady and her team were catering for a minimum of 20 participants, as was done in Good Hope

and Linden, but due to the overwhelming response by women of all the sub-districts in the region, the team worked to facilitate the additional 12, making this the largest batch thus far.

Facilitator of the workshop, Wayne Barrow, from the firm Interweave Solutions, explained that the participants have been taught the pros and cons of developing a comprehensive business plan with which they can approach micro-financing agencies, such as the Small Business Bureau, to acquire loans to start up or expand their businesses.

Grace Albert, a participant from Wowetta Village, is part of a women’s group that cultivates cassava and produces a number of cassava products, including chips and cassareep. After participating in the workshop, she has now mapped out her business plan with short, medium and long-term goals for her group, as well as for her own personal business venture, a grocery shop.

Albert said the group is looking to increase cassava production, and will try to get its products on shelves in supermarkets across the country. She explained that

First Lady Sandra Granger smiles as Edwina Realine presents her with a token of appreciation on behalf of the 32 participants of the workshop

women venturing out into businesses not only support their families, but also contribute to the maintenance of food security in their communities.

AGRO-PROCESSING “We would like to partner with the ministries of Agriculture and Indigenous People’s Affairs to do more agro-processing....This workshop was really good,

I learnt a great lot, which I will take back to Wowetta to improve our business,” Albert said.

Similar sentiments were expressed by Imacuelata Casimero from Aishalton Village, who said that she gained significant insight into the preparation of a budget, and importance of promoting the services and products she offers.

Casimero and the other

participants from Aishalton have chosen to execute a project to benefit the entire community; that is, to improve the supply of potable water by January 2016. This falls under the community development aspect of the two-pronged workshop.

Meanwhile, Wendella Rohlehr, who makes a living by walking and selling Brazilian cosmetic products, plans to use the knowledge she gained at the training to expand her current operations; firstly by registering her business, and then garnering funds to purchase a vehicle so that she could keep up with her competitors. In the long-term, she plans to build a shop in one of the prime commercial locations in Lethem.

Shirley Melville, one of the most prominent female business owners in Lethem, was invited to deliver the graduation charge and to impart some words of wisdom from her own experiences. She called the First Lady’s initiative “timely”, and spoke of the importance of discipline and the willingness to embrace change in order to succeed in the business environment.

“You cannot spend what

you don’t have, and you must know the difference between want and need as self-employed persons,” Melville said. She also urged the participants to make customer service paramount in whatever area they choose to venture into, since a strong clientele is necessary for any business to survive.

“We can do it, we are masters at budgeting... At the end of the day, regardless of status, religion or race, we all have one thing in common; that is, we are all women, and as women, it is a great feeling to make your own money,” Melville said.

The workshop was funded by the Ministry of Social Protection, with support from the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs. The participants were drawn from communities such as: Aranaputa, Annai, Aishalton, St Ignatius, Tiger Pond, Karasabai, Culvert City, Parishara, Wowetta, Tabatinga and Lethem.

In early November, 33 persons from the East Coast Demerara and Linden completed the programme. The First Lady plans to take it to Regions 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 next year.

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 14, 2015

Cornelia Ida: A major business hot spot in the making

One of the clean and green streets in Cornelia Ida

By Shauna Jemmott CORNELIA Ida, located on the West Coast of Demerara, is a community of individuals who believe in making valuable investments; it is key to their personal development and the development of their community.

The rural community is a place where tranquility dwells, and it has an interesting vegetal contour of parapets and lawns.

Creating a clean and green Guyana is a part of what residents there do. Taking a drive into the western wing of the village is quite a beauty to behold. Beauty, some say, lies in the eyes of the beholder.

Cornelia Ida is a reasonably populated village, and though it is far from the look of a town, there is evidence that it is a strong economic base on the rise.

A distinct array of fruits hanging and resting flat in an attractive fruit and vegetable stand along the roadway first caught my eyes.

Inzaman Mohamed, the youngster behind the counter, informed me that the shop was opened three months ago.

It was not such a slow day for business, but not much of a fast one either, but Mohamed agreed that he has a good spot. He is hoping that sales will pick up during the holiday season.

I was struck by some of the beautiful buildings in the rustic community. One was the masterpiece creation by architectural engineer Lakh Raj. Coated in cream and dark green, the uniquely designed mansion resembles a top-class hotel and carries several storeys in a climbing fashion.

This excellent creation stands as first testimony to the brilliant character at-

Inzaman Mohamed at his fruits and vegetable shop

Century Spring Water

tached to the School of Excellence, the leading primary/nursery in Region 3.

Headmistress Latchmin Gopal said her architectural engineer husband built the edifice and painted it in cream and deep green.

Gopal formerly taught at Leonora Primary School as a Grade Six teacher, and has produced students who obtained Queen’s College and other senior secondary schools.

The headteacher collaborated with one of the children’s homes in the community and offered a scholarship to a less fortunate child.

Staff and children alike understand that distinction is a must, and a comfortable learning environment is necessary for it to be achieved.

In this regard, the school hosts a number of extra-curricular activities.

Happy children in white and royal blue ‘tetrex’ uniforms play courteously and comfortably in the tiled and tidy school compound.

Friendly taxi drivers spoke with the Guyana Chronicle team, and directed us to where should be our next stop in their hometown.

The drivers line the roadside -- family men and singles alike -- displaying honesty in earning a living.

One of the taxi drivers told the Guyana Chronicle that he is hoping “Christmas brings a lot of joy”, with brighter business for the holidays.

A barber at one of the shops along the road on the eastern side was reluctant to speak to us, but after learning of our mission, he opened up, even sharing laughter in an entertaining gaff.

With emphasis on keeping the community clean,

signs are erected warning people not to dump garbage in trenches and the corners of the streets; and while some drains are neatly paaled, others are starved for clearing to allow for a more beautified space.

Religion has a tremendous presence at Cornelia Ida. Christian churches, Hindu temples and Muslim mosques are open for worship on a regular basis.

The community is just one of the economic blocks along the West Coast of Demerara. Businesses line the entrances of every street corner. There are also big stores along the public road.

This publication was told that families and religious groups adopt large numbers of children, making them comfortable in homes.

The Guyana Chronicle stopped by an orphanage in which one family chose to take-in more than 25 children who needed a safe place to stay. The orphanage is owned by the Campbell family, who said they live happily with the children and consider them as “one family”.

Atish Dowdat is the proprietor of Century Spring Water. He said one day he became tired of the high presence of rust in the water and decided to open a business of his own, purifying and selling water. Century Spring Water is located along the Cornelia Ida Public Road.

A government project to create a U-shaped drain is being undertaken by a private contractor, but the supervisor on the worksite had little to say.

As we departed the community, an old woman was spotted patiently pulling grass from the parapet in front of her home, a single grass at a time.

Females were hardly spotted on the roadways or hanging out. A few of the taxi men at A&S Taxi service told the Chronicle that 50 per cent of women work, mostly in offices, while the other half are housewives dwelling quietly and taking care of their homes and families.

Citizens of Cornelia Ida believe in investment, and with businesses ranging from hair salons and restaurants to private schools and electrical shops, the thriving community appears set to be a popular business centre in the future.

Let there be light (and water) SO it’s Christmas, a time when utility bills become a major worry for Guyanese; and funny enough, chaos has erupted within the realms of both the GPL and GWI, which has Facebook busy with discussion.

On one hand, GPL’s CEO Colin Welch get “skin up” after some alleged conversation between him and a Chinese company leaked. The conversation revealed him asking the company to lie regarding its ability to supply millions of dollars’ worth in prepaid meters, though the company is seen admitting that it falls short in vital areas. Facebookers had a field day with this one -- some even went so far as to assume that maybe the Chinese brand is superior after all, since Welch clearly is willing to go to all lengths to utilise them for whatever self-gaining reason. But above all, “text, lies and corruption” seem to be the winning slogan for this issue. If this is true, then many are in agreement with what should happen next: Welch must go!

On the other hand, GWI is having its own issues. The water company is reportedly investigating a possible sabotage of its ICT network, after finding a “hidden wireless device” that could be responsible for a shutdown of its system a few days ago. Now, while Dr Richard Van-West Charles declared his intention to carry out a thorough investigation, Guyanese took it upon themselves to make their own assumptions. Many are saying it’s “PPP opposition tactics”, but others are saying that Van-West Charles is trying to distract us from the fact that he hired his two friends… I’ll just leave that right there.

Bottom line? Check your water and light bills thoroughly from now on, folks; we don’t know how this chaos could affect us.

AND ON THE GANJA ISSUE… President Granger has commented on the ongoing ganja issue, stating that the decriminalisation of ganja would be a contradictory move, given that the government is currently looking towards legally banning cigarette-smoking in certain places. There’s a bit of objection on this matter, with some members of the public stating that decriminalisation is not the goal, but the removal of the mandatory minimum sentence for small amounts. Regardless of what the issue is, however, one thing is clear: there should be strong protections against anything that is addictive, and ganja is no exception. The matter of “how strong” these protections are – well, that’s the touchy part. Therefore, despite the assumed misinterpretation of what the people want, the decision unfortunately cannot be made overnight.

DETERMINATION I see the bandits are relentless and are not taking Operation Dragnet’s upped ante as a threat. They’re still coming strong, but they’re also still getting knocked down. The most recent event was one in which a GRA employee was robbed after returning home, but the police were quick on the scene after being called by the woman’s neighbours.

Though one of the bandits managed to escape, the other was shot. But it’s not what you’re thinking; this one lived (and hopefully learned his lesson). But perhaps the police listened to President Granger’s call to have criminals arrested rather than killed. So they’re getting better already.

Maybe next time they’ll manage to not shed any blood at all. Here’s to high hopes!

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 14, 2015

Parliament shares joy of Christmas IT was fun galore on the lawns of Public Buildings, where hundreds of children gathered last Friday for the National Assembly’s annual Christmas party, an event to which they look forward with great expectation.

The occasion offered a fun-filled day of excitement, select music, games and lots to eat and drink. There was

also face-painting, trampoline jumping and all the clean excitement associated with a children’s party.

And, of course, there was the dominant presence of Santa Claus distributing gifts to literally every child present, in this the season of peace, joy and good cheer.

Joining the fun also were popular cartoon characters,

Dora and others, much to the delight and amusement of the children.

The party brought together children drawn from the Sophia Care Centre; the Hadfield Street Drop-In Centre in Georgetown, the Mahaica Children’s Home and the Enmore-Hope Children’s Home on the East Coast of Demerara.

Speaker of the House, Dr Barton Scotland and staff of the National Assembly bring Christmas greetings and cheer to the children (Cullen Bess-Nelson photo)

Fun started around noon as several groups of children, under the guidance of teachers and other caregivers cheerfully disembarked from buses specially detailed to transport them to and from the party.

There, they had the honour of meeting the Speaker of the House, Dr Barton Scotland who, in his brief

remarks, extended Christmas greetings to them.

The children were also greeted by available Parliamentarians and staff of the National Assembly.

“It [the party] is part of our outreach programme, aimed at bringing Parliament to the children and raising awareness, and it’s also aimed at visibly

showing the public that the Members of Parliament and National Assembly care about members of the public and would like to give back something. And what better time to give back than during the Christmas season,” Parliament’s Public Relations Officer Onieka Walton told the Guyana Chronicle.

Some of the children gathered for the National Assembly’s annual Christmas party at Public Buildings on Friday (Cullen Bess-Nelson photo)

GTT+ launches second flagship store country over the years.”

The company has rebranded to GTT+ at a time when the country is taking a fresh approach to development.

The rebranding, Mr Gaskin said, integrates easily into the fresh approach.

“Given that the ICT sector is a critical one and one which is on the de-

velopmental list for the Government of Guyana, any investment into this sector is well aligned in the direction the government wants to proceed in,” said Gaskin, while stressing the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

He emphasised that the ability to compete interna-

tionally and remain relevant locally, relies on the existence of a constantly evolving communication sector.

Nevertheless, he urged that as the company and Guyana are gearing up for the Christmas holiday, they will receive lots of attention, with its “dynamic atmosphere”.

Police band steals attention IN a night of music and cultural renditions, officers and their families swayed to the mesmerising sounds of the steelpan, instrumentals and songs and selections by the Police Force Band and member of the Force.

Seen enjoying the atmosphere of a

well-lit Young Street, glaring with lights of various colours were Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan and his family, Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud, Commander of ‘A’ Division Clifton Hicken and other high-ranking officials and their families.

A look at the newly-branded sign of GTT+ on the Fogarty’s building (Delano Williams photo)

By Navindra Seoraj AGAINST the backdrop of the Christmas Season, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company plus (GTT+) on Saturday unveiled their second flagship store, and it is in the Fogarty’s General Store!

The company, in an effort to signal to the Guyanese market that they are “back and ready” launched the store, which offers a

variety of services such as distribution of cellphones and other technological gadgets.

Speaking at the opening, newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Justin Nedd said the telephone giant is sticking to its promise of doing more.

“This is our second flagship store, through which we intend to do and offer more to the public… as we want them to know that GTT+ is back and

ready for business.”

Lauding the investment, Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin said it reflects investors’ confidence in the economy.

“This shows that there is an unshakable confidence in the Guyanese economy, because there would not have been an investment if there was no potential. As such, I am encouraged by the investment, by a solid and reliable investor who has injected a lot into the

The gathering at the police concert was well entertained

No let offs

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 14, 2015

– Gov’t continues to accumulate evidence of corruption

By Ravin Singh WITH heightened calls for the government to expose the corruption which allegedly had been fostered by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration while they were in office for over 23 years, President David Granger on Friday said his government is still in the process of building evidence.

The President’s disclosure was made on Friday last during this weekly television show “In the Public Interest,” which was aired on the National Communications Network (NCN).

While in opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) were very vocal on corruption, accusing the then PPP administration of nurturing and practising it.

Corruption is a serious problem. Just last year, Guyana’s ranking moved slightly in a positive direction though the country was still listed in the very corrupt category in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index.

The 2014 results revealed that Guyana remains behind

President David Granger

its Caribbean Community (CARICOM) counterparts, ranking 124th out of 175 countries. The only CARICOM nation that ranks below Guyana was Haiti, which placed at 161.

And while the APNU+AFC coalition campaigned heavily on this fact that Guyana had been listed as very corrupt, the coalition had committed to expose acts of corruption, which were to some glaring.

But according to the President on Friday, once a party is in Opposition, it does not have access to the files which makes it almost impossible

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

Former Public Service Minister Jennifer Westford

for that party to expose any underhand transactions.

However, after securing victory at the May 11 General and Regional elections earlier this year, the coalition is now in a position to expose these acts of corruption. One of the first moves of the new Government was to embark on forensic audits into state agencies to find out whether acts of corruption had been perpetuated at those entities.

There has been public outcry for the government to reveal these acts of corruption, due to the fact that these revelations appear not to be

forthcoming, but Granger said the process is an ongoing effort.

HARD EVIDENCE He explained that once there is intent to approach the courts with allegations of corruption, the accusing party must first provide hard evidence to support its claims.

And according to him, “And over the last six months we [government] have been conducting investigations and enquiries, and we’ve been working towards getting the type of evidence to demonstrate to the public and courts

First Lady spreads Christmas cheer FIRST Lady Sandra Granger on Saturday joined with officials from the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to spread Christmas cheer to close to 300 children at City Hall.

Granger thanked the Council for organising the event, which put smiles on the faces of the children. Town Clerk

Royston King said the event is the first of its kind that the Council has hosted in over 20 years.

The children, accompanied by their parents and guardians, were treated to lots of goodies and had the opportunity to meet and take photos with the main attraction, Santa Claus.

First Lady Sandra Granger is surrounded by excited children, and some parents, as she helps Santa Claus to distribute gifts at the Children’s Christmas party hosted by the Mayor and City Council

that crimes have actually been committed.”

While only one PPP member has been charged to date, the President noted that it is not an easy task, but rather a “painstaking effort,” which requires ongoing work.

“But, we are still working on accumulating evidence,” he said.

On September 23, Minister of State Joseph Harmon had revealed at a post-Cabinet press briefing that under the PPP, multimillion-dollar contracts were “deliberately under-bid… people were bidding low and knowing fully well that they were going to come later on for variations so that in a process like that, tenderers who could have done the work, were actually cheated out of the contracts because some persons deliberately bidded low and the contracts were awarded to the lowest bidder.This eventually took the contract sum beyond what was the engineer’s estimate.”

ONE CHARGED Earlier in the year, after the APNU+AFC had secured office, former Public Service Minister under the PPP Jennifer Westford and her Personnel Officer (PO) Margaret Cummings appeared before the court to face larceny and forgery charges,respectively.

The charges were in connection with the alleged illegal transfer of eight vehicles to themselves and friends, which were the property of the government. The 42-yearold former minister was slapped with four counts of attempting to commit felony and granted $800,000 bail.

A State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) which was also established by the government had revealed that former President, Bharrat Jagdeo and several of his Cabinet ministers had benefitted significantly from the Pradoville- Two housing scheme back in 2010 and were likely to face criminal charges.

The Asset Recovery Unit’s report also noted that the PPP Cabinet made a decision authorising the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) to privatise state lands, which were subsequently sold to known friends and associates of the party at grossly undervalued prices. They were sold substantially lower than the market value, which deprived the state of its full benefits.

Additionally, over $200M was reportedly spent to develop the prime seaside community without the involvement or knowledge of the legislative arm of government and other relevant authorities. The lands were then secretly sold to former ministers under the PPP and known friends and associates of the party.

The most recent episode of these discoveries was a land deal between former President Bharrat Jagdeo and mortgage fraud convict, New York-based Guyanese businessman Ed Ahmad. The controversial land deal for a prime piece of land situated at the intersection of Vlissengen Road and Thomas Street was reportedly completed in just seven days.

Ahmad had applied for the 3.41 acres of government land on May 22, 2008 and the application was approved on May 27, 2008 – a mere five days after. On May 29, the then government had served a notice to the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), whose headquarters is next to the plot, indicating that they were going to survey the land on the same day. A cadastral survey was executed and the plan was registered the same day. The lease for the land, which stipulated a $500,000 annual payment, was then issued to Ahmad on May 30.

Meanwhile, last week, in observance of International Day against Corruption, the PPP had recommitted itself to fighting the scourge of corruption and graft, which it contended, seems to be rearing its ugly head in the country.

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 14, 2015

Children caught up in violence – rights activist

By Shauna Jemmott SOME of Guyana’s children are under serious psychological pressure, brought on by episodes of violence and abuse perpe-

trated by, or directed at, members of their families.

And in some cases, this psychological state lasts a lifetime.

“Children are caught up in the violence!” said Nicole Cole, Commissioner on the Rights of the Child

Monday, December 14, 2015 - 05:00 hrs Tuesday, December 15, 2015 - 05:00 hrs Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - 08:30 hrs

Commission, as she recently sounded the alarm at a press conference held by the Women and Gender Equality Commission.

“Arian Gill!” she said. “I think she remains the youngest victim to have died by violence. Please don’t forget her!” the rights activist pleaded with reporters.

Cole has asked the media to “remember Arian Gill”, the 13-month-old girl who was shot dead allegedly by her grandmother’s jilted lover on October 18 at Lot 38 Eastville, East Coast Demerara (ECD). Arian’s 12-year-old aunt, Ashley Norton, was also shot twice in her leg and was hospitalised.

The Guyana Chronicle now revisits some of the events in which Guyana’s children were caught up in violence over the years, causing some to be ruthlessly murdered while others continue living with wounds.

Just weeks ago, five-yearold Nashan Wharton was shot in his leg during an ordeal in Festival City, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, when his 37-year-old father Christopher Wharton was executed in cold blood while he watched. Two gun-toting young men had reportedly approached the home and called his father out.

In February 2013, nineyear-old Terrencia Patterson, the daughter of domestic violence survivor Tomeicka Miller-Patterson, watched as her father savagely stabbed

Help and Shelter Director Margaret Kertzious

her mom more than 27 times, almost killing her. He later committed suicide.

Six-year-old Kimberly Houston and her two-yearold brother Tariq Lord were murdered by their 26-year-old cane harvester dad, Richard Lord, on July 31, 2013. The two were innocent victims of a tragic melee that started when their drunken father went berserk and butchered his family, leaving their mother Natasha Houston, also known as Bibi Nazreena, with a severed right arm and only one and a half fingers on her left hand.

Lord had used his cane harvesting cutlass to commit the brutal crimes, after abducting his run-away family and beating Houston all day long, alleging that she was unfaithful to him.

SKELETAL REMAINS His skeletal remains were found hanging in the backlands of Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo, where he had committed the act.

Nine-year-old Christine Sookra was shot dead on August 28, 2004, as her family

hid in a bedroom while bandits riddled their home with bullets after being unable to gain entry.

Jermaine Herod was 11 years old when his father, Raul Herod, a Securicor operations supervisor, went crazy on July 7, 1999 and shot dead his entire family. Jermaine had run for his life after receiving a bullet to his jaw.

The incident occurred at their home at Lot 36 Sideline Dam Buxton, East Coast Demerara, where the man armed himself with a gun and shot seven persons, including four children -- Jonelle Herod, aged 11; Erwin Herod, 15; Rodel Herod, 7; and Adele Nandy Herod, aged 14.

Rawle Herod also shot dead his 97-year-old grandmother, Angela Herod; his mother, Shirley Cole-Herod, 60; and his aunt, Patricia Harris, 58, before he set their cottage afire and killed himself.

Jermaine was the only person to survive the tragedy, after he ran to neighbours for rescue.

In 1994, at Buxton, a cocaine addict called “Baby Arthur” brandished a cutlass and killed six persons, three of whom were children -– 16-year-old Shawn; 7-yearold Melissa France, and 2-year-old Semple. Among the adults he butchered were Bunny Joseph, Maude Hatton and his own mother, Hyacinth.

SADISTIC Cole calls those killings barbaric, sadistic (and) inhumane! She said the fact that “children are being killed along with women points to a society in decadence, a

Hobbesian State wherein life in Guyana has become nasty, brutish, and short”.

Meanwhile, Coordinator and Director of Help and Shelter, Margaret Kertzious, in an interview with this publication, spoke about children caught up in domestic violence having to move with their parents into the facilities of Help and Shelter, a place of refuge for battered women.

She revealed that, over the years, the organisation has housed numerous children, and it currently houses more than 25.

On an annual basis, she said, more than 100 children seek shelter at the home, which accommodates more of the youngsters than their abused parents.

Kertzious said that when a woman approaches her office for help, the matter is reported and an intake form is prepared, recording relevant information on the victim, before a case history is presented on the incidents of abuse that the woman had experienced.

“Most times these women have children. Sometimes they come in [with] six children. The home that we have provides for her to walk with her children if she cares to, so they’re involved in growing up and being with her.

“Since she has been going through domestic violence, it’s most obvious that the children are involved in it.

They’re part of it. They’re part of the family,” Kertzious said.

These children are being displaced, and some of them suffer emotionally as a result; but the agency and the ministry’s social workers counsel and comfort them.

They attend schools and live normal lives, but in a new environment.

Kertzious told the Chronicle that most children who have been affected by violence eventually become violent when they become adults.

“They might accept the abuse… so that is how children are caught up in it,” she said.

The shelter is manned

by Help and Shelter and the Ministry of Social Protection, but it needs someone to assist in caring for the children. Kertzious said it is sometimes difficult for the children’s mother, already displaced and distressed, to care for all her children while seeking refuge and being involved in the process of recovery.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday December 14, 2015

I wouldn’t hold my breath

13

-- Granger says of Venezuela agreeing to judicial settlement with Guyana

By Ravin Singh

PRESIDENT David Granger said last Friday, during his weekly television programme, “In T h e P u b l i c I n t e re s t ” , that he would not “hold his breath” on Venezuela agreeing to a juridical settlement as the mode of resolution of its border controversy with Guyana.

And while Venezuela’s claim to two-thirds of Guyana’s territory, including its maritime space, had all along been dormant; when, earlier this year, Deepwater Giant ExxonMobil announced the discovery of significant oil reserves just offshore Guyana, where the company was drilling, the announcement sparked Venezuela’s renewed claim to the territory of this English-speaking nation.

The controversy further escalated when, on May 27, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro issued a decree officially claiming Guyana’s territory.

The mandate of the United Nations Secretary-General is to identify the process for judicial settlement of international controversies. And while the Good Offices process, which has been utilised over the last few decades to

resolve the issue has seemingly failed, President Granger made it known that Guyana favours a juridical settlement through recourse to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

“Guyana’s decision to select another one of the options available under the Geneva Agreement, therefore, was wholly consistent with its object and spirit. The recourse to a juridical process as a final and binding means of resolving the controversy is provided for by the provisions of the Geneva Agreement.

“Guyana has done nothing which can be regarded as being in breach of the Geneva Agreement,” the President told Parliament on October 22.

This was eventually communicated to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, with whom the power to identify the process of resolution sits.

But, according to the Head of State, while he was impressed with the attitude of Ban Ki-moon when the two discussed the issue at length, he does not foresee a response from the UN in the short-term.

He opined that the Secretary General appears to be fully engaged, since he sent his Chief of Staff to Georgetown on at least two occasions.

“I am confident that he will be able, within maybe

half of [next] year or so, to identify the process. He is not going to resolve the process, but he is going to identify the process, which presumably would lead to a solution,” a hopeful President Granger said.

However, he explained that the Secretary General must first try to secure the compliance of the Government of Venezuela, as dictated by provisions in the Charter of the United Nation, which

stipulate that both parties to a dispute must agree to the same conditions and instruments of evaluation.

Therefore, the President said, he would not hold his breath on Venezuela agreeing to this mode of settlement, since that country is not likely to win this case.

Venezuelan “He [Ban Ki-moon] demits President office in a year’s time, and I Nicolas Maduro expect that towards the next General Assembly, or towards would be in a better position; the last quarter next year, we we would know where we are

Guyana’s President David Granger heading. He is doing his best, but the process is not swift,” the President noted.

14

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 14, 2015

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 14, 2015

15

16

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 14, 2015

17

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday December 14, 2015

Yesterday’s Results

Crossword

Sudoku

18

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 14, 2015

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 14, 2015

19

20

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 14, 2015

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 14, 2015

21

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 14, 2015

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday December 14, 2015

IRISH RACING TIPS Navan 08:00 hrs Whistle Dixie 08:35 hrs Felix Yonger 09:10 hrs Miss Dinamic 09:40 hrs Mount Masada 10:15 hrs Black Hercules 10:45 hrs Boher Call 11:20 hrs Avenir D’Une Vie ENGLISH RACING TIPS Plumpton 08:10 hrs Theo’s Charm 08:45 hrs Zamdy Man 09:20 hrs Mckenzie’s Friend 09:50 Shy John 10:20 hrs Moon Trip 10:55 hrs Ball Hopper 11:25 hrs My Lord FFOS LAS 08:55 hrs Borak 09:00 hrs Baraka De Thaix 09:35 hrs Captainofindustry 10:10 hrs Wychwoods Brook 10:40 hrs Heath Hunter 11:15 hrs Supreme Bob 11:45 hrs Westbrooke Warrior WOLVERHAMPTON 10:00 hrs Shalamzar 10:30 hrs Troopingthecolour 11:05 hrs With Hindsight 11:35 hrs Like No Other 12:10 hrs Van Dyke 12:40 hrs Viserion 13:10 hrs Robins Pearl AMERICAN RACING TIPS Philadelphia Park Race 1 Starbound Race 2 Start Smok’n Race 3 Cowboy’s Princess Race 4 Make Mo Money Race 5 Supah Jalene Race 6 Farraj Race 7 Dreaming of Joey Race 8 Always Sunshine Race 9 Pittsburgh SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS Flamingo Park 08:20 hrs Devon Gold 08:50 hrs Star Empress 09:20 hrs Yesan Star 09:50 hrs Eagle Face 10:20 hrs Boarding Call

Sparta Boss clinches Guinness In Da Street title

By Kizan Brumell

ON a cold, wet night, more suited to the likeness of a refreshing Guinness, Sparta Boss snatched the Georgetown zone Guinness Greatest In Da Street title with a 1 – 0 victory over Channel-9 Warriors at the National Park Tarmac.

The painful loss for Channel-9 meant that Sparta Boss went home $500 000 richer, while Channel-9 had to settle for the runner-up purse of $250 000. However, Channel-9 still have a chance to top their rivals when the two teams represent Georgetown in the national championships next year.

On Saturday night, Sheldon Shepherd was the hero with the 20th-minute strike which decided the outcome of the match.

He had the support of Devon Millington, who upped their attack, but Warriors were on point and rose to every challenge.

The eventful see-saw battle saw slips, slides, skips and misses until the spring broke, when Shepherd was presented with the opportunity to score and capitalised.

Maintaining the upper hand was another task, but Sparta conquered it when the regulation- time whistle came.

The nail-biting showdown was witnessed by a few hundred supporters that were treated to a musical rendition

by Jamaican Dancehall Artiste, ‘Konshens,’ who kept the crowd amped for the finale.

Prior to the finals, North Ruimveldt stunned Back Circle with a 2 – 1 defeat to claim third place and pocket $125 000, while Back Circle’s effort got them $75 000.

North Ruimveldt seemed the better-oiled machine on the night, even though a wealth of aggression was presented by the former champs.

However, with equally experienced opponents, the side with fewer mistakes during the match emerged victors. Travis “Zorro” Grant gave his side the lead when he slotted home in the 13th minute.

The one- possession game continued into half- time and when the action resumed, North scored once again to pile on even more pressure.

Orin Massiah’s 22nd-minute goal was the icing on the cake, even though Andy Duke, Back Circle’s MVP, produced a consolation goal in three minutes; finding an equaliser proved too large a load.

‘Stopping cricket not ...

From back page South Africa once, but that was due to their stance on apartheid and that was a human rights violation. But other than that I believe sport should carry on.

“It is a matter of a lifelong relationship. People to people contact is necessary to build ties. Sachin [Tendulkar] is loved in Pakistan as a Wasim [Akram] is loved in India.”

On his meeting with Modi, Imran said: “I told Modi that cricket should happen. Modiji smiled at that question and I couldn’t decipher whether it was a ‘yes’ or ‘no’. But I am a positive person and would take that positively.

“We are the first generation of partition children, so we had heard a lot of hate stories. And people like us were on each side of the country. But when I toured India as a cricketer, I realised that we are the same people, who listen to the same songs and have the same tastes. There is consensus in Pakistan against terror. So we should look to bridge gaps not create distances.”

Former India captain Kapil Dev, who was sharing the stage with Imran, was however more guarded in his stance on India-Pakistan ties.

“Players have no problem in playing against each other, but you can’t go against government policy,” he said. “Boards certainly want to play, but Imran, Kapil and Sachin’s views do not matter. It is the government’s decision which finally counts.”(ESPN Cricinfo).

24

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday December 14, 2015

New Zealand sniff victory in Dunedin Test … Brendon McCullum becomes the second batsman to a hundred sixes in Tests

(REUTERS)-Wicketkeeper BJ Watling took a record-equalling ninth catch as New Zealand inched

scheduled as the next man in.

He will join Chandimal today, when they have almost

Tom Latham celebrates his third century on the fourth day of the first Test in Dunedin. their way to a probable victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test as they reduced the visitors to 109 for three at the close of the fourth day’s play yestertday.

Wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal was on 31 at University Oval, which had weathered heavy, but brief, rain and hail showers that forced the players from the field three times.

The last shower forced them off the ground with 20 overs remaining and umpires abandoned play at 1745 (0445 GMT) with captain Angelo Mathews

98 overs to score an additional 296 runs.

“If we can get a good partnership in the morning session, the game is on,” left-arm spinner Rangana Herath told reporters.

“We need to play our brand of cricket and I’m sure Angie and Chandimal will do that.”

The visitors, who batted for 117 overs in their first innings, had been given 160 overs to score the 405 needed for an improbable victory after New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum had made a surprise declaration at 267-3 just before lunch.

Sri Lanka, just like their first innings, did not seem

too pressed to take any unnecessary risks as they set about their run chase with openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis taking 23 overs to reach 50.

Karunaratne (29) was the first batsman to fall when he tried to lift a short ball from Tim Southee over the slips to be caught by Watling, before Neil Wagner had Udara Jayasundera caught down the leg side by the wicketkeeper for three to leave them 69-2 at tea.

Mendis, who was dropped by Martin Guptill at second slip on 13 and by Watling on 25, was within sight of his first test half century on 46 when he nicked a Southee delivery to Watling,

who took his ninth catch of the Test.

Rain and hail then forced the players off.

The catch equalled the record for most dismissals in a test by a New Zealand wicketkeeper. Watling also made nine dismissals against India in 2014, while Brendon McCullum had nine against Pakistan in 2009.

McCullum, no doubt aware of possible disruptions with expected poor weather in Dunedin throughout yesterday, had surprisingly declared be-

fore lunch when he was on 17, having hit a six to take their lead past 400.

The six, the second of his short innings, also moved him into a tie with former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist with 100 career sixes, the most in Test cricket.

Opener Tom Latham was left on 109 not out having scored his first Test century in New Zealand.

His previous two Test centuries were scored in the United Arab Emirates last year against Pakistan.

SCOREBOARD NEW ZEALAND1st innings 431 (M. Guptill 156, K. Williamson 88, B. McCullum 75; N. Pradeep 4-112) Sri Lanka 1st innings 294 (D. Karunaratne 84, D. Chandimal 83) New Zealand 2nd innings (Overnight: 171-1) T. Latham not out 109 M. Guptill b Herath 46 K. Williamson b Chameera 71 R. Taylor b Herath 15 B. McCullum not out 17 Extras (b-3 lb-1 nb-5) 9 Total (for 3 wickets declared, 65.4 overs) 267 Fall of wickets: 1-79 M. Guptill,2-220 K. Williamson,3-247 R. Taylor Did not bat: M. Santner, B. Watling, D. Bracewell, N. Wagner, T. Southee, T. Boult Bowling: S. Lakmal 13 - 0 - 40 – 0, A. Mathews 4 - 1 - 4 – 0, D. Chameera 14 - 0 - 61 - 1(nb-3), N. Pradeep 13 - 1 - 52 - 0(nb-2), R. Herath 11.4 - 1 - 62 – 2, M. Siriwardana 8 - 0 - 32 – 0, U. Jayasundara 2 - 0 - 12 – 0.

SRI LANKA 2nd innings (Target: 405 runs) D. Karunaratne not out 4 K. Mendis not out 0 Extras 0 Total (for no loss, 1.1 overs) 4 Fall of wickets: To bat: K. Vithanage, D. Chandimal, A. Mathews, U. Jayasundara, M. Siriwardana, R. Herath, D. Chameera, N. Pradeep, S. Lakmal Bowling: T. Boult 1 - 0 - 3 – 0, T. Southee 0.1 - 0 - 1 – 0.

Arsenal on top as Spurs and Liverpool drop points

By Ian Chadband LONDON, (Reuters)-Silky Arsenal eased to a comfortable 2-0 win at Aston Villa to soar to the Premier League summit and leave their hapless opponents rooted to the bottom while Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool dropped points yesterday.

What manager Arsene Wenger described as a “great week” for Arsenal had the perfect conclusion when rivals Spurs stalled in pursuit, their long unbeaten run ending in a 2-1 defeat by Newcastle United with a last-gasp Ayoze Perez goal.

Liverpool’s challenge under Juergen Klopp also stuttered before they escaped with a 2-2 draw at home to West Bromwich Albion thanks to a deflected stoppage time Divock Origi effort and the players went to celebrate in front of the Anfield Kop. Arsenal celebrated a 50th Premier League goal for Olivier Giroud -- a penalty converted four days after his

Champions League hat-trick against Olympiakos Piraeus -- which swiftly brought more gloom to Villa Park after eight minutes.

Mesut Ozil then produced his 13th assist of the season to allow Aaron Ramsey to slot home in the 38th minute and enable Arsenal to move on to 33 points, one point clear of Manchester City and Leicester City and four ahead of Manchester United.

Leicester have the chance to regain the leadership when they entertain Chelsea on Monday.

“Overall for us, it was a great week,” Wenger said on Sky Sports, referring to his side’s heroics when they managed, against the odds, to qualify for the knockout phase of the Champions League for the 16th straight season.

The defeat left Villa stranded at the foot of the table on six points from 16 games, six adrift of 19thplaced Sunderland.

CLEAN SHEET Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech equalled David James’s all-time Premier League record with his 169th clean sheet, in 349 games, prompting Wenger to hail him as “an absolute all-time great”.

Giroud’s splendid week quickly gained a new sheen when Arsenal were awarded a penalty, which referee Kevin Friend took a while to consider before adjudging that Theo Walcott had been bundled over unfairly in the area by Alan Hutton.

From the spot, Giroud converted his 14th goal of the season and 50th Premier League goal in all for Arsenal in 113 appearances, a landmark reached quicker for the Gunners only by Ian Wright and Thierry Henry.

Arsenal, in effortless command, struck again thanks to the industry of Ramsey, who won the ball not far outside his own box from Idrissa Gueye to set up a dazzling counter, then sprinted upfield to get on the end of Ozil’s unselfish

square pass and double the lead.

“We believe we have an opportunity to win the

Olivier Giroud celebrates after scoring the first goal for Arsenal from the penalty spot.

(Reuters / Darren Staples) title,” man of the match Ramsey told Sky Sports.

“We have to maintain our focus and belief.”

NEWCASTLE REVIVAL Spurs, unbeaten for 14 league games since their opening day defeat at Manchester United, were stunned to become victims of Newcastle’s mini-revival under Steve McClaren at White Hart Lane.

The defeat means the Londoners stay fifth on 26 points, missing the chance to move into the top four ahead of Manchester United who suffered a shock 2-1 loss at Bournemouth on Saturday.

Tottenham midfielder Eric Dier met Christian Eriksen’s corner with a 39th minute glancing header, which was just reward for their early superiority, but Newcastle, fresh from beating Liverpool last week, were inspired by a double substitution.

First, Spurs failed to deal with a free kick enabling Aleksandar Mitrovic to bundle home a scruffy 74th minute goal, practically the Serb’s first touch of the match.

Then the other substi-

tute Perez’s 93rd minute volley, that goalkeeper Hugo Lloris let squirm through his grasp, earned Newcastle their first backto-back wins in the league for a year, taking them out of the relegation zone into 15th place, one above champions Chelsea.

Klopp let his players take a bow hand-in-hand in front of the Kop after snatching a very late draw at home to Albion.

“It was the perfect finish to this game,” he enthused, after a speculative, deflected shot from Belgian Origi in the 96th minute sent the Kop into raptures.

“This could prove to be a very special moment for us in the season to strike back against such a team.”

Jordan Henderson had put Liverpool ahead, only for a Simon Mignolet mistake to gift an equaliser to Albion’s Craig Dawson on the half-hour before Jonas Olsson, who earlier had a goal disallowed, put Albion in front after 73 minutes.

25

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday December 14, 2015

Warriors record streak ends with loss to Bucks (REUTERS)-Golden State’s record 24-game winning streak to start the season came to an end on Saturday in a 108-95 loss to the Bucks in Milwaukee, with interim coach Luke Walton saying the Warriors “ran of gas.”

A night after scraping past Boston in double overtime, the weary National Basketball Association champions succumbed in Milwaukee on the final stop of a seven-game road trip.

Golden State’s winning streak, the longest to start a season in NBA history, is the third longest in a single season behind the Los Angeles Lakers, who won 33 in a row in 1971-72, while the Miami

Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams (5) reacts in front of Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) after a Bucks basket late in the fourth quarter.

Heat won 27 straight in 2013.

The Bucks also stopped the Lakers’ winning steak in 1972.

Stretching back to the end of last season, Golden State won 28 consecutive regular season games.

The normally sharp-shooting Warriors struggled offensively, shooting barely 40 percent from the floor, with guards Stephen Curry (10-for-21 for 28 points) and Klay Thompson (four-for-14 for 12 points) struggling to find their range.

“We didn’t have it tonight,” Walton told reporters. “That’s why it’s so hard to do what these guys have done so far. Tonight it caught up to us.

“To me, they (the Bucks)

Former England keeper Banks being treated for cancer again LONDON, (Reuters)-Gordon Banks, one of football’s all-time great goalkeepers, has announced that he is being treated for kidney cancer for a second time at the age of 77.

Banks, England’s goalkeeper in their 1966 World Cup-winning campaign, told the Sunday Mirror newspaper that he was having chemotherapy treatment in the hope of avoiding a transplant, a decade since he lost one kidney to cancer.

“I am one of many in the country who have it,” Banks told the newspa-

GORDON BANKS

per. “I have to battle on.”

The former Stoke City goalkeeper is famed for making what is still hailed by many as football’s greatest save, when he clawed away Pele’s goalbound header with impressive agility in the 1970 World Cup match between England and Brazil.

“People still talk about the save and I often think about it,” Banks said. “If I could make a save like the one against Pele, while playing against the greatest in the world, then I will be able to battle through this health problem.”

Atletico draw level with leaders Barca, Real lose MADRID, (Reuters)-Atletico Madrid turned up the heat on champions Barcelona when they fought back to secure a 2-1 win at home to Athletic Bilbao in La Liga yesterday as Real Madrid slipped off the pace with a 1-0 loss at Villarreal.

Atletico’s battling victory put them level at the top on 35 points with Barca, who surrendered a 2-0 advantage and were held 2-2 at home by Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday, their second consecutive draw after last weekend’s 1-1 stalemate at Valencia.

Barca are ahead on goal difference, while Real are five points adrift in third after Roberto Soldado scored against his former club to give Villarreal, who are a point off fourth spot with 27, the spoils at the Madrigal.

Real fielded their famous attacking trident of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema but could not make a host of chances count and the defeat heaps more pressure on under-fire coach Rafa Benitez.

Bilbao took a 27th-minute lead at a typically boisterous Calderon stadium when defender Aymeric Laporte netted at a corner before Atletico midfielder Saul Niguez levelled with a header from a corner at the other end on the stroke

of halftime.

A closely-fought encounter appeared destined for a draw until the ball broke kindly for Antoine Griezmann in the 67th minute and the France forward curled a superb shot into the corner of the net from just outside the penalty area.

SOLDADO STRIKES At Villarreal, midfielder Jonathan Dos Santos had already hit a post before Soldado, a graduate of Real’s youth academy, struck to put the home side ahead in the eighth minute.

Real laid siege to the Villarreal goal in the second half but despite a string of efforts they only managed one on target and slipped to a third league defeat of the season.

They were a shadow of the side that demolished Malmo 8-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday, with Ronaldo and Benzema particularly wayward.

“We were not switched on at the start,” Real centre back Pepe told Spanish television.

“We are still in the fight but it’s true that we have to start games differently and better,” added the Portugal international.

Former England defender Gary

Neville is still without a win in two games since taking over as Valencia coach after his new club had a man sent off and needed an Eibar own goal to rescue a 1-1 draw at the modest Basque side.

Valencia, Eibar and Bilbao each have 21 points in eighth, ninth and 10th respectively.

DISAPPOINTING PERFORMANCE Neville was a surprise appointment to replace Nuno Espirito Santo and his first game in charge was Wednesday’s 2-0 reverse at home to Olympique Lyonnais that ended Valencia’s hopes of advancing to the Champions League knockout round.

He presided over another disappointing performance from the ambitious Singapore-owned club at Eibar, though they are missing key players, including captain Dani Parejo and midfielder Sofiane Feghouli, through injury and suspension.

Eibar had the better chances in the first half and took a deserved lead moments before the break when Sergi Enrich finished from close range after good work down the right from Ander Capa.

looked like they wanted it a little more tonight. We looked like we ran out of gas.

“Even if you’re 24-and-1, losing still sucks.”

Walton, filling in for head coach Steve Kerr, who is recovering from back surgery, said his players should be proud of their accomplishment.

“There’s no reason for anyone to hang their heads in that locker room for losing that game. They’ve been incredible all year, and the losses are going to come.

“It’s important for us to realise that hey, that was

great .. but we’re a quarter of the way through the regular season,” he added.

“What we’re trying to do is be an NBA championship team, and that requires a lot of work and getting back to the fundamentals and the basics. That’s what we’ll be doing after giving them a day off tomorrow.

Milwaukee, who also played on Friday in Toronto before flying home, improved to 10-15 with the win.

Greg Monroe was the team’s top scorer with 28 points.

2016 World Twenty20 fixtures THE World Twenty20 will be held in India from March 8 to April 3. The fixtures were announced yesterday.

First round (group winners to progress to second round) Group A – Bangladesh, Netherlands, Ireland and Oman Group B – Zimbabwe, Scotland, Hong Kong and Afghanistan Second round groups Super 10 Group 1 – Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies, England and winner group B Super 10 Group 2 – India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and winner group A Tournament schedule: First round: March 8 – Zimbabwe v Hong Kong, Nagpur; Scotland v Afghanistan, Nagpur March 9 – Bangladesh v Netherlands, Dharamsala; Ireland v Oman, Dharamsala March 10 – Scotland v Zimbabwe, Nagpur; Hong Kong v Afghanistan, Nagpur March 11 – Netherlands v Oman, Dharamsala; Bangladesh v Ireland, Dharamsala March 12 – Zimbabwe v Afghanistan, Nagpur; Scotland v Hong Kong, Nagpur Q1A March 13 – Netherlands v Ireland, Dharamsala; Bangladesh v Oman, Dharamsala Q1B Super 10: March 15 – New Zealand v India, Nagpur March 16 – West Indies v England, Mumbai; Pakistan v Q1A, Kolkata March 17 – Sri Lanka v Q1B, Kolkata March 18 – Australia v New Zealand, Dharamsala; South Africa v England, Mumbai March 19 – India v Pakistan, Dharamsala March 20 – South Africa v Q1B, Mumbai; Sri Lanka v West Indies, Bengaluru March 21 – Australia v Q1A, Bengaluru March 22 – New Zealand v Pakistan, Mohali March 23 – England v Q1B, New Delhi; India v Q1A, Bengaluru March 25 – Pakistan v Australia, Mohali; South Africa v West Indies, Nagpur March 26 – Q1A v New Zealand, Kolkata; England v Sri Lanka, New Delhi March 27 – India v Australia, Mohali; Q1B v West Indies Nagpur March 28 – South Africa v Sri Lanka, New Delhi March 30 – Semi-final (Super 10 Group 1 2nd v Super 10 Group 2 1st), New Delhi March 31 – Semi-final (Super 10 Group 1 1st v Super 10 Group 2 2nd), Mumbai April 3 – Final, Kolkata

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday December 14, 2015

Latchana closes off GSSF’s 2015 season on winning note

RAJIV Latchana closed off the 2015 season of the Guyana Sport Shooting Federation (GSSF) on a winning note recently, when the federation staged its final competition for the year that was sponsored by P&P Insurance Brokers and

was the common ground for all the shooters and veteran “TopGun” Harold (Hondo) Hopkinson traded places with Vidushi “Trinity” Persaud, David Dharry and Pravesh Harry. Newbie Roberto Tewari was the only shooter of the day to shoot

Practical Shooting Confederation and for the Production Division, prizes were presented

by Vidushi Persaud, President of the GSSF. Meanwhile, the GSSF’s Practical Pistol Section brought the curtains down for the 2015 season on December

In photo, prize- winners of GSSF’s Practical Pistol match pose with P&P Insurance Brokers plaques alongside IPSC RD, Harold Hopkinson.

Consultants Limited.

According to a release, competing in the In the Production Division, Latchana used his experience gained from participating overseas in the recent IPSC Level III Suriname Open 2015 to put up some good runs, challenging division favourite Ryan McKinnon, who finished despite having an injured trigger finger.

New-comer Surujbali Persaud shot a steady match to gain the third prize.

For the Limited Division it was a battle of experience and speed, Since accuracy

a “possible” or clean one of the bigger stages in the match.

In the end, Stats Officer Dr Pravesh Harry declared Hassan the winner ahead of Dharry and Persaud, respectively In the Production Division, Ryan McKinnon was first, Latchana second and Surujabli Persaud third.

P&P Insurance Brokers & Consultants branded Match Plaques for the overall winners in the Limited Division were presented by Harold Hopkinson, Guyana’s Regional Director for the International

5, when it hosted the Practical Pistol Match at the GDF Timehri Range.

The event saw local practical shooters testing their skills in four dynamic stages set up by the GSSF Match Committee competing for prizes in two divisions. The Production Division shooters used out-of-the- factory firearms, which were limited to a magazine capacity of 10 rounds only, while the Limited or Standard Division shooters where allowed some additions.

Match Director for the event, Ryan McKinnon, in his opening remarks welcomed

(REUTERS)-West Indies captain Jason Holder’s week went from bad to worse yesterday when he was fined 60 percent of his match fee for a slow over rate during the first test loss to Australia and could

face a ban if the tourists reoffend.

Australia won the Hobart Test by a thumping innings and 212 runs inside three days on Saturday, going 1-0 up in a three-match series that continues with matches

in Melbourne and Sydney. “(Match referee) Chris

the shooters and encouraged all to follow the strict safety rules set out by the discipline and introduced the range-safety officers who would be monitoring the action. McKinnon also noted the attendance of sanctioned and established practical shooters of IPSC Guyana, along with the Regional Director Hopkinson.

Vikash Panday representing the sponsor company, P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Ltd., was on hand to see some competitors in action and shared positive comments on the match and the ability of the shooters.

The Board of Directors wishes to commend the Match Director, Range Master, Stats Officer, Range Officers and the shooters for ensuring an efficient event.

Special thanks were also expressed to Brigadier of the Guyana Defence Force Mark Phillips, Commissioner of Police Seelal Persaud, Asst. Commissioner David Ramnarine, Commander of ‘A’Division, ACP Hickens, ranks of the Tactical Services Unit and the Guyana Police Force, Tulsi Ramnarine, the media and GSSF members for their support in promoting sport shooting amongst all Guyanese.

Sincere thanks were extended to Bishwa Panday Chief Executive Officer of P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Limited.

Holder, Windies cop fines for slow over rate CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Monday December 14, 2015) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Jason Holder & Steve Smith (2) 58 & 0 (Brisbane, 1992/93)

Today’s Quiz:

(1) Where and when was the first tied Test played?

(2) Who are the Guyanese players in the current Test squad to Australia?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

West Indies skipper Jason Holder fined 60 per cent of his match fee.

Broad imposed the fine after Jason Holder’s side was ruled to be three overs short of its target when time allowances were taken

into consideration,” read an International Cricket Council statement released yesterday.

Each West Indies player was fined 10 percent of their match fee for each over they were short, while Holder, as captain, forfeited double the amount.

If the West Indies are found guilty of falling behind in their over rate again in Melbourne or Sydney, Holder would be forced to sit out a Test match.

The 24-year-old missed the second one-day international against Sri Lanka last month after West Indies were fined for a slow over rate in the opener, 10 months after a similar offence against South Africa.

Each format of the game is considered separately under the rule.

Under-21 team ramping up preparations for Pan Am Junior hockey championships

By Stephan Sookram WITH just over three months remaining before the National Under- 21 women’s hockey team wing out to Trinidad and Tobago to participate in the Pan American Junior Championships, the unit is taking its preparation to another level.

Chronicle Sport sought a comment from one of the coaches, Shane Samuels, who said preprations are moving along smoothly with the unit as the date for their championships draws closer.

He noted that, “We actually want to try to get them up there five days in advance to get the players acclimatised and to get them ready for the pitch they are going to be using (Astro turf), because we don’t have one.”

The trip which will cost $8M inclusive of airline tickets and accommodation, will cover the 21-member team to the twin-island republic.

Meanwhile, he noted that there are several fund-raising initiatives aimed at generating proceeds for the the event billed for the end of march.

In an invited comment, GHB president Phillip Fernandes explained that the team is now on the front burner for the sport.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for us. This might be the first time that Guyana may be sending a junior women’s team to the Pan Am (Pan American Championships) and it is good because it will further develop the women’s game, because the juniors will one day become seniors.”

He contended, “This crop is likely to be the one that is to sustain the senior women’s programme, which has been successful in recent times.”

He noted that the championships are being held in Trinidad and Tobago, one of the more cost-effective destinations to travel to and from and as such, the board believes that it would be rewarding to attend the event.

This event is a qualifier for the Junior hockey World Cup. Even though this tournament is usually dominated by the larger hockey- playing nations such as Argentina, Chile, the U.S. and Canada, we are very confident that the young talent Guyana has to offer will create some upsets in the tournament.

Apart from the four countries listed above, this tournament will see the likes of Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda, Venezuela, Mexico and Uruguay.

The 30-member squad is currently training four days a week in preparation for the tournament.

The girls are as follows: Nicole Eastman, Rebecca Xavier, Latacia Chung, Owinter Henry, Bushani Kaladeen, Romichelle Brummell, Aliyah Abel, Dacia Woodroffe, Shonnett Freeman, Caroline Deane, Sarafina Phillips, Aliyah Gordon, Nicolette LaRose, Anesa Permaul, Michelle Mohabir, Minosodia Culpepper, Macaela Harding, Makeda Harding, Kellyann Latchman, Maryann Murray, Candacy Glen, Aleah Cummings, Judy Looknauth, Chavin Medas, Annalisa Singh, Tiffany Higgins, Veronique Sampson, Atteya Ally, Dominique Woodroffe and overseas based Guyanese Marzana Fiedtkou.

Even though the team will be new to the international stage, a few of the ladies already have experience on the international hockey scene.

Marzana plays hockey for her college team, Aliyah Gordon made the last senior national women’s team that faced Argentina, and quite a few girls have been to T&T to play club hockey.

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday December 14, 2015

Guyana Jaguars scenting fifth outright victory

TAGENARINE CHANDERPAUL JAMAICA Scorpions were fighting an uphill battle in order to prevent defending champions Guyana Jaguars from romping to their fifth consecutive outright victory in as many games in the 2015 West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) regional four-day tournament.

Set the formidable task of scoring 326 for victory, after the Jaguars were dismissed for 282 in their second innings, the Scorpions were 82 for three, needing a further 244 with seven

wickets in hand for a comefrom-behind victory entering today’s final day at Sabina Park, Jamaica. The not out batsmen are Devon Thomas (20) and Tamar Lambert (0).

Scores to date: Guyana Jaguars 189 and 282; Jamaica Scorpions 146 and 82 for three.

Off-spinner Stephen Jacobs with two for 13 from 10 overs and fast bowler Keon Joseph, playing in his first game of the season, with one for 24 have been the successful bowlers so far in the Scor-

pions second innings.

Jacobs trapped opener John Campbell (26) lbw, sent back Andre McCarthy via a catch by wicket-keeper Anthony Bramble who was also involved in the stumping of skipper Paul Palmer jr. (13), off the persistent Jacobs.

Earlier, the Guyana second innings was anchored by left-handed opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul who carried his overnight 36 to 81 before he was the sixth player dismissed, caught

by Damion Jacobs off left-

arm fast-medium bowler Sheldon Cotterel. Chanderpaul’s knock, which spanned 310 minutes, included four fours and three sixes.

Wicket-keeper Bramble chipped in with a useful 35, smashing three sixes in the process while Raymon Reifer, who was 12 overnight, contributed 24.

Leg-spinner Damion Jacobs ended with four for 78 from 30 overs, Nikita Miller two for 48 from 24 and Marquino Mindley two for 59.

Barbados Pride complete comprehensive 10-wicket win

ASHLEY NURSE

Canada-based Guyanese donates to YWCC

Here, Punwasi (right) hands over part of the uniforms to Daesrath. (Frederick Halley).

TORONTO, Canada – Canada-based Guyanese Pramchand Punwasi, who recently made a financial donation to the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club in support of the club’s activities, has also contributed to another club in the Ancient County.

At a recent presentation ceremony prior to his departure for Guyana a few days ago, Punwasi handed over a set of uniforms to former Guyana captain and Young Warriors Cricket Club (YWCC) all-rounder Damodar

Daesrath, who also resides in Toronto.

According to Punwasi, who is also the proprietor of Jusmatt Liquidation and Surplus, he’s quite pleased and excited to donate the uniforms to the Young Warriors Cricket Club.

Speaking on behalf of YWCC, of which he’s still a member, Daesrath expressed sincere thanks to Punwsai for his kind gesture.

Prior to migrating to Canada, Daesrath had represented Guy-

ana at both the senior and junior levels. He also donned colours for the Canadian national team and is currently playing for Malton Cricket Club in the annual Toronto and District Cricket Association Elite limited-over tournament.

Punwasi, himself a former club cricketer, is also a member of the Hawaiian Arctic Cricket Club (HACC), which has been dominating the Scarborough Cricketing Association (SCA) Premier League for the past six years.

Ottley (99 not out) ensures first innings lead for T&T Red Force MIDDLE-order batsman Yannick Ottley was left stranded on an unbeaten 99 but his brilliant effort ensured Trinidad & Tobago Red Force snatched first innings points from the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Beausejour Cricket Ground, Gros-Islet, St. Lucia yesterday.

Ottley featured in two important face-saving partnerships as T&T Red Force were dismissed for 382 just before the close of play in reply to the Volcanoes 306 all out, taking an important first innings lead of 76.

The Volcanoes openers were left to negotiate three overs before the close of play and they did so

successfully to be two without loss, 74 runs in arrears with all their second innings wickets intact.

Ottley, who struck 12 fours, shared a sixth wicket stand of 76 with Stephen Katwaroo (25) after T&T Red Force were shakily placed at 182 for five, losing the wickets of the overnight pair of Narsingh Deonarine who added two to his overnight 58 and Yannick Cariah who carried his overnight 58 to 70.

The battle for first innings lead was still in the balance as T&T Red Force slumped to 279 for eight. However, Ottley found a useful ally in fast bowler Marlon Richards as the two added a vital

86 for the ninth wicket with Richards hitting his second half-century of the season, following up on the one he scored against Guyana Jaguars.

Richards’ 60 included five towering sixes and a four.

Ottley was in sight of a well-deserved century but last man U. Muhhamed (one) was trapped LBW to off-spinner Liam Sebastien, leaving the middle-order batsman high and dry on 99.

Fast bowler Kevin McLean finished with four for 66 from 17 overs, Shane Shillingford three for 109 from 42 and Kenroy Peters two for 44 from 24.

Yannick Ottley was left high and dry on 99 not tout.

BARBADOS Pride completed a comprehensive 10-wicket victory over the hapless Leeward Islands Hurricanes at the Kensington Oval yesterday, the third day of the scheduled four-day regional encounter.

Set one run for victory, Barbados duly knocked off the winning run, earning 19 points in the process.

The day started with the Barbados Pride, as expected, asking the visitors to bat again after they were dismissed for 170 in the first innings and conceded a lead of 198 in reply to the homesters first innings score of 368.

The Hurricanes started their second innings disastrously, losing openers Chesney Hughes (0) and Shane Jeffers (one) with just six runs on the board, both to fast bowler Tino Best.

They were further undone by the spin of Sulieman Benn and Ashley Nurse who claimed four for 50 and three for 67 respectively, the latter ending with impressive match figures of eight for 132. Best took two for 17 from six overs.

Middle-order batsman Orlando Peters hit a top score of 59, counting 10 fours in the process while Jacques Taylor, batting at number eight struck four fours and two sixes in his 52. Fast bowler Gavin Tonge also enjoyed himself towards the end, clouting six sixes in his 39 before becoming one of Benn’s victims.

Roston Chase was named man-of-thematch for his brilliant unbeaten 136 in Barbados’s first innings.

Barbados Pride, who started the fifth round in third position behind leaders Guyana Jaguars (70) and Jamaica Scorpions (50), have advanced to 63 points with the win.

Guyana Jaguars scenting fifth outright victory See story on page 27

Sparta Boss clinches Guinness In Da Street title See story on page 23

Travis Grant goes airborne during a challenge from a Back Circle player in their third- place showdown of the Georgetown leg Guinness Greatest In Da Street.

‘Stopping cricket not the answer’

- Imran

Imran Khan - “People to people contact is necessary to build ties.

Sachin [Tendulkar] is loved in Pakistan as a Wasim [Akram] is loved in India” (AFP photo)

WITH India-Pakistan cricketing ties currently in limbo, former Pakistan captain Imran Khan has asserted that stopping cricket is not the answer to combating terrorism.

Imran, who is currently in India attending Agenda AajTak 2015, a news conclave, said he had raised the issue with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, and was hoping for a positive response.

“Stopping cricket is not an answer to terrorism. You don’t boycott a society on the basis of few sick men,” Imran said. “I supported the ban on See page 23

Sparta Boss’s Devon Millington is elated as he receives the Georgetown title of the Guinness Greatest In Da Street from Guinness Brand Manager Lee Baptiste, while the team shares the moment.

(Cullen-Bess Nelson Photos)

New GFF executive committee endorses FIFA Goal Project THE Executive Committee of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) met recently and unanimously approved the “go-ahead” for commencement of work on Guyana’s FIFA Goal Project.

Under the Normalisation Committee, the GFF and the Eccles/Ramsburg Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) signed an agreement that saw the local governing body for the sport of football get a 30-year lease for the 8.5 acres Providence Community Centre ground.

President of the GFF, Wayne Forde, highlighted the need for the GFF to have a home and one which will aid in the development of the game.

The project will now be sent out for International

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9

Tender by FIFA and once the World body identifies a supplier of the artificial turf, work is expected to begin and a timeline of five months of completion has been set from commencement.

This is Guyana’s second attempt at a Goal Project which is funded by FIFA under their development initiatives.

Guyana in 2007 under former president Colin Klass began work at Orangestein, on the East Bank of Essequibo, for what was supposed to be the location for Guyana’s first Goal Project.

When Klass found himself in “hot water” for the “cash for votes” scandal, Franklin Wilson, his vice-president at the time (2013), had assumed the post of president (ag) and travelled to Zurich where

negotiations with FIFA’s Development Committee brokered US$500 000 to be allocated to Guyana to help get the ‘Goal Project’ off the ground.

Football in Guyana was in its worst state and for the first time in decades, elections were held and Christopher Matthias was elected president.

Matthias, upon taking office, abandoned the plot of land, already owned by the GFF at Orangestein, stating that the site was too remote and sought further negotiations with the Ministry of Sport for land behind the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora.

Things again didn’t materialise, since the government had offered only a little over three acres of land which FIFA said was a

GFF PRESIDENT WAYNE FORDE ‘no-no’.

Guyana was actually earmarked by FIFA to pioneer its ‘Goal Project’ with then FIFA President Sepp Blatter making his maiden voyage in 1999 for the turning of the sod at the University of Guyana, but that also fell through after negotiations with the Guyana Government.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015