Guyana chronicle 10 02 15

GUYANA

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

No. 104096 TUESDAY FEBRUARY 10, 2015 GUYANA’S MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED NEWSPAPER

PRICE: $80

Private sector welcomes 10% drop in power rates

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Rohee convinced beyond the shadow of doubt…

Burnham-led Gov’t killed Dr. Walter Rodney

Dr Walter Rodney

– consumers to have more disposable income

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SURVEY FINDS...

GPL commissions US$26M power station – President Ramotar cautions stealers of electricity

INCLUDING VAT

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– says they undermine their own and country’s development

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Commuters not happy with service provided by minibus operators Page

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Efforts being made to restart work on Amaila Project Page

President Donald Ramotar, with Guyana Power and Light Company Chief Executive Officer Bharat Dindyal and Transport Minister Robeson Benn, third and second right, and others during a tour of the newly commissioned Vreed-en-Hoop Power Station

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Businessman calls on colleagues to support police efforts 11 Page

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 10, 2015

GPL commissions US$26M power station

– President Ramotar cautions stealers of electricity – says they undermine their own and country’s development

By Tajeram Mohabir THE Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) yesterday commissioned a US$26 million 26 megawatt power plant at Vreeden-Hoop, allowing West Demerara to be self-sufficient in generating capacity during times of maintenance when the transmission link with East Demerara has to be isolated.

The achievement of commercial operation of the 26 megawatt Wartsila-built power plant marked another major milestone in a partnership with Wartsila, which spans more than two decades.

During this period, Guyanese have witnessed the installation of 110 megawatts of generating capacity in Region 2 (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Region 3 (Essequibo Island-West Demerara) and Region 4 (Demerara-Mahaica).

GPL Chief Executive Officer, Bharat Dindyal said

since 2006 the utility has set a new record every year for power production, with a total increase of 34.2 percent over this period, moving from just over 595,000 Megawatt-hours (MWH) to almost 718,000 MWH last year.

The continued investment in new generating capacity, he said, serves to meet the ever-growing demand for power, while allowing GPL to remove old and unreliable capacity from service.

With the inter-connected system, electricity can be supplied at a more rapid speed if supply goes down in Berbice. Before, supplying electricity in a situation like this took about four to five hours, now it takes about 10 minutes.

President Donald Ramotar described the commissioning as a “happy moment”, noting that it was part of a series of initiatives to improve access and supply of electricity.

President Donald Ramotar interacts with students at the commissioning of the Vreed-en-Hoop Power Station

Recently, power stations have been commissioned at Leguan and Wakenaam, Region 3, allowing these two areas to enjoy a 24-hour supply of electricity for the first time.

This, he said, is a tremendous achievement by GPL, which is no stranger to harsh criticisms and has had its fair share of challenges to overcome.

Putting his statement into context, the President said if his memory serves him right, from 1964 to 1992, hardly a kilowatt of electricity was

added to the system.

However, he noted that over the past two decades, more than 100,000 customers have been added to the national grid, with over 50,000 in the past 10 years.

“This is a great achievement by any standard,” he said, pointing out that investments in energy and electricity have always been Government’s foremost priority.

The latter, he said, was evident when former President, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, came into power, as the first public utility he visited was the

Guyana Electricity Corporation.

“We cannot speak about social and economic development without looking after the energy sector. It is vital and indispensible in a modern society. Government is working with GPL to modernise and address issues in a number of areas, working to expand the generating fleet to ensure we have sufficient power to supply all those attached to the grid, to have an inter-connected grid that will allow power to be transmitted throughout the entire system

to deal with the high level of technical losses.”

On this note, he said greater attention needs to be paid to education, contending that little do stealers of electricity know that apart from undermining the development of the country, they are undermining their own development.

He said too that while significant strides have been made to connect more people to the national grid, there are still a few villages which are yet to be connected, but they will be in due time.

This aside, he said the Government is looking to provide a steady supply of energy to the hinterland regions, using wind and solar technology.

In the next five year, the President said he would want to see significant development in solar energy, noting that his Administration is also willing to partner with others to build wind farms along the Atlantic coastline.

The latest project follows the recent completion of Infrastructure Development Programme (IDP) which provides for new transmission lines all the way to Berbice, Turn to page 3 ►

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Private sector welcomes 10% drop in power rates – consumers to have more disposable income

By Tajeram Mohabir THE fall in prices for fuel on the international market has not only resulted in a reduction of prices for gasoline and diesel locally, but a 10 percent drop in electricity tariff across the board.

President Donald Ramotar made the announcement yesterday at the commissioning of the Vreed-enHoop, 26-megawatt power plant in Region 3, (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), the largest power station in the country.

More details on the reduction which will take effect from March will be made known today at a press briefing hosted by the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL).

On January 20, fuel prices at GuyOil outlets dropped

to $695 per gallon for gasoline compared to $995 previously, a 30 percent reduction.

The price for diesel was also reduced to $694 per gallon from $985, also a 30 percent reduction.

In addition, the price for kerosene was reduced by 42 percent, dropping from $850 per gallon to $496 per gallon.

Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh in a Government Information Agency (GINA) report said the prices are the lowest locally since May 2009, a period of almost six years.

The excise tax has been increased to 50 percent, diesel to 45 percent and zero percent for kerosene.

The tax rate is adjusted in an inverse relation to the movement of world market crude oil prices, and rates are adjusted downwards when international prices increase

and upwards when the aforementioned prices decrease.

CUSHIONING PRICES This has been used to cushion prices to local consumers from international market volatility, he added.

“For example, during the period from December 2008 to March 2012, the world market price increased by 184 percent and the price for a gallon of gasoline in Guyana only increased by 77 percent. This was achieved by Government lowering the tax rate during that period from 50 percent to 15 percent. Conversely, as prices started to subside on the world market, the tax rate was adjusted back up. This has been done automatically and without any contention, for the past several years,” GINA reported the Minister as saying.

Prices are determined by the Cost, Insurance, Freight (CIF) on landing in Guyana, the world market prices for refined fuel products and world market prices for crude oil, Dr. Singh explained.

Excise taxes in landed fuel and profit margins charged by local oil companies and retailers also influence prices, the Minister added.

President Donald Ramotar said the reduction in electricity will come from a fuel rebate, which according to its license, operate on a quarterly basis.

“The reduction in electricity prices will put more disposable income into the pockets of our people,” the President said.

VERY RELIEVED Meanwhile, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services

Association (GMSA) said it is very relieved that the Government has taken the bold step to reduce electricity rates by 10 percent across the board.

President Ramotar’s announcement will certainly be welcomed by Guyana’s manufacturers, service providers, commercial entrepreneurs, exporters and every other category of business owner, the GMSA said in a statement.

This announcement, the GMSA hopes, is the first step towards significantly alleviating the high overhead costs for production and distribution of ‘Made in Guyana’ products.

“Electrical energy is without doubt the most significant input into most, if not all, production processes. Guyana’s large and small scale producers and exporters have long indicated that the prices for their products have made them (products) uncompet-

itive in the export market, a situation which has been attributed to high energy charges. Inevitably this situation led to some contraction in the manufacturing sector,” the body representing manufacturers said.

The GMSA is anticipating that the imminent reduction in electricity charges would spur industrial growth across all sectors, encourage diversification and birth new enterprises.

“We have been watching closely the world’s responses to the dramatic fall in global fuel prices and we did anticipate that our manufacturers and the business community at large would begin to benefit sooner rather than later. In the same context, we anticipate that the costs for raw materials, transportation and related factors of production would simultaneously decrease,” the release concluded.

SURVEY FINDS...

Commuters not happy with service provided by minibus operators – rate Route 43 as having the best service

MPW’s Chief Transport Planning Officer, Mr. Patrick Thompson

A SURVEY of how commuters rate public transportation has revealed that only 41 percent of those polled are satisfied with the quality of service that is being provided.

The study; loosely titled ‘A 2014 Public Bus Commuter Satisfaction Survey’ and conducted by the Ministry of Public Works (MPW), measured accessibility, timeliness, comfort, information and safety of eight major bus routes. They are Routes 31, 32, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 and

45, with Route 43 (Georgetown/Linden) being rated the highest, in terms of service delivery, at 68 percent.

According to an MPW release, Route 31 (Georgetown/Wales) received a 55 percent rating; Route 32 (Georgetown/Parika) 41 percent; Route 42 (Georgetown/ Timehri) 39 percent; Route 44 (Georgetown/Mahaica) 32 percent; Route 41 (Stabroek/ South Ruimveldt) 31 percent; Route 45 (Stabroek/Main, Lamaha/Alberttown) 31 percent; and Route 40 (Stabroek-Kitty/Campbellville) 29 percent.

It quotes MPW’s Chief Transport Planning Officer, Mr. Patrick Thompson as saying that the eight routes account for 67 percent of the total public bus fleet in Guyana, which amounts to 3,513 minibuses.

He reportedly made the disclosure last Thursday during his presentation, ‘An Imperative for Public Transportation Reform’ at the 5th Engineering Conference held at the Guyana International Conference Centre at Lil-

iendaal.

The Conference was held under the theme, “Defending Guyana’s Development With Engineering Solutions”.

TOP FIVE PET PEEVES The five most annoying scenarios passengers face on a daily basis, Thompson said, are: (i) The manner of soliciting passengers at bus parks; (ii) the type and loudness of music; (iii) buses being readily available during peak hours; (iv) adequate space (seating and leg room) and (v) ease of boarding.

He estimates that on average, 60 percent of Guyana’s productive labour force uses public transportation on a daily basis; he however finds that though they are widely available and fairly reliable, there are some limitations.

“The minibuses used [in Guyana] are not designed to public transport vehicle standards. With 15 seats, the vehicles are operating at the limits of their design capacity. Even minimal overloading is an unacceptable strain

on the suspension system,” Thompson said, adding that “at overloaded condition, the vehicles’ centre of gravity will be elevated and when operated at high speeds, tend to become unstable and susceptible to rolling over.”

Further, the age of the buses is a factor. According to Thompson, many of the vehicles plying the roadways are between 10 and 20 years old.

LARGER BUSES THE ANSWER? In his presentation, Thompson informed the audience that minibuses have a marginally lower initial cost; however, other than this aspect, all the arguments, economic and operational, favour the larger vehicles.

“From experience elsewhere, the operating costs per passenger, per kilometer of the 15-seater minibus may be about 20 to 30 per cent higher than equivalent to the cost to operate the larger (2630 seat) vehicle,” he posited.

Recommendations and

reformation for the transport system will be reviewed this year, Thompson added,

when a Sustainable Urban Transport Study for Georgetown commences.

GPL commissions US$26M...

From page 2

connecting the Demerara and Berbice systems, and the commissioning of seven new sub-stations.

GPL Chairman, Winston Brassington said while the company has been able to cut loss reduction, stealing of electricity remains a problem.

On this score, he appealed to culprits to stop the illegal practice. Prime Minister Samuel Hinds also praised the development, stressing that it is geared at improving the lives of Guyanese, which continues to be the prime focus of the Government.

For him, the new Vreeden-Hoop Power station is a fulfillment of another prom-

ise by Government to the people.

The Wartsila 20V32 generators at the new Vreed-enHoop plant are the largest of the Wartsila 32 Series machines and are the latest versions of the VAASA 18V32 that Guyana Electricity Corporation (GEC)/GPL has been using since 1993.

The operators, Wartsila Operations Guyana Inc., has experience operating and maintaining the 16 and 18 cylinder versions of these units at GPL’s 36MW Kingston 11 plant.

This facility allows GPL to meet the 110MW Demerara Berbice peak using reliable HFO fired generating equipment.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday February 10, 2015

Obama says still weighing decision on arming Ukraine forces (Reuters) - U.S. PRESIDENT Barack Obama made clear he was some way from a decision on whether to arm Ukraine in its conflict against Russian-backed rebels, saying on Monday he still hoped for a diplomatic solution.

“The measure by which I make these decisions is: ‘Is it more likely to be effective than not?’” Obama said at a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who opposes providing Ukraine with weapons to fight separatists in its east.

Russia had violated a September peace deal by sending more tanks and artillery into eastern Ukraine, Obama said, adding that he and Merkel had agreed sanctions must stay for now and Moscow’s isolation would worsen if it continued on its current course.

Merkel is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday with French President Francois Hollande, and European Union ministers held off tightening sanc-

tions on Monday to give the talks a chance.

Merkel and Obama have come under fire from U.S. foreign policy hawks in the Republican-controlled Congress who want weapons sent to the Ukraine army.

The U.S. Senate and House unanimously passed legislation in December that authorised sending arms for

Kiev. Obama signed the measure into law but it gave him leeway over whether or when to implement it.

Congressional aides said on Monday lawmakers were working on legislation that would commit Obama to providing arms.

“The Ukrainians are being slaughtered and we’re sending them blankets and

meals,” Sen. John McCain said at a security conference in Munich at the weekend.

“Blankets don’t do well against Russian tanks.”

Nine Ukrainian troops were killed in a 24-hour period over Sunday and seven civilians also died, Kiev said on Monday, with fighting particularly intense around the town of Debaltseve, a major

Greg and Roger kiss after getting married in a park outside the Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama February 9, 2015. (Credit: REUTERS/Marvin Gentry)

Same-sex couples marry in Alabama after U.S. Supreme Court refuses stay

President Obama meets with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the crisis in Ukraine at the White House, February 9, 2015. (Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque) rail and road junction northeast of the city of Donetsk.

But Merkel made clear in Munich her opposition to arming Kiev. “I understand the debate but I believe that more weapons will not lead to the progress Ukraine needs. I really doubt that,” she said.

A Russian speaker who grew up in East Germany, Merkel has taken the lead in pursuing a diplomatic solution, speaking with Putin by phone dozens of times over the past year and meeting him in Russia, Australia and Italy in recent months.

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(Reuters) - SAME-sex couples began marrying in Alabama on Monday despite an attempt by the conservative chief justice of the state’s Supreme Court to block judges from issuing marriage licenses to gay men and women in open defiance of a January federal court ruling.

Action by the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday helped clear the way for Alabama to become the 37th state to allow same-sex couples to marry. But gay rights advocates said numerous counties took steps to avoid granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

The high court refused a request by Alabama’s Republican attorney general to keep such marriages on hold until the justices decide whether laws banning them are constitutional.

In Birmingham, dozens of same-sex couples married at the courthouse and an adjacent park, where they were greeted by supporters supplying cupcakes alongside a handful of protesters bearing crosses and Bibles.

Wiping away tears, Eli Borges Wright, 28, said he was overjoyed to be marrying the man with whom he has been in a relationship for the past seven years. “After all of these years, I can finally say this is

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my husband,” he said.

Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore issued an order late on Sunday directing probate judges in his state not to provide marriage licenses to gay couples. Moore asserted that those judges were not bound by a federal ruling that last month struck down Alabama’s ban on same-sex marriages.

Moore’s order prompted some Alabama officials to delay issuing gay marriage licenses to same-sex couples, according to the Human Rights Campaign gay rights group.

Couples in at least 22 counties were denied or otherwise unable to get marriage licenses on Monday, with some counties refraining from issuing marriage licenses to any couples, gay or straight, the group said.

In Mobile, attorneys for same-sex couples filed a federal contempt motion against Probate Judge Don Davis over the county’s marriage license division being closed.

This was not Moore’s first foray into controversy. In 2003, he was removed from office after defying a federal order to take down a Ten Commandments monument he had erected in the state’s judicial building. He was returned to his post by voters in 2012.

U.S. District Court Judge Callie Granade, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, ruled in January that Alabama’s prohibition on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional but put her decision on hold until Monday.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday February 10, 2015

Griffith fingers 3 more ministers ( Tr i n i d a d G u a r d i a n ) PRIME MINISTER Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar may be blindsided by a new report filed by former national security minister Gary Griffith with the police, in which he names three of her Cabinet ministers in the chain of events that were set off by Police Complaints Authority director David West’s involvement in a civil matter between former attorney general Anand Ramlogan and Opposition Leader Dr. Keith Rowley.

The Sunday Guardian learned that Griffith filed the new report with the police investigating witness-tampering allegations against Ramlogan, arising out of the civil matter, on Friday. In it, he alleges Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal, Labour Minister Errol McLeod and Communications Minister Vasant Bharath were present during a meeting he attended at her office in St Clair on January 29, while she met with the rest of Cabinet in a

Former national security minister Gary Griffith nearby room.

Asked if she was aware of the latest development yesterday via a text message, Persad-Bissessar texted a simple “no.” But the Sunday Guardian learned yesterday that the new report describes the impromptu meeting between Griffith, Bharath, Moonilal and McLeod on January 29 and states that neither Moonilal nor McLeod made any contribution in the meeting, but would have witnessed the discussions between Bharath and Griffith.

The impromptu meeting is among four which occurred at the Office of the Prime Minister on the said day (January 29) while the rest of Cabinet met in another room, Griffith’s statement claims.

The report also contains copies of text messages between Griffith and Bharath in the days after it was revealed that the former was listed as a key witness in West’s statement alleging that Ramlogan used the PCA job as an inducement to him to withdraw his statement in support of

Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley, in a defamation lawsuit brought by Ramlogan against Rowley.

Griffith backed up West’s statement, alleging that Ramlogan had contacted him (Griffith) asking that he contact West to find out whether he had withdrawn that statement. Griffith has maintained, however, that he did not know the contents of the statement the former attorney general was referring to when he delivered the message to West at Ramlogan’s behest.

TEXT MESSAGE EVIDENCE One of the texts included in the report, allegedly from Bharath to Griffifth, asks Griffith to consider whether his “partners would believe that he did not know what statement the AG was referring to.” That text allegedly came after Griffith began to defend his stance on the matter in the media after public furore over the allegations against Ramlogan

by West.

Guatemala volcano: Fuego eruption showers towns in ash

Locals wore face masks to protect themselves CLOUDS of black ash belched into the sky, while showers of rock and dust fell on to surrounding towns.

The international airport in the capital Guatemala City was closed as a result of the explosion, President Otto Perez said.

It is expected to reopen later on Sunday, reports suggest.

The Fuego volcano

is about 40km (25 miles) south-west of the capital and stands 3,763 metres (12,346 feet) above sea level.

In September 2012 the authorities evacuated thousands of people from the area after Fuego started spewing large volumes of lava and ash.

Experts said at the time it was the biggest eruption from the mountain since 1999.

Dr Trevor Gardner, president of Northern Caribbean University (NCU), reaffirming his marriage to wife Patricia with a kiss during the Journey Toward Intimacy Couples Convention at the NCU Gymnatorium in Mandeville on Saturday.

Thousands attend Couples Convention to reaffirm marriage (Jamaica Gleaner) APPROXIMATELY 2,000 couples attended and renewed marital vows with their spouses last Saturday during a Couples Convention at the Northern Caribbean University Gymnatorium in Mandeville, Jamaica.

From as early as 8 a.m., couples young and old from across Jamaica were seen in long lines awaiting registration for the convention dubbed ‘Journey Toward Intimacy’, put on by the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (JAMU).

“What this has signified to us today is that even though the institution of marriage is under attack and challenges exist in marriages, couples want to know what to do to improve relationship with their spouses and reaffirm God’s intention for marriage,” explained Pastor Astor Bowers, Family Ministries Director of JAMU. “Couples have been asking when will we have an-

other conference and that we should have one in Kingston and Montego Bay. This is saying that the presentations were excellent and couples want to learn more.”

In concurring with Bowers, Pastor Bancroft Barwise, in his vesper message at the end of the day, said, “What was accomplished here today, where nearly 2,000 couples (men and women) participated in this convention, is a statement to our nation that this church still believes that marriage is to be between a man and a woman, as God intended it to be.”

The presenters for the day were Dr Willie and Elaine Oliver, family ministries directors of the Seventh-day Adventist world church. The programme included a folder with document of the ‘journey’, which included practical on-thespot exercises.

Both presenters believe that for a marriage to be of God and for it to work, couples need to be kind and loving, humble and forgiving.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday February 10, 2015

EDITORIAL

GUYANA

Police community outreach programmes bearing fruit

COMMISSIONER of Police, Mr. Seelall Persaud and ‘A’ Division Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken last Saturday met with residents of Agricola during another successful outreach programme and listened to their grievances.

They were joined by Deputy Commander of ‘A’ Division, Mr. Dion Moore and the Sub-Divisional officers on a conducted tour of the community. The top officers and other police ranks were visiting that community to celebrate the re-commissioning of the Agricola Community Centre Ground, which was a Guyana Police Force (GPF) initiative.

Commander Hicken had developed a continuing interactive relationship with the residents of that community, which has greatly reduced the antagonism and distrust the community had originally harboured for the police. The feeling of unity in trust-building was palpable during the entire activity.

Seelall stressed the need for a holistic approach to crime prevention, in which social intervention was an imperative component and noted that the input of community leaders, especially religious leaders, was essential for the building and sustaining of healthy social and crime-free lifestyles of residents.

The joint initiative among the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Heavenly Light Full Gospel Fellowship and the Masjid An-Najm Social Centre of Albouystown, which was launched as the ‘Impact Albouystown’ project which, through law enforcement and social interventions, is intended to make the neighbourhood safe, had as its predecessor a similar initiative that involved the True Vision Foundation of Albouystown, the Guyana Police Force under then Police Commissioner, Laurie Lewis, the Ministry of Works under then Minister Tony Xavier and the Ministry of Local Government, with input from the Private Sector.

Through these projects – past and present - youths from various communities have the opportunity to empower themselves through skills training, as well as exposure to positive and productive instead of criminal role models.

Wealth and job creation activities, in collaborative endeavours with the private sector, will minimise criminal forays, as well as enhance vocational skills, reduce drug dependency and consequential vi-

olence. The arts and sports will provide recreational options.

Its forerunner had initiated similar projects; but the first project was a massive clean-up campaign.

When the PPP/C Government took office in 1992, the entire country was like the legendary Augean stables, with every community clamouring for help from a Government that had inherited massive debts; an empty exchequer in a bankrupted economy; devastation in the land with the collapse of every possible infrastructure; and a hopeless and battered nation. The PNC had not only depleted the nation of resources, distributed extensive areas of State lands to itself and elitist supporters, while leaving wide swaths of the masses homeless, with no housing programme in place, but they had also depleted the various arms of the Government of basic office equipment, essentials such as desks, typewriters, fans, furniture of every kind, vehicles, all artwork from the national collection. They had also burnt records in massive bonfires that created a maelstrom of logistical problems.

But the faith in the new Government by the people to immediately right all wrongs and correct all the injustices done to the Guyanese masses by the PNC Administration was strong, and they approached their new President, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, with the conviction that the Father of the Nation would not fail them. And he did not.

With scant resources available to his Government, he appealed to people of means, experience and expertise to throw their support behind his Government to rebuild Guyana, and restore the morale of the Guyanese people, with the incentive of remuneration of a dollar a year.

Among the plethora of initiatives was the Albouystown rehabilitation project, on which a Government representative worked with the True Vision Foundation to first clean up the community. Government had no money, so success of the project depended on massive input from the Private Sector.

The late Tony Amres, of Readymix Concrete, did a survey. The environmental and socio-economic depression of the community was overwhelming.

The entire ‘Boulevard’ was a mountainous garbage dump. The Sussex Street canal was so silted up that animals were grazing on the vegetation growing there

without sinking. The outfall had not been opened for years, because a PNC member had been allowed to build a fish-processing complex adjacent to the koker, so access by land was impossible.

As a consequence, there was no outlet for water, which was lodged in the community, making that community water-logged, whatever the weather, every day of the year; with garbage, including faeces swirling in yards where children were playing.

Crime was rampant. Youths had no entertainment, no jobs, and the citizens had long ago lost pride in their community so Dr. Jagan initiated a programme whereby residents were employed by the Ministry of Works to clean up their own community and create a recreational/ entertainment area on ‘The Boulevard’.

Support from Government came through the Ministries of Works and Local Government. Tony Xavier’s Ministry employed the workforce and provided them with the requisite tools necessary for the massive clean-up campaign envisaged to get the community clean and healthy. A backhoe was sent from the Ministry of Local Government to clear the Sussex Street Canal.

Working groups cleaned the streets and internal drains of the community, which was discovered to have the best drainage structure in the country.

Toolsie Persaud Ltd cleaned the canal, from the outfall to the La Penitence Market, and Tony Amres got help from the Vieiras to load equipment on a barge to clean the outfall from the Demerara River.

For the first time in decades, the stagnant water in Albouystown (and surrounding communities like Alexander Village) was allowed to flow out of communities.

With the help of the backhoe and trucks provided by Tony Amres and Tony Xavier, ‘The Boulevard’ was cleaned of the mountains of garbage.

Tony Amres then layered dozens of truckloads of sand on ‘The Boulevard’, and for the first time in decades, the youths of Albouystown had an outlet for their energies; and families had a recreational area to picnic.

People like Bernice Mansell; Leon Davis of Food for the Poor; Lennox John of Ashmins; Eddie Boyer of National Hardware Ltd; Paul Chan-a-Sue of Ansa McAl and many others threw their entire weight behind adjunctive educational, entertainment, and care package to the needy and elderly pro-

grammes. True Vision and the late Errol ‘Taps’ Butcher organised Mashramani celebrations, concerts, and award-giving programmes, for which First Lady, Mrs. Janet Jagan was patron.

Dr. Jagan visited the community several times to have a first-hand look at the progress of the various exercises, and he instructed the Sports Ministry to provide sporting equipment to the community.

The presentation ceremony was done at the YMCA building, with then Minister of Sports, Gail Teixeira, and Geoffrey Da Silva representing the Government.

Minister Teixeira had given Hamilton Green, millions of dollars to create a sports venue for the youths of the surrounding communities, but this never fructified; so, with the help of Laurie Lewis and his senior staff, streets of Albouystown were blocked, and the first street football tournaments began.

Simultaneously, the Police Force launched a programme similar to the Rosemary Lane (Tiger Bay) initiative to involve the children of Albouystown in creative/educational programmes, while offering driving lessons and other skills development training to the residents.

Members of the private sector became part of the skills development initiative and many youths from depressed areas were trained in the various professions and various areas of skills and are today gainfully employed with those very companies.

Among the police community outreaches were Christmas parties in various communities; the establishment of the ‘Grove Kaleidoscope Youth Group’, with Mrs. Indira Hicken, wife of Commander Clifton Hicken and Kim Gordon, wife of the General Manager of the Guyana Chronicle, also being skills-development leadership volunteers; similar activities of similar nature were conducted by police, through adoption of Grove, Craig and Kaneville and other communities; camping exercises that involved children in several outdoor and indoor activities, as well as classroom sessions.

So Police Commissioner Seulall Persaud is on the right track with his stated intention that the force’s strategy is to work in partnership with the joint services, governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), religious bodies, the private sector and the community leaders to ensure that the neighbourhoods are safe and programmes are implemented to target youths.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday February 10, 2015

Deeply disturbed by recent developments in Region 8 I HAVE noted with concern the recent protest action led by the Alliance For Change Councillors (AFC) on the issue of the shortage of teachers at the Princeville Primary School in Region 8 and other non-related issues.

In the interest of balance and fairness, the following should be noted: 1. I must place on record that I am disturbed by the use of innocent children, no older than ten years old, to protest and picket to satisfy partisan political opportunism by a few. These students, like in the past, were made to stand in front of the school for photo opportunity by the AFC ring leaders.

2. The recent protest by a few parents and the AFC councillors was aimed, of course, to chastise the Government and the Regional Executive Officer for issues that the said AFC Councillors failed to address as members of the Education Committee of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC).

The Councillors have miserably failed the said people they pretend to champion the cause of. A perusal of the minutes of the Regional Democratic Council’s meetings would show that very little or no solutions are posited to the Administration for issues affecting the region. These issues are only ventilated in the press; the Administration has never received a sound plan, proposal or solution to the issues that confront the

residents of Region 8.

3. It is no secret that the reality of attracting qualified and willing teachers for hinterland locations remains a challenge.

The Ministry of Education has launched its Hinterland Educa-

whom the Department of Education recommended, the application was subsequently forwarded to the Teaching Service Commission. A letter of introduction was received by the Department a few days before the

to Princeville in September 2011 and was transferred out in May 2012. A TUM was also dismissed from the school in December 2010.

6. Another teacher was sought after and recom-

8. Three volunteers were present during the year 2014, they assisted with the lower classes, unfortunately this arrangement didn’t follow through for 2015. The Department of Education was willing and remains willing

Princeville Primary School in Region 8 tion Improvement Programme to aid in this regard. At several community meetings held in 2013 and 2014, the residents were asked to provide names of persons within the community that could have been considered for appointment to the school, for a temporary basis, we had also asked them to identify persons for the appointment of Community Support Officers, to be based at the school. To date neither the village nor the Village council has ever submitted same.

4. An application was made by an individual of

protest action. The Teacher as well as the Councillors is fully well aware of this development. However the Councillors choose to withhold this information from the residents and continue to use them for the ulterior motives.

The Department of Education awaits the assumption of this teacher in order to process an appointment.

5. The school had its fair share of movement of teachers; a SAM was appointed in September 2009 and was dismissed by the TSC in October 2010. An AM was transferred

mended by the Department of Education, to be appointed. This teacher was appointed to the School from the Easter Term 2014, but did not take up the appointment for reasons unknown to the Department.

7. Another teacher applied for a transfer from the Micobie Primary School to the Princeville School; however the department could not have recommended this transfer at the time since, Micobie would have become understaffed.

to facilitate the appointment of the most suitable candidate for paid services. No names or interests were forthcoming.

9. Princeville Primary, while there is a shortage of teachers, continues to receive the full attention of the Department of Education, in regards to Supervision visits, provision of all necessary teaching and learning aids, juice and biscuit programme, free text and exercise books, free uniform among others.

The physical infrastructure has been upgraded with mil-

lions spent for a complete rehabilitation of the school building, construction of a fence, installation of a photovoltaic system for the provision of electricity etc.

10. Additionally the Education’s Welfare Officer walked off the job in 2014, the Department of Education and the Regional Administration has since tried tirelessly to attract a new Officer. The Social Worker, who is a staff of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, has not reported for duty since late 2014. Fully furnished accommodation is available to both officers.

This chronicle of events has shown that the Regional Administration and the Department of Education were assiduously dealing with the situation, given the many limitations that existed. The failure of the Regional Education Committee to offer its assistance and support on these initiatives aided in making the process more arduous.

The Regional Administration continues to be proud of the many interventions and tangible support given to all of the sectors in the region, with Education receiving the largest share. The wellbeing of our students, staff and residents are paramount; we remain committed.

RONALD HARSAWACK Regional Executive Officer Region 8

‘Next-day’ elections results a welcome announcement I WELCOME the statement made by GECOM Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally that the results of the General and Regional Elections could be delivered by the next day of the elections.

This is most reassuring, since any delay in announcing the results within an acceptable time-frame gives rise to all manner of suspicions and conspiracy theories, which could serve to undermine the integrity of the elections.

Advances in communication technology makes it possible

to have results declared within hours of the close of polling.

It is therefore not unreasonable to expect results within a day of the actual close-of-poll.

I think that GECOM should avoid declaring results in a piecemeal and partial manner, and instead provide the public with a full and comprehensive tabulation of the final results.

I recognise the several challenges and logistical difficulties in declaring results as quickly as the electorate would like to have them. I also am of the view that the accuracy and integ-

rity of the results must at no time be sacrificed on the altar of expediency.

Time, however, will always be of the essence, and any mechanism that could be used to shorten the interval between the close of poll and the declaration of the results without compromising on the integrity of the elections results would be appreciated.

HYDAR ALLY

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Rohee convinced beyond the shadow of doubt…

Burnham-led Gov’t killed Dr. Walter Rodney …was an unequivocal act of state sponsored terrorism

By Gary Eleazar MINISTER with responsibility for National Security, Clement Rohee, is convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Forbes Burnham-led Peoples National Congress (PNC) Government was responsible for the death of Dr. Walter Rodney, an act that was meant to drive terror into those that dared oppose the regime.

Rohee yesterday recommenced his evidence-in-chief at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the June 13, 1980, bomb explosion that killed Working People’s Alliance (WPA) leader, Dr Walter Rodney.

Led in evidence by COI Counsel, Latchmie Rahmat, Rohee told the Commissioners that the killing of Dr. Rodney “was a clear and unequivocal act of state sponsored terrorism.”

Asked to expand on why label the killing and act of terrorism, Rohee pointed to the manner in which Dr. Rodney was killed.

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee (left) in conversation with former Attorney General, Charles Ramson

He said that it was a clear message to all that opposed the regime at the time, a move that caused the militancy of the WPA and the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) to subside following the death of Dr. Rodney.

Rohee maintained that to kill someone in that way who was opposed to the administration was an act of

terrorism.

“It drove terror into the hearts and minds of many people in our country,” said Minister Rohee.

Appearing before Chairman Sir Richard Cheltenham, Seenauth Jairam and Jacqueline Samuels–Brown, Minister Rohee testified that with bomb explosion, the message sent was that any-

one that opposed the Government would end up like Dr Rodney.

“Anyone who stepped out of line had to face his wrath,” said Minister Rohee, as he spoke to how well-informed Burnham kept himself.

The Minister also testified under oath at the COI that among the reasons he believes that the State was

COI Counsel Latchmie Rahmat (standing) engages the Commissioners during yesterday’s hearing

responsible for Dr. Rodney’s death was the Gregory Smith connection.

Smith is the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Sergeant who allegedly delivered an explosive device to Dr. Rodney, which detonated in his lap killing him, instead of a ‘walkie talkie’ that the WPA Leader reportedly sought to procure from him.

According to Rohee, he could have only drawn the conclusion that Smith was an agent of the administration working through the GDF. The state resources used to smuggle Sergeant Smith out of the country, according to Rohee, could not have occurred without the blessings of the leadership.

“Trust me,” he said, adding that there is no way he can imagine something like that happening without the use of state resources.

He was making reference to the fact that it was a GDF aircraft that was used to aid Sergeant Smith’s escape following the assassination of Dr. Rodney.

The Minister further charged that following the death of Dr. Rodney, there was a ‘cover-up.’ He told the Commissioners that during that era, the Administration had seized full control over the media and that nothing could be published before being vetted.

“There was no credible explanation about what happened,” according to Rohee.

He further told the Commission, “it was not a democracy …everything was under control.”

The Minister, during his testimony, spoke to the fact that even those who were perceived to be in cohorts with the WPA were targeted by the administration.

He spoke to meetings being violently disrupted and recalled an attack on the

now Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira.

Rohee told the Commission on that occasion Teixeira was mistaken for Janet Jagan, the wife of Dr. Cheddi Jagan.

The PPP, he said was seen as an ally working to remove the PNC, which in turn felt it had to retaliate through attacks.

The Minister said the attacks were not limited to meetings, but also took on the form of harassment where activists of the party would have their homes searched and their yards dug up by members of the security forces, purportedly searching for arms and ammunition.

Rohee reminded that many were rounded up, arrested and detained for various periods of time, but never charged.

Dr. Jagan, according to Rohee, was charged with unlawful possession of ammunition when a spent shell was reportedly found in his yard during one such search.

The charge was dropped according to Minister Rohee.

Activists that fled the country were also harassed, according to Rohee, and this he said, was facilitated in part by the overseas Consulates which were controlled by the State.

The populace, according to Rohee, by this time had grown wary of the administration and had been calling for armed resistance against the regime in some quarters.

This, according to Rohee, was a notion that came up during the public consultations, but both Drs. Rodney and Jagan were opposed to this.

Minister Rohee wrapped up his evidence-in-chief yesterday and is expected to return to the witness box today to be cross examined by attorney-at-law, Basil Williams.

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Efforts being made to restart work on Amaila Project

– company identified to ‘step into the shoes’ of Black Stone, Sithe Global REITERATING that the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project remains the number one priority of his administration, President Donald Ramotar has said he remains hopeful the mega-project would become reality.

Speaking at commissioning of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) power station at Vreed-en-Hoop, WCD yesterday, the President said efforts are being made to restart work on the transformative project before year-end.

He said a lot of work has already been done on the project, and he pointed out that Norway has already transferred US$80 million to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in this

regard.

“We have already identified another company to step into the shoes of Black Stone and Sithe Global. We are working feverishly to conclude this arrangement, so that, hopefully, we can start construction very soon,” President Ramotar said.

He pointed out that, through the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) agreement with Norway, some US$150 million of the US$250 million have already been disbursed to Guyana.

Contending that a report in one section of the media that the US$80 million is unlikely to be approved by the IDB until June 2016 is misleading, President Ramotar

said, “We have the resources to go in that direction [restarting work on the Amaila Project].” The President said Government is committed to seeing the Amaila Falls Project to fruition, as one of its foremost goals is to provide cheap electricity to consumers.

He also warned that while Guyanese are enjoying the drop in fuel prices, it is not a situation that the country can control, and as such, it will not last forever.

OTHER SOURCES “We have to take the opportunity available to try to ensure that, in the future, we have power at a cheap rate.

That is why we are looking -- more and more -- at re-

newable energy; renewable energy not only in hydro, but in many other areas, harnessing the possibility in the sugar and rice industry to generate power.”

The President said Guyana has to be ambitious and begin looking beyond its needs. The energy sector, he said, has to be seen as an important revenue earner with the potential of exporting electricity.

“When you look at the (production capacity) figures of Upper Mazaruni, the 4,000-megawatt capacity (coming from) that area alone, you can see that we can become a powerhouse in exporting electricity to other countries and (to) our neighbours (to) the south,”

he said.

The President said there is now talk of building an arc linking the electricity sectors from Brazil, Roraima State, through Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, and back again to Brazil.

“That (arc) can allow us to develop our renewable energy resources and become a major earner in electricity.

This is the way we need to go in the near future. We have other possibilities. We have to exploit solar energy more and wind power to give ourselves a wide variety of access to eventually enable us to switch from one to the other.”

President Ramotar is also hoping that Guyana would strike oil in the not-so-dis-

tant future because, he said, it would give the country the impetus to speed up development. He said the focus for now is on providing a cheap and stable energy supply, as it is important for accelerating the modernisation of Guyana, creating avenues for creation of more jobs.

“I am committed towards the completion of the Amaila Falls Project, which will help us to produce electricity at a cheaper cost,” he declared.

With cheap electricity, he said, waste from agricultural products would be reduced, and Government would be in a better position to give more resources to farmers and workers generally.

Land titling, demarcation completed in Kariako – process to start soon in 20 more villages

Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Ms. Pauline Sukhai addressing residents of Kariako Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Ms. Pauline Sukhai handing over the title document to Toshao of Kariako, Mr. Lewis Samuels in the presence of Liaison to the Ministry, Ms. Yvonne Pearson, and residents of Kariako

LAND titling and demarcation has been completed in yet another Amerindian community, as the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs continues to move forward with its mission to ensure equal rights for Guyana’s indigenous people.

During a visit to Kariako, Region 1 last weekend, Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai handed over the title document to Toshao, Lewis Samuels,

granting the community absolute ownership for 51, 641 acres of land.

In her address to the residents, Minister Sukhai reminded them that titling of Amerindian communities is a solid commitment of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government.

She said that like everything else, land titling has its challenges, and Kariako is no exception. However, with a united position,

strong leadership and consistent representation by stakeholders and other organisations that had interest in the area, this project was a success.

Speaking on the importance of land titling and demarcation, Minister Sukhai said that this project will provide an opportunity for Amerindians to better manage, protect and improve their chances of expanding their economic activities.

“But having land title is not the end of the road,” she said. “Residents will now have to make a commitment in the utilisation of the land; it’s a significant asset to you the people, and you should not put it aside.”

She said they must be able to recognise that they have this asset and be able to use it in their developmental process. “Your development challenges are not over, you have to ensure that you utilise the land for the benefit of the village and the people,” Minister Sukhai emphasised.

She said that the chal-

lenges will always be present and residents must learn to resolve the issues that come before them, in keeping with laws provided through the Amerindian Act with respect to how the community is governed.

Minister Sukhai reiterated that while Government has made a commitment to ensure that every Amerindian community is secure with respect to land, she reminded that Guyana is a multiethnic society and every citizen must benefit from the country’s resources.

Under the Guyana

REDD + Investment Fund (GRIF), Government in 2013 signed a US$10.7M document for the implementation of the Land Titling and Demarcation project.

Currently, four communities are undergoing the process, with 20 more due to start soon.

In 2016, 20 other communities are due to have their lands demarcated and titled.

This programme which is expected to be completed by the end of 2016 will see a total of 45 villages being demarcated and titled. (GINA)

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Guyana to hold foreign companies to value-added manufacture of forest – significant progress expected products – James Singh this year towards compliance

By Clifford Stanley WITH respect to in-country processing and value-added manufacture of forest products, foreign companies, such as Bai Shan Lin and others, have made commitments to this Parliament approved national policy and Guyana is holding them to those commitments.

Re-emphasising this, Commissioner of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) James Singh added that later on in this year, 2015, Guyanese should see some significant progress towards compliance.

In a recent report, he said that with respect to operations by locals, Guyana gen-

erally has a long way to go even though the signs were very encouraging in 2014.

He disclosed that local value-added operations encompassed a wide range of activities, starting with basic lumber and moving to the high end flooring joints and other building components.

“What we have seen in Guyana is an increase in the number of portable mills and an increase in the quality and quantity of sawn lumber but obviously we want to move further than that; we want to target the high end flooring market, other building components.”

He said that although some companies and some individuals have been moving in that direction there was

GECOM trains staff to conduct Disciplined Services balloting THE Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) continues to intensify its preparation for Elections 2015 with the training of persons to work either as Ballot Attendants or Ballot Clerks for the Disciplined Services balloting.

This interactive one-day training exercise took place last Saturday at St. Joseph’s High School and was attended by trainers currently utilised by GECOM to train polling day staff, a GECOM press release stated.

Participants were taught the important duties of the Ballot Officer, Ballot Attendants, as well as those of the Ballot Clerk. Moreover, they were given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the relevant content and methodology required for the efficient and effective conduct of the Disciplined Services balloting.

As the training session progressed, participants acquainted themselves with the relevant Forms and Envelopes required for the

proper conduct of the Disciplined Services ballot. In addition, they were given practice in the accurate way to complete the relevant Forms and Records that are part of the Disciplined Services balloting process.

Participants were also able to develop a deep appreciation for the organisational structure that will be utilised to facilitate the efficient, effective and transparent conduct of the Disciplined Services balloting.

Additionally, participants further enlightened themselves with all the activities to be conducted before the day the Disciplined Services cast their ballots, on the very day of the Disciplined Services balloting during the poll, and after the close of poll.

This one-day training session was facilitated by three of GECOM’s most experienced trainers in election processes: Mr. Joseph Gilgeous, Ms. Roxanne Ramdyhan–Lewi, and Mr. Nardeo Persaud, the release concluded.

'We have plans later on this year to seek funding for a value-added training school where we can train not only the larger companies’ employees but also Community Forestry Operators, etc.' - Commissioner of the Guyana Forestry Commission need for more much more to be done.

He, however, acknowledged that the high cost of energy, skills shortages, unreliable supply of raw materials, shipping bottlenecks and a seeming reluctance by some producers to use the lesser used species (LUS) in their production activities continued to be major constraints.

HIGH ENERGY COST He said that the high cost of energy was a major bugbear making local producers

uncompetitive on the world market.

With respect to unreliability of supply, he stressed that if locals are going to invest in value-added equipment they have to be assured of an adequate supply of raw materials and therefore there has to be an improvement from the production of 30% that is the current level.

“This is so that people can have confidence that if they are going to manufacture a product they can guarantee that there are markets outside because they have

Masked bandits rob Zorg businessman and wife at gunpoint

– cash and jewellery among loot

By Rajendra Prabhulall FOUR armed and masked bandits Sunday night terrorised and robbed a family of Zorg Village on the Essequibo Coast.

According to reports the bandits who were heavily armed with guns and cutlasses entered the home of businessman Asif Khan at around 20:00 hrs and demanded money and jewellery.

The bandits who entered the house via a door that was open on the lower flat of the two-storey building attacked the businessman’s wife who was chatting on the phone with her mother downstairs.

According to reports two bandits held her at gunpoint demanding money while the other two ran up the steps to the upper flat and

held the businessman who was charging his Blackberry phone at gunpoint also.

The bandits tied up the businessman and his wife with towels while demanding money and jewellery.

The businessman suffered a cut in his head which required some eight stitches.

The bandits ransacked the house and escaped with some $200,000 in cash, a quantity of jewellery, phone cards and groceries from the shop via the dark seawall which is close to the businessman’s house.

Reports said police who arrived on the scene some one hour after the robbery are currently conducting investigations.

Meanwhile, residents are calling for more police patrols in the area.

an assured supply locally,” he said.

The GFC was trying to address a serious skills shortage for value-added activities in the forestry sector by way of training.

VALUE-ADDED TRAINING “We have plans later on this year to seek funding for a value-added training school where we can train not only the larger companies’ employees but also Community Forestry Operators etc.”

He identified shipping

bottlenecks as a serious constraint to value-added production in the forest industry.

He said: “Last year for example much more could have been exported in sawn lumber and logs but there were simply not enough ships and enough containers to go out.”

“So for our local operations, we still have some way to go. These are some of the constraints that we have to overcome.”

He disclosed recently that the GFC has impressed upon Bai Shan Lin and all other foreign and local companies, the need to accelerate meeting their stated commitments with regards to the manufacture of added-value forest products.

APNU’s Harmon says voter education crucial at this stage – calls on GECOM and other entities to place emphasis on educating voters OVER the years when general and regional elections would have been hosted, concerns have been raised regarding how educated the Guyana population was on its rights and procedures to vote. This year is no different, as concerns continue to surface regarding voters’ education, the most recent being raised by the General Secretary of the political coalition ‘A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’, Mr. Joseph Harmon.

At his party’s weekly press conference, held at CNS Channel Six last Friday, Harmon noted that, “voters’ education is crucial at this stage”, and added that this just not simply entails “putting something in the newspapers or putting an ad on the television.”

According to Harmon, what is required for proper voter education is getting the message to people in the medium of their choosing and in the manner in which they can understand. He accordingly called on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and other stakeholders in the electoral process to “pay specific attention to voters’ education”.

At this crucial time, he said, it is important that emphasis be placed on voters’ education; which he is certain would result in more Guyanese going to the polls on Election Day. Harmon also related that, to date, his party has met with GECOM on at least three occasions as the two bodies seek to iron out some prevailing issues. He assured that APNU has maintained its belief that GECOM possesses the “competence” to deliver “free, fair and transparent elections.”

Moreover, he added: “We are also on record as saying that there are issues (in relation to) the declaration of results, which (issues) we raised with GECOM, and we are satisfied that they are working on these issues. We are going to meet with GECOM again definitely before May 11, to ensure that those issues which are before us are addressed.

“We believe that there are sufficient processes in place to ensure that we can have fair elections. I believe that all Guyanese should give GECOM the kind of support (it needs) as an independent entity to deliver fair results”, the APNU MP said.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Businessman calls on colleagues to support police efforts

Veteran trade unionist Leslie Melville dies in the U.S. VETERAN Guyanese trade unionist, Mr. Leslie Melville, died yesterday in the United States, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) announced yesterday. He died yesterday around 03:20am, Maryland time, the GPSU said.

In the 50-odd years he’s been in the Labour Movement, the Union said, Mr.

Melville served in such capacities as General Secretary, Education Officer and Consultant of the GPSU; Principal Assistant Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC); Registrar of the Critchlow Labour College; GPSU Representative on the Public Service Appellate Tribunal; and Commissioner of the Public Service

Commission (PSC).

Not only was he a great Trade Unionist, GPSU said, but also a great Guyanese, to the extent that he was awarded the Golden Arrowhead of Achievement (AA).

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Leila Bibi Melville, and four children, namely Ferril, Patrick, Gelline and David.

Neesa Gopaul murder trial…

Lance Corporal relates how police found mutilated body in suitcase

Shahab Hack makes a donation to the Agricola football team on Sunday afternoon

BUSINESSMAN Shahab Hack has made a call for members of the business community to come forward and play a more meaningful role with respect to their social responsibilities, especially to the young people and residents of troubled communities.

Mr. Hack was at the time speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday following a police engagement with the community of Agricola, East Bank Demerara.

According to Hack, who is also the chairman of the West Demerara Road Safety Council and a member of the National Road Safety Council, he has personally seen the benefits of social interventions in tackling crime.

The Chronicle was told by the businessman that he has decided to work along with the police on their social crime prevention initiatives at a higher level after witnessing the impact it has had on communities along the East Coast and West Coast of Demerara, along with several communities in Region 4, including Albouystown, Mocha and

Businessman Shahab Hack and Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud in Agricola during one of their recent community activities

Rosemary Lane.

Hack said that he shares the Police Commissioner’s vision and called on his colleagues in the business sector to play a more meaningful role as it is no secret that the police do not have the financial resources to do it alone.

SOCIAL AND MORAL RESPONSIBILITIES “We as businessmen and women should advance the social crime prevention strategy of the force so that it can

be taken farther since the force is not equipped financially to deal with it and we as business people have our social and moral responsibilities to honour to our nation and the future generation,” Hack declared.

Meanwhile, the businessman has been working very closely with the force for several years now but upped his involvement after the police took on its social crime prevention approach. (Leroy Smith)

LANCE Corporal Germain Laundry yesterday told Justice Navindra Singh and a mixed jury about the day he and a police party found a black suitcase with the mutilated body of the alleged victim Neesa Gopaul.

In the suitcase with part of the head missing from the body, the police said they were able to find in a compartment of the suitcase a passport of the victim, along with other means of identification.

Police investigations that followed the discovery led to the mother, Bibi Gopaul, and her paramour, Jarvis Small, being arrested and indicted with murder of the Queen’s College student.

Both accused have pleaded not guilty. Small is represented by Senior Counsel, Mr. Bernard De Santos, Mr. Glenn Hanoman, Mr. Leslie Amsterdam and Miss Zanno Frank while Mr. George Thomas is appearing for the accused Bibi Gopaul.

For the prosecution Ms. Diana Kaulesar-O’Brien, in association with Miss Mercedes Thomson and Miss Stacy Goodings, is appearing for the State.

When the trial was resumed yesterday Lance Corporal Germain Laundry who is now stationed at Sparendaam Police Station was called as a witness.

He testified that during the month of October 2010, he was stationed at Timehri Police Station and attached to the C.I.D.

He declared that on October 2, 2010, he was stationed at Timehri Police Station when he received a telephone call from an unknown caller who told him something.

As a result of what was told to him, he and a party of policemen, including Corporal Hosanah and Constable George, visited the scene at Emerald Tower Resort which is located about two miles east of the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.

He also observed a creek which runs from north to south, then turns west in an L shape and both sides of the creek had grass.

At the south western side of the creek, he saw a black suitcase which was partly submerged and it was tied with a red rope. And according to him, the rope was tied to something which was under the water.

Witness said he then observed what appears to be a human hand, out of the suit case. He then caused Constable George to photograph same after which he went into the water and cut the rope.

Witness said that he then pulled the suitcase to the corner of the creek, with the assistance of the ranks.

He pulled the suitcase out of the water and the ranks assisted him in taking out the body from the suitcase.

Thereafter, he observed what appeared to be a female with a bashed in head.

Witness then explained that the top part of the head was missing. The body was clad in a multi-coloured top

and dark coloured tights.

Witness said that in his presence Corporal Hosanah examined the body. Corporal Hosanah then made a search of the suitcase and found one black gown and a sheet. Corporal Hosanah searched the outer part of the suitcase and in one other compartment he found a piece of red rope, one GBTI Early Saver’s Card, one GBTI Bank Book, One Republic of Guyana Passport, all bearing the name Neesa Lalita Gopaul.

Witness said that Cpl Hosnah took possession of the passport and the other articles found. Witness later escorted the body to the funeral parlour and then returned to the Police Station where he lodged the gown, sheet and suitcase along with the other articles with the subordinate officer in charge for safe keeping.

The witness said that he cut from the suitcase the rope which the suitcase with body was attached to dumbbells in the water below in a depth of about 4 feet.

The dumbbells, black gown, bloody looking sheet, rope and suitcase were tendered as exhibits in court yesterday and admitted in evidence.

Under cross-examination, Mr. Hanoman suggested to the witness Laundry that the police had the dumbbells in their possession before that day, but the answer was a denial.

Witness also denied that he had planted the dumbbells.

The trial is continuing.

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Efforts afoot to shift paradigm in sugar industry – Dr. Ramsammy – diversification to focus on value-added products

By Vanessa Narine MORE focus and energy will be placed on increasing production, reducing the cost of production, enhancing the mechanisation programme, growing the market base, and diversifying the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) lines of business with new products, particularly value-added products.

These are the sentiments of Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, who has since disclosed to the Guyana Chronicle that efforts are moving apace in these regards – all in the interest of making the much-needed paradigm shift in the industry.

INCREASING PRODUCTION “There were a number of initiatives that were embarked on in 2014 or that we intensified in 2014 that were intended to increase production over time. These are not one-time initiatives and are continuous,” he explained in an invited comment.

Dr. Ramsammy added that one initiative is to ensure the goal of 100 percent replanting every five years is rigidly adhered to.

He said, “This is to ensure increased cane production.

With a 20 percent replanting target, the whole cultivation

will be replaced every five years.

“This would mean that higher-yielding rations are in use. When the rations are used more than five times, the yield is lowered and GuySuCo is trying to ensure that as far as possible no use is made of fields older than five rations.”

The Agriculture Minister highlighted that in 2014 the industry was able to achieve a 20 percent replacement of old cane.

“This is a target we expect to maintain for an extended period of time. With this replacement target, we can increase cane production and also yield of sugar,” he said.

A major challenge, according to him, has been in the field, including action to reduce the burn-to-grind intervals.

Dr. Ramsammy said, “This has been a major challenge as the time to bring in cane from the fields to the factories have often proven to be a limiting factor and led to reduction of sugar yield.

“In 2014, we continued our efforts to reduce the time interval from the burning of cane to the factories for grinding.

One important activity in this regard was the enhancing of the punt fleet.”

He indicated too that with enough punts and maximising the use of other machines,

such as tractors, mechanical harvesters and bell loaders, the industry was able to improve the time interval from burning in the fields and to grinding in the factories.

Wales, on the West Bank of Demerara; Enmore and La Bonne Intention, on the East Coast of Demerara; Rose Hall, Blairmont, Albion and Skeldon in Berbice.

GREATER EFFICIENCY The Agriculture Minister had also earlier indicated that GuySuCo is also expected to analyse the effectiveness of the new initiatives that were introduced in 2014.

Efforts to address this, he stated, would include the use of briquettes for steam generation, bio-fertilisers and legume fallow, among its many other new initiatives.

To date, Dr. Ramsammy has assured that GuySuCo has continued efforts to increase factory efficiency.

“This meant further investment in factory repairs.

All factories benefited from improved maintenance and in other improvement of operation. These activities are intended to improve TC/TS (tonnes of cane and tonnes of sugar ratio) and we expect that in the crops to come, we will see further improvement in the TC/TS,” he said.

GuySuCo’s operations cover several estates on the East Coast, West Coast and West Bank of Demerara and Berbice. The eight estates in total include Uitvlugt on the West Coast of Demerara;

COST REDUCTION As it relates to initiatives to reduce cost, the Agriculture Minister stated that one of the key moves has been the use of bio-fertilisers.

“Fertilisers continue to be one of the big-cost items in the operation of Guysuco.

Currently 50 hectares per estate are using bio-fertilisers as we explore the possibility of replacing expensive chemical fertilisers with more affordable bio-fertilisers. With 50 hectares per estate, this means that a total of 400 hectares are under cultivation where we have replaced chemical fertilisers with bio-fertilisers,” he said.

There have also been intensified efforts, according to him, in replacing the use of wood to fire the factories.

“We piloted the use of briquette bagasse instead of wood in boilers. This initiative is being done alongside of other efforts to produce briquettes with rice husk and other biomass, including the giant king grass,” Dr. Ramsammy said.

Other actions taken by GuySuCo in 2014 to reduce cost of production include its continued studies with legume

fallow to complement flood fallow.

“GuySuCo in 2014 more extensively reintroduced flood fallow, implemented energy conservation programme, implemented a security system to reduce loss of fuel, established quality control programmes and a project management unit,” he said.

The Minister of Agriculture also related that employing the use of mechanisation has also contributed to cost reductions.

Dr. Ramsammy said there was “enhanced mechanisation in several areas of operation.

We continued to increase bell loader operation around the entire cultivation areas of Guysuco.

“Increasing use of mechanisation is being made for planting and other field activities. In 2014, there was an increase in mechanical harvesting of cane. But in addition to mechanisation in the field, we also enhanced mechanisation at the factory levels.”

MARKET BASE On the issue of GuySuCo’s market base, the Agriculture Minister explained that efforts have begun in earnest to address this.

“Clearly, we have markets for our sugar. But we are looking at better-priced markets.

In 2014, we secured sales to Italy starting with approximately 5,000 metric tonnes and re-entered the CARICOM (Caribbean Community) mar-

ket,” he said.

In addition to exports, changes in GuySuCo’s line of business have met with success.

There has been the introduction of the sale of bottled molasses in Guyana and Trinidad, among other undertakings.

“We are also focusing our attention for molasses on the U.S. market. We will launch Enmore Crystals as a new value-added branded package sugar. We consolidated the small ethanol production plant at Albion and in 2015 we will seek to increase production of bio-ethanol. In 2014, we began also a feasibility study on a new distillery,” Dr. Ramsammy said.

BETTER DAYS AHEAD He expressed confidence that despite the challenges, the local sugar industry is positioned for better days ahead.

The production being targeted by GuySuCo for 2015 is some 240,000 tonnes. In 2014, GuySuCo recorded a production of 216,147 tonnes - the first crop having surpassed the 75,000-tonne target, bringing in about 80,000 tonnes.

The industry saw a dismal sugar production level in the past years, but Guyana has since been taking steps to turn around its sugar industry and hopes to soon meet a 300,000-tonne target.

There is also a projection that the sector would reach a 400,000-tonne goal by 2020.

Mahaica Creek murder victim cremated at Good Hope, ECD – father remains in critical state THE late Suresh Nandkishore, 25, also called ‘Ravo’, of Handsome Tree, Mahaica Creek was on Sunday cremated at the Good Hope Cremation Site on the East Coast of Demerara, following a moving farewell service held at his parents’ home and done according to Hindu rites.

His father, Bhopaul Nandkishore, also called Jai, wounded along with his son Parmanand (Davo) in a land dispute that claimed Ravo’s life, remains in critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).

Hundreds of teary-eyed mourners turned out to view the body and pay their last respects to the young chartered accountant, who had

been an inspiration to others in the community in which he lived, and who was remembered in tributes as a kind, dutiful, loving and caring son and brother in the home.

Suresh’s grandfather, Puna Nandkishore, came in from Canada, and other aunts and uncles came in from overseas to lend physical and moral support to his mother, Mrs. Sabo Nandkishore, her only surviving son, Davo, and her sister-inlaw Seeta.

Because of his condition, Bhopaul Nandkishore, father of the deceased, was unable to attend the funeral; he is probably still not aware that his son Ravo had been killed in the attack. Yesterday, he

was occasionally opening his eyes and turning his head, but still did not recognise anyone around him, and could not verbally communicate with anyone.

Tragedy struck the Nandkishore family last Tuesday when an age-old dispute with a next door neighbour escalated into a bloodbath which claimed the life of the 25-year-old Ravo and left his father Jai and brother, Davo seriously wounded. Ironically, this dispute over land ownership had been resolved in the courts before Tuesday, when Jai Nandkishore and his only two children had gone to the backdam to fence the land in question.

While there, they were pounced upon by the neigh-

bour and his sons, who allegedly beat and chopped the Nandkishore trio. That attack left 25-year-old Ravo dead, and his father Jai and brother Davo brutally wounded.

Jai was allegedly severely beaten with one of the fence posts. He has suffered life-threatening injuries to the brain, among other injuries. Davo was also beaten on the head and about the body with a post. He has taken more than 60 stitches to his head and hands.

After they had allegedly beaten the Nandkishores, the neighbour, Tony, and his two sons allegedly made a report at the Mahaicony Police Station that they had been attacked and beaten by the Nandkishores. They were,

Bhopaul Nandkishore, aka Jai, lies on the hospital bed as he is visited by his son, Davo (left); father, Puna from Canada (centre); and wife, Sabo Nandkishore

however, unable to show any marks of violence on their persons, and the police soon after received the news of the murder and wounding,

thus they were taken into custody.

Police investigations into this incident are continuing.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 10, 2015

MPW fulfills promise to help UG – with clean-up exercise THE Ministry of Public Works (MPW) has reportedly mobilised equipment and manpower to help the

University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, with its clean-up drive.

According to the Min-

istry, their involvement in the exercise is in response to a request for help made by the institution’s management.

Minister of Public Works, Mr. Robeson Benn last Friday and Saturday

paid a visit to the Turkeyen Campus to see how the exercise is coming along.

Beginning last Wednesd a y, e m p l o y e e s o f t h e Force Account Unit (FAU) and Sea and River Defence Unit of the Ministry of

Public Works have been cleaning the clogged drains in and around the institution; trimming overgrown trees; and weeding overrun bushes.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, e n g i neers attached to the

Ministry have been tasked with finding a viable solution to rectify the problem the institution is having with it sewerage system. A draft proposal is expected to be reviewed in another two weeks.

Minister Benn and team during a tour of the institution over the weekend

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Guyanese passenger finds SLM ‘hellish and a virtual nightmare’

By Shirley Thomas A GUYANESE passenger left the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on a Suriname Airways flight on November 18, 2014, bound for Miami, and after a string of woes in a single round trip, she concedes that flying with SLM was hellish and a virtual nightmare.

INITIAL HORROR Sherene Benjamin-Reece, 40, recalls that passengers’ woes began soon after take-off from CJIA when the plane developed what appeared to have been mechanical problems. She said passengers were terrified and began experiencing jitters when the pilot adjusted the altitude and began flying low over the ocean. However, they made it safely to Aruba International Airport where all passengers were asked to disembark.

On disembarking at Aruba around 15:45 hrs, they were each given a meal voucher to get themselves something to eat and advised that they would soon be taking the remainder of the journey to Miami by a relief aircraft. But according to Reece, the voucher was not adequate to buy a proper meal, and so they were forced to pay out-of-pocket for beverage and water.

When eventually the flight arrived to take them to Miami, before they were able to board, passengers were made to pay US$30 per piece to have their baggage checked in, but were issued no receipts.

Reece claimed that when the passengers asked for receipts, the woman attending to them succeeded in distracting them by hustling them up, saying that time was of the essence, and if they did not get onto the flight they would be left at the airport until the following day. Hence they were

Her boarding passes for admission to the American Airlines flight ferrying SLM’s passengers out of Miami. It was the suitcase for pass AA8666 23 that went missing

Reece’s boarding passes issued by SLM on her way out of Guyana to Miami

forced to forgo the receipts.

But the Guyana/Aruba dilemma, serious as it was, represents only the first part of a sordid chain of events that occurred between November 18, 2014 and January 1, 2015, the day on which Reece returned to Guyana.

MORE HORROR Reece, even after doing the SLM leg of the journey, was still required to take another flight independently from Miami, since her final destination was Atlanta.

However because of the delays in Aruba, she did not reach Miami at the scheduled 15:00 hrs and so missed her flight leaving Miami for Atlanta at 17:00 hrs.

She was therefore forced to spend the night in Miami in order to catch another flight to Atlanta the following day. She and a few other Guyanese therefore sought out the Suriname Airways office at the airport, to find out what accommodation arrangements could be made for them. But after 20 minutes of walking, they found that the office was shut tight

and so had to battle on their own. But she arrived in Atlanta safely and spent six weeks there.

Booked to return to Guyana on New Year ’s Day, Reece flew out of Atlanta and back to Miami on American Airlines, hassle-free and without incident. Once at Miami, she booked in to return to Guyana on the Suriname Airways flight once more with two suitcases for which she was issued two boarding passes, Nos: AA 8666 23 and AA 8666 24 by American Airways in Atlanta.

While waiting to board SLM at Miami, she learnt that the conveyor belt to get the suitcases onto the flight had developed technical problems. She was not, however, immediately aware that one of her suitcases had not gotten onto the flight. It was only when she arrived in Guyana that she made that discovery and immediately reported it to the SLM airline staff who filled up a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) form and gave her a copy.

She was advised that the

airline would try to get the suitcase to CJIA via Caribbean Airlines by Saturday, January 3. It did not arrive and she was asked to wait for another week, but in vain.

and asked her to keep her updated on the status of her report. But the woman merely wrote the number in the palm of her hand and so Reece never received a call.

ROYAL RUN AROUND Five weeks later, as at February 4, she had heard nothing else about her suitcase, while still being given the ‘royal run around’

by Suriname Airways. All the while, she had to be spending hard earned cash to be going back and forth between Georgetown and Timehri and to and from the airline’s office in Kingston.

When she asked them about being reimbursed to cover the cost of her suitcase and items, they asked her to produce receipts for literally every item it contained. That was practically impossible, since she was not prepared for such an eventuality. She, however, photocopied and produced receipts for most of the items she had purchased in Atlanta and was moved to tears, saying that she had invested heavily and now found herself in a state of limbo.

On one occasion she gave a female at the desk at Timehri her phone number

INTERVENTION BY LOCAL MANAGER Disgusted, she finally informed the media. Our reporter contacted Suriname Airways Local Manager, Mr. Rudi Westerburg who said he was aware of the problem, adding that the suitcase had been misplaced at Miami Airport. He also admitted that there was a problem with the conveyor belt at Miami airport at the time of the flight. Westerburg apologised and empathised with the young woman, adding that had he the last say, she would have been reimbursed ‘today’, since it was no fault of hers that the suitcase had gone missing. He said too that he had made several calls to Paramaribo, their headquarters, but no decisive action had been taken.

He promised to pursue the matter resolutely.

True to his word, about four days later, Reece received an e-mail from Paramaribo, informing her that she would be reimbursed the

sum of US$460 for her lost property.

QUESTIONABLE FIGURE Pathetically, however, the passenger broke down in tears, explaining the value, both financial and sentimental, of the items she had in her suitcase. She is contending that there’s no way U$460 (G$90,000) could replace them. “It was a well packed suitcase that contained personal clothing – new and those I had walked with. I ensured I was decently and adequately clothed for the six weeks I was spending in Atlanta. I would never leave Guyana with shabby looking clothing, nor would I have money and leave Atlanta without making reasonable purchases,” she argued.

Other items included gifts for family members; expensive brand name cosmetics; items her aunt in Atlanta had bought for her to bring home; and articles her brother had given her money to buy for him.

Meanwhile, Reece would like to know on what basis is a decision arrived at in terms of repayment for lost baggage.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Foreign animals to be housed …as zoo at Zoological Park soon enhancement APART from the physical development of Guyana’s Zoological Park, there have been also efforts to increase the animal population as well.

These initiatives all fall under the Three Parks Initiative which is geared towards enhancing the biodiversity conservation in urban areas for the protection of Guyana’s ‘green’ space.

Minister of Natural Resource and the Environment, Robert Persaud at the opening of the Zoological Park’s Petting Zoo disclosed that just recently they concluded a zoo-tozoo exchange programme “which will see us having new animals and species which can’t be found in Guyana or South America; emphasising that these animals are expected to come from as far as Africa and Asia.”

AGREEMENT SIGNED He added that the animal population at the zoo will increase in the coming months because the agreement in the zoo-to-zoo exchange programme was already signed.

Meanwhile, according to Commissioner of the Guyana Protected Areas Commission (GPAC), Damion Fernandes on Sunday at the opening of the Zoological Park’s Petting Zoo, preparations are underway to develop the cages, in or-

der for them to determine the breed of animals which will be housed there.

Fernandes further stated, when the preparations are concluded, that the animals will be imported from Asia and Africa.

“Apart from just featuring foreign animals, the zoo tries to teach Guyanese about the animals which are found right here in Guyana, for example, instead of housing a lion who lies around all day, we have seven active pumas,” he said.

FLOOD PROTECTION The Commissioner of the GPAC emphasised that the newly-opened Petting Zoo is a portrait of what the new zoo is expected to be like.

Highlighting that the Petting Zoo is 3 feet above the normal zoo level, which is higher than the 2005 floods, he said that 3 feet will be the lowest point in every exhibit, so in the event of another big flood, the zoo won’t be affected.

Fernandes stated that although “it might cost a little more; we’re willing to take the risk because the GPAC is planning in the long term.”

“Mostly concrete and metal will be used to build the new facilities and infrastructure so that the maintenance cost is as low as possible,” he said.

The newly-opened Petting Zoo

Apart from that, the long lost aquarium will now be spread throughout the zoo because the plan is to install a waterfall and filtration system to form a more eco-friendly design.

OUTSIDE SUPPORT Aside from the support of the Government, corporate persons and individuals have also been contributing towards the development of the Zoological Park. This contribution came as the donors

Minister Robert Persaud (right) and Damion Fernandes taking a stroll around the Zoological Park earlier last year

share the same vision for the future of the Zoological Park as the GPAC. According to Fernandes, just recently the design of the new outlook of the zoo which was done by professionals from Seattle, USA, was funded by the Beharry Group.

FINANCING AND SUSTAINABILITY He noted that the Petting Zoo now contributes to the financial income of the Zoological Park.

There is income through the food bar which is set up in the Petting Zoo, so that persons can purchase food to feed the animals, since they’re not allowed to feed them anything else.

The revenue gathered from the food bar on the weekends is equivalent to that acquired from the entrance fee of the Zoological Park all week; therefore, it comes as a major benefit for the financial aspect of the zoo.

Meanwhile, he alluded

The entrance to Guyana’s Zoological Park

to the fact that although the zoo was built in the 1950’s, some of the structures are still standing strong and this is due to the proper maintenance which is practised at the Zoological Park.

In closing Fernandes noted that although “we’ve taken major steps in developing the Zoological Park, we have a long way to go, and with the support of corporate Guyana we can take it a far way.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Presidential two-term limit challenge seeks answers – Allicock …debunks theory by APNU’s Harmon AT T O R N E Y- a t - L a w , Shaun Allicock has debunked the allegation by Chairman of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Joseph Harmon t h a t f o r m e r P re s i d e n t Bharat Jagdeo is behind the constitutional challenge to the two-term lim-

it signed into law in 2001.

Allicock in a letter to the media stated that the action was taken to seek answers to questions he believes should be asked.

Allicock wrote, “With respect to the legal challenge before the court, my recollection is that this

question was first raised

by Mr. Ralph Ramkarran SC. Once raised, unless the question is frivolous, it is compulsory that such an important question be determined by the court to have certainty and finality on the issue. It is wrong and unfair to have

the people of Guyana believe there is a two-term limitation, if in fact there is no such limitation because the amendment was unconstitutional.”

Harmon, accusing Jagdeo of being the mastermind of the challenge, said, “Jagdeo is hiding behind surrogates to push his programme, he hasn’t come forward, he doesn’t have the belly, he doesn’t have the guts to come forward and say look I want to have another term. He is using some attorneys and you can see the quality of the persons who have actually filed the matter on his behalf.”

The former President had issued a formal statement through the Office of the President delivered by the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger

Luncheon last week stating his disinterest in holding any elected or constitutional post in Guyana.

The Opposition political parties have continued to express suspicion and fears for the return of the former President in the election bid of the Peoples Progressive Party in the run-up to the May 11 poll.

Reminding Harmon, who is also an attorney-at-law of the ethics of the profession, Allicock stated “I expect lawyers however to deal with the legal issues …former President Bharrat Jagdeo is not the client, but even if he were the client, what is horrific, is that Mr. Harmon, a high-ranking member of the Opposition and an attorney-at-law, would wish to deny a citizen of Guyana the most fundamental of rights, the right to access the court to have a judicial determination of a constitutional question

which concerns him or her by attacking and attempting to intimidate the lawyers who bring the action.”

The attorney-at-law in his own defence reminded of his involvement in other constitutional actions including the Esther Pereira election petition filed after the 1997 General and Regional Elections with the late leader of the People’s National Congress, Hugh Desmond Hoyte as lead council. He claimed to be a member of the team along with Basil Williams, Roysdale Forde, Emily Dodson and others who presented the Veronica Delph election petition.

Allicock filed the constitutional challenge in the name of Cedric Richardson challenging the Presidential term limit.

The Attorney General and the Speaker of the National Assembly are the named defendants in the action.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday February 10, 2015

Troy Resources Guyana Inc on verge of commencing open-pit mining in Region 7 TROY Resources Guyana Inc (TRGI), the Australian mining company operating in the Cuyuni/Mazaruni area (Region 7) of Guyana, disclosed yesterday that it has received its Mining Licence, the last document required to commence operations in full at its Smarts and Hicks deposits within its 100%-owned Karouni Gold Project, formerly known as West Omai.

Announcing the acquisition, Martin Purvis, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said that as a result of receiving the licence, the company is now in a position to proceed to the advanced stage of project development, including plant construction and pre-strip mining operations.

Purvis disclosed that the issue of the licence also completes the list of conditions

and requirements for Troy’s US$30 million Tranche B Facility with financiers Investec Bank. “With the final stage of permitting now complete, and all major components for construction on site, Troy is now only a matter of months away from commencing production at Karouni,” he declared.

He added that the company recognises the support and commitment it had received from the Guyanese Government in processing the licence.

TRGI had received from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the Finalised Environmental Permit for construction and operation of its multi-billion-dollar Karouni gold project in Region 7 (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) on January 15 last. Valid for five years, the permit formed an essential requirement for

Tuesday, February 10, 2015 - 8:30hrs Wednesday, February 11, 2015 - 9:00hrs

approval and operation of the Mining Licence.

The company disclosed recently that it is looking at an estimated three-year open-pit mine life, producing on average 101,000 ounces of gold a year, barring the first year, in which 104,400 ounces are expected to be produced.

The operation will use a conventional carbon-inleach plant, augmented with gravity gold recovery, treating a minimum of one million tonnes and configured to allow for easy, low-cost expansion at a later date.

The plant would treat about 2.6 million tonnes of material at an average grade of 3.84 g/t gold (grams per ton gold), sourced 68% from Smarts and 32% from the Hicks open pit. The assumed metallurgical recovery is 94%.

Assuming a base-case gold price of $1250/oz and an after-tax internal rate of return (IRR) of 50.2%, the $84.6M in capital expenditure would be repaid in one and a half years, TGRI had said.

TRGI had, late last year, disclosed that it would be employing some 500 persons during the construction phase of its Karouni Gold Project, with a construction budget of approximately US$87M and an eventual permanent workforce of 250-300.

Once in operation, the Karouni project is expected to provide tertiary scholarships for a minimum of six full-time students at the University of Guyana in disciplines of Civil Engineering/Surveying, Geology, and Environmental Management.

TRGI has also pledged to work closely with the Guyana Mining School and Training Centre Inc to facilitate specialist mining, minerals processing, and trades training programmes for new entrants to the mining industry.

Aries It scares you when life seems like it’s slipping through your fingers and you can’t slow it down.

But it isn’t life that’s playing tricks on you. You aren’t seeing things as clearly as you should be.

You feel a little left out, but don’t worry. You’re just out of energy. Try and think of this empty feeling inside as a kind of purification or a much-needed break from everything.

Taurus When you were younger, your humanity and generosity seemed limitless. You felt very involved in the world and what was going wrong with it. Today you may remember these great dreams. It may be time to make some of those dreams come true. It would be especially beneficial to you if you could somehow connect this to the work you do for a living. It’s never too late to make a dream come true.

Gemini You’ve always been sensitive to the pain of an unhappy childhood. Today you can no longer stand the thought of all those children living in misery, victims of war or other atrocities. And this becomes especially painful when you take a look at the happy children full of joy around you.

You may think that it’s time for you to do something about it. You may be right.

Cancer You may feel like you need to work for a cause or political party. The period you’re in right now is bringing you closer to social issues or humanitarian causes and pushing you to think about what you can do for people less fortunate. You can help develop a new strategy as far as human relations are concerned. Don’t hesitate to listen to your heart and be a little more generous in life.

Leo Unfortunately, this may be a period of conflict and tension in your family life, especially where siblings are concerned. Don’t you think it’s time to deal with these problems once and for all?

It would be nice to build a new relationship with them. It might be painful, but it’s up to you to take the first step. Call a family meeting and put all your cards on the table.

Virgo You now seem to be able to do everything you want to do. Things are going well as you reap the rewards of important past decisions you made. The obstacles that tended to get in your way are history now. Your family is happy and healthy. Your success is encouraging you to make plans for the future. It also enables you to look forward to much better days for you and those close to you.

Libra You need to be more spontaneous, and stop trying to organise other people’s lives. You will see that it isn’t so hard to just let things happen. The unexpected also has a special charm. You’re a slave to routine. You need to take a big bite out of life and put your trust in chance for a while.

The people around you would like to see more originality in your personality. Listen to them.

Scorpio You’re a hard worker, and you expect the same from the people around you. Today you may want to take a look at your personal and work relationships. Demanding person that you are, you may be concerned about the quality of your friendships. Don’t be afraid to separate good from bad. Life is too short to devote your energy to bad relationships.

Sagittarius Watch for any errors in orientation or strategic mistakes. You may be having some communication problems with almost everyone today. You feel like whatever you say falls on deaf ears and that no one really wants to listen to you. Don’t get frustrated. Relax and see it with humour. Just be an observer for one day and see what happens.

Capricorn At the moment, there’s a great deal of electricity in the air, especially in your life at home.

Ignore those people who try to provoke you. Don’t get involved in conflicts that could degenerate into fights. Go somewhere to be alone. Re-energise by really listening to your desires, feelings, and instincts. Why not spend the afternoon in a museum, for example?

Aquarius If people say that you’re stubborn when you’re just determined, let them talk, and do what you need to do. However, when you think you’re being determined but you’re actually being obstinate, you may want to listen to the people around you. They don’t tell you to calm down because they’re jealous of you but because they care about you. They may not know that you hate to lose.

Pisces It’s time to face up to certain things about yourself that you may have denied for some time .

You have only yourself to answer to, so relax. You aren’t the first one to have to deal with old issues that probably aren’t as shameful as you think. You don’t have to be proud of them. You can’t keep hiding them from yourself. This could cause more problems than dealing with them once and for all.

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Egypt postpones all soccer matches following Cairo deaths

By Osama Khairy CAIRO, Egypt (Reuters) - All soccer in Egypt was postponed indefinitely yesterday after at least 19 people were killed following clashes between fans and police outside a stadium in Cairo on Sunday.

A Health Ministry spokesman told Reuters by phone the final toll was 19 dead, but the public prosecutor’s office said there were 22 fatalities while Zamalek supporters group, the Ultras White Knights, said on their Facebook page they have “28 martyrs till now”.

Whatever the exact tally, there will be no soccer in any of Egypt’s top three divisions or at minor level following the latest outbreak of soccer-related violence in the country.

The deaths occurred when fans were crushed in a stampede after police fired tear gas at Zamalek supporters attempting to get into the stadium for the match against city rivals ENPPI. The game went ahead and ended in a 1-1 draw.

“The Egyptian FA has

Policemen and soccer fans are seen through barbed wire as fans attempt to enter a stadium to watch a match, on the outskirts of Cairo on Sunday.

Credit: REUTERS/Al Youm Al Saabi Newspaper decided to stop all soccer activities at all league levels to mourn the victims of the unfortunate events which happened at the ZamalekENPPI match,” the Egyptian FA said in a statement on its website (www.efa.com).

As a result of the tragedy, Zamalek postponed a news conference scheduled for yesterday when they were going to present their new Portuguese

coach Jesualdo Ferreira.

The 68-year-old, who has coached Benfica, Porto and Sporting Lisbon among other clubs, was due to take over from caretaker Mohamed Salah following the departure of former Portugal international Jaime Pacheco last month.

But he may leave before he even starts depending on the length of the ban.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter

sent a letter of condolence to Egyptian FA president Gamal Allam.

“I would like to express my deepest condolences to the Egyptian soccer community for the tragic events that occurred at last night’s match in Cairo between Zamalek and ENPPI,” Blatter said.

“My thoughts and sympathies are with the families of all those who have lost their lives yesterday evening.

“It is so sad that a game of soccer, which should be the scene of joy and positive emotions, should be overshadowed in this way. We await the results of the investigation into this tragedy,” he added.

Soccer matches are often a flashpoint for trouble in Egypt where 72 fans were killed at a match following politicallymotivated violence in Port Said in February 2012.

Since then Egypt has curbed the number of people allowed to attend, and supporters have often tried to storm stadiums they are banned from entering.

Feeble Windies collapse to defeat in warm-up SYDNEY, Australia (CMC) – West Indies made a feeble start to their World Cup campaign here yesterday, producing another listless display to slump to a nine-wicket defeat to England in their first official warm-up.

Opting to bat under dreary skies at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Caribbean side were bundled out for a hugely disappointing 122 off 29.3 overs.

Lendl Simmons, batting in the middle order, topscored with 45 while opener Dwayne Smith got 21.

They were the only batsman to pass 20 and two of four to reach double figures, as pacer Chris Woakes capitalised on seamer-friendly conditions to destroy the Windies innings with five for 19.

His new-ball partner

Steven Finn claimed two for 23.

In reply, England coasted to their target off just 22.5 overs, with opener Moeen Ali top-scoring with 46 and his partner Ian Bell getting 35 not out.

The pair added 70 for the first wicket off 71 deliveries, with Moeen leading the charge with an up-tempo knock off 43 balls with nine fours.

When he drove speedster Kemar Roach to Darren Bravo at short cover in the 12th over, James Taylor entered to stroke an unbeaten 25 and post 55 in an unbroken, second-wicket stand with Bell.

The right-handed Bell faced 68 balls and counted two fours.

Winning the toss and strangely choosing to bat in bowler-friendly conditions,

West Indies were always up against it once they lost badly out-of-form opener Chris Gayle and Darren Bravo for first ball ‘ducks’ in the opening over.

Gayle, without a significant score in the last two years, gloved a legside catch to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler off one from Woakes that lifted and off the very next ball Bravo was squared up and nicked a simple catch behind.

Smith faced 23 balls and struck three fours but lacked conviction, and there was no surprise when he stabbed Woakes to Bell at second slip at 35 for three at the end of the seventh.

He put on 34 for the third wicket with Marlon Samuels who drove and cut Finn for boundaries in the seamer’s third over.

However, he followed Smith off the first delivery

GFF and Shabazz negotiating ...

The pair, joined by the GFF’s Normalisation Committee, met with a selected group of legal minds at the Guyana Olympic Association, in an attempt to carry out an obligation by FIFA to reform all the constitutions of their member associations.

“After our meetings last week, FIFA is now working on a draft of the amended

constitution and is expected to finalise the draft soon,” Urling said.

He added, “Once completed, it will be circulated to the members of the Federation for input and recommendations. Thereafter, FIFA officials will again visit Guyana to meet with the members of the Federation to discuss the proposed amendments.

Subsequently, the GFF’s Normalisation

of the eighth over, bowled

by Finn driving at a fulllength ball, with both feet planted on the crease.

At 35 for four, West Indies were in need of something special but it never came. Simmons, in his first international in nearly a month since recovering from a finger injury, offered brief respite with an enterprising knock that included four fours and a six and came from just 55 balls.

He clipped Finn to the mid-wicket boundary to get off the mark and with wickets clattering around him, cleared the fence at long on with off-spinner James Tredwell in the 26th over.

With a half-century in sight, he gave Woakes his fourth wicket when he drove to Tredwell at cover, to be eighth out.

From page 27

Committee will convene a meeting of the current Congress to adopt the new constitution.”

Just like the FIFA officials, Urling was reluctant to give a time frame for the aforementioned process to take place, but, with a lifeline given by FIFA, it is suggested that everything should be done by the end of September.

Scoreboard GUYANA Jaguars 1st innings 314 JAMAICA 1st innings 177 GUYANA 2nd innings 202 JAMAIACA Franchise 2nd innings (target: 340) (o/n 105 for six) N. Bonner lbw b Joseph 1 John Campbell c Permaul b Beaton 8 J. Blackwood c Reifer b Joseph 7 H. Miller c Barnwell b Reifer 7 T. Lambert c Hetmyer b Bishoo 29 D. Bernard Jr lbw b Beaton 37 C. Baugh Jr lbw b Permaul 1 D. Jacobs lbw b Barnwell 36 J. Dawes c wkp. Bramble b Beaton 33 M. Mindley b Permaul 5 O. Brown not out 45 Extras: (b-11, lb-3, w-4, nb-7) 25 Total: (all out, 89.3 overs) 234 Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-11, 3-17, 4-50, 5-71, 6-72, 7-137, 8-141, 9-150.

Bowling: Beaton 13-4-47-2, Joseph 8.3-3-34-3, Reifer 5-1-13-11, Barnwell 11-6-16-1, Permaul 2413-37-2, Bishoo 28-5-73-1.

Points: Guyana Jaguars 18, T&T Red Force 3.

Racing Tips South Africa Racing Tips

Race 6 Irish Jones

Turffontein

Race 7 Graeme Crackerjack

12:15 hrs Nomvula 12:45 hrs Dr Finley 13:15 hrs Off The Mark 13:45 hrs Winter Star 14:15 hrs Jock Silberstein 14:45 hrs Siren’s Call 15:15 hrs Willow Magic 15:45 hrs Erin Irish Racing Tips

Race 8 Crushing Race 9 Reign Suzanne English Racing Tips Siuthwell 10:00 hrs Sleet 10:30 hrs Red Unico 11:05 hrs Samtu 11:35 hrs Kung Hei Choy

Clonmel

12:10 hrs International Name

09:35 hrs I Knew Well

12:40 hrs Gabrial The Duke

10:05 hrs Dalmata 10:35 hrs Kauto Grand Mogol

Ayr 10:10 hrs Top Of The Glas

11:10 hrs Annakrista

10:45 hrs Teddy Tee

11:40 hrs Turban

11:15 hrs Simmply Sam

12:15 hrs Black Zweo

11:50 hrs Plus Jamais

12:45 hrs Court Frontier

12:20 hrs Sa Suffit 12:55 hrs Professor Plum

American Racing Tips

Ffos Las

Philadelphia Park

10:20 hrs Thunder And Rain

Race 1 Kayudy Flyer Race 2 Bold Deed Race 3 Big Lute Race 4 Street Invader Race 5 Joint Decision

11:25 hrs Cash Injection 12:00 hyrs Copper Birch 12:30 hrs Pobbles Bay 13:05 hrs Benability

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday February 10, 2015

South Africa edge Sri Lanka in World Cup warm-up (REUTERS) - SOUTH Africa beat Sri Lanka by five wickets with just three balls to spare in a thrilling rain-interrupted World Cup warm-up yesterday.

Sri Lanka smashed 279 for seven in their innings, which was reduced to 44.4 overs after rain stopped play at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan laid the foundations for a big Sri Lankan total when he belted exactly 100 off just 83 deliveries, which included 15 boundaries and two sixes.

He was well supported by the Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews, who made a quickfire 58 off 49 balls, and Dimuth Karunaratne, who chipped in with 46 off 61 deliveries.

Kyle Abbott was the pick of the South

Africa bowlers, taking 3-37 while all-rounder Wayne Parnell bagged two wickets.

When the rain stopped and the South Africans started their reply, they were initially set 230 to win off 30 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis method.

Despite being without their captain AB de Villiers, who was rested as a precaution because of tightness in his hip, the Proteas made a flying start.

Quinton de Kock (66) and Hashim Amla (46) put on 115 for the opening wicket in 15 overs before the rain returned, forcing another delay.

South Africa’s target was reduced to 188 off 25 overs, leaving them needing 72 of 10 overs with 10 wickets in hand.

What seemed like an easy chase suddenly

Tillakaratne Dilshan

began to look tricky when they lost de Kock and Amla in the first over after play resumed then three more wickets before the end of the 23rd over.

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath snatched three wickets for Sri Lanka, leaving South Africa requiring 21 off the last 14 balls, but Rilee Rossouw (16 not out) and Vernon Philander (13 not out) safely guided the Proteas to victory.

South Africa will play their final warmup against New Zealand in Christchurch tomorrow, while Sri Lanka will face Zimbabwe the same day.

The World Cup starts on Saturday when co-hosts New Zealand meet Sri Lanka in Christchurch and Australia play England in Melbourne.

Lankans call up fast bowler Chameera for World Cup (REUTERS) - Sri Lanka have called fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera into their World Cup squad as replacement for the injured Dhammika Prasad, Cricinfo

Irfan and Maqsood star in narrow Pakistan victory

Sohaib Maqsood SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) Sohaib Maqsood spared Pakistan’s blushes by hitting an unbeaten 93 to secure the team’s three-wicket victory over Bangladesh in their first World Cup warm-up match yesterday.

Maqsood’s 90-ball knock took Pakistan home with 11 balls to spare but their top order looked far from convincing as they chased 247 runs for victory.

Having beaten the former champions in the 1999 World Cup, Bangladesh rekindled hopes of another upset by reducing Pakistan to 199 for six in the 43rd over but were thwarted by Maqsood who hit nine fours and two

sixes.

Bangladesh posted a competitive 246 after opting to bat first but were all out with one delivery to go in their innings.

They lost two quick wickets but Tamim Iqbal (81) and Mahmudullah (83) added 168 runs to consolidate the innings.

Iqbal’s 109-ball knock will please captain Mashrafe Mortaza the most, as the lefthanded opener was returning to action after undergoing knee surgery in December.

Down the order, allrounder Shakib Al Hasan scored a brisk 31 before Mohammad Irfan (5-52) ripped through the middle and lower order.

Towering Irfan’s fivewicket haul was a rare positive in Pakistan’s otherwise wayward bowling effort, underlined by the 17 wides they conceded.

Pakistan’s top order did little to convince their fans and the 1992 champions were 52 for three in the 16th over before Maqsood and Harris Sohail (39) steadied the innings with a 51-run stand.

Umar Akmal fell after contributing 39 but Maqsood guided them home.

reported yesterday.

The 23-year-old Chameera has played in one limited-overs international, taking two wickets, against New Zealand last

month.

Sri Lanka, the 1996 world champions, face New Zealand in the World Cup’s opening match on Saturday in Christchurch.

24

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday February 10, 2015

Windwards seal historic big win over dismal Red Force GROS ISLET, St Lucia (CMC) - Windward Islands Volcanoes pulled off their largest-ever margin of victory in the history of modern regional first class cricket when they flattened struggling Trinidad and Tobago Red Force by an innings and 148 runs here yesterday.

Led by their West Indies stars, off-spinner Shane Shillingford and left-arm seamer Kenroy Peters, the Windwards routed Red Force for 75 in their second innings – to achieve victory 17 minutes before lunch on the final day of the fifth round contest at the Beausejour Cricket Ground.

Shillingford finished with four for 25 to end with match figures of seven for 67 while Peters claimed three for 11 to end with match figures of eight for 32.

Left-arm speedster Delorn Johnson supported with two for 21.

For Red Force, the total was their lowest ever in the modern regional game against Windwards, and it reiterated their poor campaign this season.

They picked up just two points from the encounter while the Windwards finished with 20 points – the first time a team has picked up maximum points since the new points system was introduced.

Yannick Cariah, who topscored in their first innings with 50, was the highest scorer again with 12 and was one of just four players in double figures.

Resuming the day on six without loss, Jeremy Solozano (11) and Evin Lewis (10) pushed the score up to 21 before being separated.

Shane Shillingford Lewis had faced 28 balls in half-hour at the crease when he was bowled by pacer Mervin Matthew

in the day’s fifth over. Johnson then struck two critical blows in quick succession, removing Kjorn Ottley for five and then Solozano, to leave Red Force on 40 for three.

As he did in the first innings, Cariah attempted another rearguard action but this time around he failed, lasting half-hour and 21 balls before becoming Peters’ first wicket of the morning.

Rocking at 49 for four, Shillingford was summoned to perform the final rites and when he prised out captain Jason Mohammed for two, the last six wickets crashed for just 24 runs.

Red Force followed on by 223 runs after they were dismissed for 177 in their first innings on Sunday’s third day in reply to Volcanoes’ 400 for eight declared.

JCA in-fighting deepens with war of words THE war of words within the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) hierarchy continued unabated Sunday ahead of the annual general meeting later this month.

There has been a public spat within the

NOTABLE DATES

ON February 10, 1990 southpaw welterweight Andrew Murray made his professional debut. Murray travelled to Bridgetown, Barbados where he TKOed Alonzo Clarke in the fourth round. He defeated Conrad Hunte in his next fight before suffering back-to-back losses to Pascal David.

Murray was soon after taken under the wing by manager Odinga Lumumba and went on a 16-fight winning spree.

He won the vacant Commonwealth welterweight title in October 1993 following a sixth-round TKO of Tony Swift.

In August 1995, Murray was in Nice, France to challenge Ghanaian Ike Quartey for the WBA welterweight title.

Quartey won by a fourth round TKO. Murray moved up to super welterweight and shocked the boxing world when he flattened then worldrated and previously undefeated Michael Covington, with a single punch in round three of a scheduled ten-round affair.

The southpaw left Covington flattened in the ring at the Foxwoods Resort, in Connecticut, USA on November 5, 1999. So devastating was the performance of the 28-year-old Murray that internationally-respected Ring Magazine rated his victory as one of the best knockouts of the year.

Murray died at age 30 after being involved in a car accident on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway on January 26, 2002. His record includes 27 wins (17 KOs), seven defeats and one draw.

JCA since the board of directors voted 10-6 last Tuesday to support Barbadian Joel Garner ahead of Jamaican incumbent Whycliffe ‘Dave’ Cameron for the post of West Indies Cricket Board president.

The turmoil took a dramatic turn on Saturday when a draft resolution was circulated, proposing a no-confidence motion against JCA president Wilford ‘Billy’ Heaven.

The document bore the signature of St James Cricket Association president Cecil Fletcher and was seconded by Gautam Kumaraswamy of Kensington Cricket Club. The motion, listing six reasons Heaven should step aside, is to be tabled at the association’s AGM on February 17.

Among the reasons was the alleged “manipulated process used to support” West Indies cricket legend Garner.

Following recent comments attributed to JCA first vice-president Dr Donovan Bennett, who is a supporter of Heaven, JCA director Wayne Lewis has expressed his displeasure, saying the latest utterances only served to further split the board.

Speaking to the Jamaica Observer yesterday, Lewis chided Bennett for claiming that the directors on the losing side of the vote were behind the no-confidence motion.

“It is most irresponsible, the decision he (Bennett) has made to come public and criticise, according to him, the members who voted for ‘Dave’ Cameron,” said Lewis.

“Where is the evidence to substantiate that those are the ones responsible for the noconfidence motion? That is just dividing the board more and creating more animosity within the board,” added Lewis, who is a former Jamaica batsman.

He also urged Bennett to declare the “compelling reasons” Heaven had for going with Garner.

But when the Observer contacted Bennett yesterday, he remained steadfast in his defence of Heaven.

“I support the president 100 per cent on this,” said Bennett.

“He would not have liked having to vote

Scoreboard WINDWARDS 1st innings 400-8 decl.

T&T Red Force 1st innings 177 T&T Red Force 2nd innings (following-on) (o/n six without loss) E. Lewis b Matthew 10 J. Solozano c Fletcher b Johnson 11 K. Ottley c Smith b Johnson 5 Y. Cariah c Smith b Peters 12 J. Mohammed c Charles b Shillingford 2 Y. Ottley c Smith b Shillingford 10 S. Katwaroo c Ambris b Shillingford 0 I. Khan c Charles b Shillingford 8 D. St Clair c Fletcher b Peters 3 M. Richards c Smith b Peters 3 S. Gabriel not out 0 Extras: (lb-9, w-1, nb-1) 11 Total: (all out, 32.1 overs) 75 Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-33, 3-40, 4-49, 5-51, 6-53, 7-61, 8-70, 9-73.

Bowling: Johnson 8-1-21-2, Shillingford 10-1-25-4, Sebastien 1-0-3-0, Matthew 6-3-6-1, Peters 7.1-3-11-3.

Points: Windward Islands Volcanoes 20, T&T Red Force 2.

NOTABLE DATES

Wilford Heaven against a Jamaican in the process, but he had to do what was right for cricket. He had compelling reasons and I have too,” Bennett said.

Lewis argued that Heaven should bring members together to iron out differences.

“We really need to come together and have a meeting to thrash out our differences maybe at a retreat. We really need to sit together, all 19 of us and lay blame where it is to be blamed,” he said.

But Bennett was sceptical.

“How can we foster a harmonious relationship on the board when we have a democratic vote and (when) a certain section loses ... they leak to the press and they make a mockery of the whole democratic process?” he asked.

Lewis argued that prior to last Tuesday’s directors’ vote there was an absence of evenhandedness in the approach of the JCA leadership.

He appeared to suggest the vote should have been delayed to allow both Cameron and Garner to make presentations to board members and answer questions. He noted that while Cameron made a presentation, the failure of a telephone link meant Garner was not heard from. Yet, Lewis said, the directors were required to vote just the same.

Heaven and Bennett are Jamaica’s two representatives on the WICB board of directors.

The WICB’s AGM and election for president are fixed for March 7 in Jamaica.

(Jamaica Observer)

LIGHTWEIGHT Cleveland Denny is from a small group of Guyanese boxers to never have had a professional fight on home soil.

Notable members of that group are `Vicious’ Vivian Harris, Steve Frank and Dennis Andries.

Denny had 12 of his 14 professional fights in Quebec, Canada. The other two were held in the USA. On February 9, 1977 Denny won a six-round fight against American Ron Pettigrew. It was the second bout of his relatively short professional career.

He made his professional debut on December 14, 1976 in his adopted homeland Canada. Born in 1956, Denny was crowned Canadian lightweight champion on November 1, 1977 following a points decision victory over Jean Lapointe.

He had three fights against Gaetan Hart. The first was held in September 1977 and the Guyanese won on points.

Hart snatched Denny’s Canadian title on April 5 of the following year via a split-decision victory. The heart of the boxing world was shaken following the third encounter.

On June 20, 1980 at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Hart won by TKO at two minutes and 48 seconds of the 10th round. Denny died 16 days later of injuries sustained in the fight and ended with a record of 10 victories, two defeats and two draws.

25

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday February 10, 2015

QC and Tutorial High set to attend Barbados Relay at weekend

By Tamica Garnett SOME 16 students from Queen’s College and 18 students from Tutorial High School are currently in training to attend the upcoming annual Barbados Relay Fair, which is expected to be held on Saturday at the Barbados National Stadium, Waterford, St Michael, Barbados.

The Queen’s College athletes are five girls and 11 boys, while for Tutorial High 11 girls and six boys will attend. However, the two local schools will not be coming up against each other at the event as both will be taking athletes in different age categories.

QC will be participating in the Under-17 and Under-20, while Tutorial will focus on the younger age groups, fielding Under-13 and Under-15 teams in track and one Under-17 field athlete.

QC will be participating in the Girls Under-20 category only. The team comprises Yonessa Fredericks, Gabrielle Cave, Kara Abrahams, Virilyn Gibson, and Isoke Britton.

The team consists of mainly newcomers, with Fredericks the only returning athlete. The girls will be participating in the 4x100, 4x400m and sprint medley.

For the boys, the returning athletes are Malcolm Wills and Shemar Britton. This year will mark Wills’ third time representing his school at the event, as he first attended with the team in 2010, and returned with the 2011 team. For Britton, one of Guyana’s national table tennis players, this will be his second time.

The QC boys will be participating in both the Under-20 and Under-17 categories. Wills is a part of the Under-20 team, while Britton is in the Under-17 side. The other Under-20 athletes are Delroy Austin, Patrick Huntley, Ryan Narine and Damani Thomas while the

Under-17 team has Clarence Baird, Jamal Sampson, Terron Alleyne, Nicolas Stoonar and Germaine Kendall.

The QC team have been in training for just over three months, training six days a week, divided up into two days of gym exercise, three days of track practice and one day competition run. Training was done under the watchful eyes of Performance Enhancement specialist Neil Barry, as well as personal trainer and head coach for the team, Asim Victor. Barry and Victor will be travelling along with the team while two

water and electrolytes for the athletes when they are training, but expectations are high to moderate. High for the Boys Under-17 team, high for them because that is the team that has shown the most consistently good performances over the past few months,” Barry explained.

“Obviously the Girls team is very limited. We were hoping we could have taken more athletes, but the team we have they are a hardworking group so a lot is expected from them.”

For Tutorial High things are being

The Queen’s College athletes in training with Performance Enhancement Specialist Neil Barry. (Photo by Tamica Garnett) teachers from the school are also expected to accompany them.

Speaking with Barry recently, he shared that prospects for the team’s performance at the event are high to moderate.

“Training has been progressing well, it could have been better if there was more consistent support from the school in terms of sending school personnel, and sending

orchestrated by the school’s Sports Administrator, Andel Bethune, who will be travelling with the team, along with Physical Education teacher, Kirk Moses, and female teacher Bonita Jackman. Additionally a number of parents of the athletes are expected to accompany their children.

The school will be fielding a Girls Under-13 team comprising Shauntel Venture, Coleen Hurst, Shaneka Cummings,

No World Cup worries for Windies despite warm-up drubbing

By Nick Mulvenney

SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) - Team manager Richie Richardson said West Indies were wary of peaking too soon at the World Cup but there looked precious little chance of that on the evidence of their heavy defeat to England in their first warm-up yesterday.

England dismissed the twice world champions for 122 before reaching their target with more than 27 overs to spare for a thumping nine-wicket victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

“Not a very good start but it’s not about the start, it’s about the finish,” Richardson told reporters.

“We are obviously disappointed with our performance but we will review it and come back. Our plan is to ease into the World Cup; we don’t want to peak too early.

“Tonight is no reflection of how we have been training or anything to do with the mood in the camp. It was just very strange that England got the better of us in that particular way.”

West Indies arrived at the World Cup in some turmoil and without former

West Indies manager Richie Richardson captain Dwayne Bravo after rows over player contracts led to the abandonment of a tour of India last October.

Richardson, however, said the abject manner of yesterday’s defeat had come as a complete shock to him.

“I have no explanation for it because I didn’t expect it,” he said.

“People might be wondering what is going on. But I can safely say we have been playing well, the guys have been in very good spirits; it was just one of those things.

“Hopefully, you won’t see a

performance like this from us again.”

The West Indies never really recovered from losing Darren Bravo and Chris Gayle for ducks in the opening over yesterday and Richardson said it would be wrong to read anything into the fact that the latter had not fielded.

“Chris Gayle has been training well, he hasn’t really complained about any injuries, he played football with the guys this morning,” the former West Indies captain added.

“He’s in good shape, we just want to preserve him as much as possible and then hopefully as the tournament goes on he will go from strength to strength.”

Richardson was equally sanguine about the performance of 23-yearold captain Jason Holder, who was dismissed for one run off three balls and failed to take a wicket.

“Worried? No,” he said. “If the selectors didn’t think he couldn’t have done the job they wouldn’t have given him all that responsibility.

“So far, he’s done a good job and shown a lot of character; he’s managed to get the guys to rally around him.

“There’s nothing to worry about.”

and Rianna Thomas. There will also be an Under-15 Girls team and an U-15 Boys team. The girls are Tamara and Tia Henry, Cassie Small, Roshana Haynes, Izeebe Walcott, and Shelunda Sankar. The boys are Zion Gray, Osapho Greene, David Coates, Daniel Melville, Ashnead Nedd and Tunanie Whitney. Additionally Keziah Austin is expected to take part in the field event, throwing the shot put and discus in the Girls Under-17 category.

With the exception of Melville, the Tutorial team is comprised mainly of first-timers. According to Bethune, the athletes have been in training since before last year’s hosting of the National schools track and field competition. They train three days a week with the assistance of National coach Lyndon Wilson.

Bethune described his team’s preparation as satisfactory.

“We have had them training since before the school nationals and it’s not bad. We’re satisfied with the work that has been put in. We’re expecting them to place at least third, but one of the problems we have is that the races are finals by time, so that is a challenge, because remember if there isn’t anyone there to challenge them in the race they won’t really run as fast. But they understand what is ‘finals by times’, and we’re working on their timings.” Bethune said.

Noting the young age of the athletes, Bethune pointed out that other than medals another big gain they are hopeful to get from attending the event is exposure for the athletes.

The Tutorial team will leave on Friday, February 13, and return Monday, February 16. Tutorial High had been attending the event for a number of years, having first attended in 2012. However neither QC nor Tutorial attended the annual event last year.

Blatter and rival candidates pass electoral integrity checks

Sepp Blatter FIFA’s electoral committee has approved Sepp Blatter and his three rivals for the world governing body’s presidential elections on 29 May. A FIFA statement said all four had passed “integrity checks” and were eligible to stand for the presidency.

Dutch federation president Michael van Praag and Jordanian Prince Ali bin Al Hussein are standing against Blatter and exPortugal winger Luis Figo.

Blatter, 78, has held the post since 1998 and is seeking a fifth term. (BBC Sport0

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday February 10, 2015

GCB supports Cameron for WICB presidency Dave Cameron President of the West Indies Cricket Board

By Rawle Toney WHILE the calls are increasing for Dave Cameron, the president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), to step down from his position, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), through secretary Anand Sanasie, yesterday said that they will be supporting the Jamaican at next month’s elections.

Cameron will be challenged by West Indies

legend and president of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Joel Garner when the territorial boards meet in Kingston, Jamaica for their Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Elections on March 7.

Garner’s running mate is reported to be Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) director Baldath Mahabir while Cameron will have his WICB vicepresident Emmanuel Nanthan at his side on

March 7.

Despite Cameron being at the forefront of criticism over the West Indies aborted tour of India late last year and calls being made for him to step down coming from well-known personalities including the Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, Sanasie said that the GCB is in favour of the Jamaican, based on a meeting held in Guyana.

“We would have met with him (Cameron) when we had our awards ceremony here last year and he would have made certain proposals which we accepted and are in favour of,” Sanasie said while speaking exclusively with Chronicle Sport yesterday.

Sanasie, a member director on the Cameron-led WICB, further pointed out

`Fishy’ Williams registers second victory for 2015 cycle season

Marlon `Fishy’ Williams (left) accepts his trophy and cash prize from race organiser Hassan Mohamed after winning the R&R International-sponsored 40-mile cycle road race on Sunday. (Photo by Samuel Maughn)

By Michael DaSilva TEAM Evolution’s Marlon `Fishy’ Williams registered his second victory of the 2015 cycle season on Sunday, winning the R&R International-sponsored 40-mile road race event in one hour38 minutes 59 seconds.

Williams, who won the season’s opener two weeks ago in the feature 35-lap Ricks and Sari-sponsored event, cruised to an easy victory on Sunday and he

also won one of the six sprint prizes that were on offer.

The race attracted 52 starters, who were sent on their way by Jacob Rambarran Jr from the Demerara Harbour Bridge.

The senior and junior riders battled to Bushy Park, East Bank Essequibo before returning the place of origin for the finish, while the veterans, mountain bikers and ladies turned back at Uitvlugt.

Alanzo Greaves finished second, Hamza Eastman

third and Raul Leal fourth, while Williams’ team mate Michael Anthony and Christopher Holder occupied the fifth and sixth spots.

Greaves, Eastman, Paul DeNobrega, Shaquil Agard and Orville Hinds all won one sprint prize each.

Jamal John was the winner of the junior category.

Second was Andrew Hicks and third was Jaleel Jackson.

Junior Niles won the veteran category ahead of Talim Shaw and Kennard Lovell respectively, while Keon Thomas was first among the mountain bikers.

Second was Seon Budhan and third was Ozia McAuley.

The ladies’ category was won by Marika Dick.

In second place was Crystal Lambert and third was Toshanna Doris.

Prior to the start of the race, Jacob Rambarran Sr was introduced to the participants and he said he was very impressed with the number of participants the race attracted.

The senior Rambarran who was a former cyclist and is the Managing Director of R&R International Limited said he is satisfied with the work the race organiser Hassan Mohamed has been doing over the past 24 years that his company has been sponsoring the event and pledged his company’s continued support in the future.

that at the time, the Jamaican was the lone candidate, with Garner surfacing later as a legitimate challenger to the presidential seat of the WICB, but the GCB’s position remains the same.

“Nothing has changed. I mean, at that time he was the only one, but now, nothing has changed and we’ll be supporting him. It should be obvious,” Sanasie said.

Meanwhile, though Sanasie didn’t outline to Chronicle Sport their rationale for supporting

the incumbent WICB president, it was reported in yesterday’s edition of the Jamaican Gleaner, that the establishment of a professional first-class tournament regionally – which has resulted in the permanent employment of 90 players – as one of Cameron’s legacies.

Sanasie, however, said that president Drubahadur and marketing manager Raj Singh will be GCB’s representatives in Jamaica with Guyana being one of

the six regional boards who will have two votes each.

Cameron was nominated by the GCB and was seconded by the Windward Islands Cricket Board of Control. Garner, 62, was backed by his board, the BCA, and was seconded by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board.

Up to the time of this report, the WICB had not disclosed the nominations for the various positions following last Saturday’s deadline.

CrossFit Games for Guyana

Co-organiser of the Guyana CrossFit Games Jaime McDonald

The CrossFit Games will be held on March 1 on the tarmac of the National Park, beginning at 10:00hrs.

The organizers, Jaime McDonald of Fitness Express and Noshavyah King of Genesis Fitness Express are the persons behind it.

They are looking for no more than 8 teams of four, one of whom must be female. If you can’t muster a team then you can go at it solo.

It’s unclear at this stage the actual events that will be used to test the fitness level

of the participants but the organisers have posted a list of some 15 exercises that can be used in one’s training to prepare for the games.

These include but are not limited to the deadlift, cleans, push press, squats, thrusters, kettle bell swings, push-ups, burpees, box jumps, pull ups, toes to bar, farmer’s walk, tyre flips, sled pulls and pushes and of course, some amount of running.

More information on the event can be found on their official Facebook page – Guyana CrossFit Games.

By Leeron Brumell IT’S BEEN making the rounds on the social networking site Facebook – the E-Networks Guyana CrossFit Games, perhaps the first time it is being held on these shores.

CrossFit competitions are held around the world.

Professional athletes train year-round for the events.

Here at home, athletes of any discipline and fitness enthusiasts nationwide are being encouraged to participate.

It’s a brutal competition that not only tests your fitness level and endurance, but your central nervous system.

According to the CrossFit online site, the programme is designed for universal scalability, making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience.

They boast that it’s been used for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts.

There have been many books written, dedicated to CrossFit training from ‘beginners to ballistic athletes’; some chronicling the training regime and diet of professional Crossfitters such as Julie Foucher – dubbed the 2nd fittest woman on earth coming out of the 2012 CrossFit games.

Co-organiser of the Guyana CrossFit Games Noshavyah King

CRICKETQUIZ CORNER (Tuesday February 10, 2015) Compliments of THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market &The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL CO. LTD-83 Garnette Street, Campbellville (Tel: 225-6158; 223-6055) Answers to yesterday’s quiz (1)

10

(2)

Clive Lloyd

Today’s Quiz: (1) Which nation won the last ICC World Cup? (2) When was the last time the ICC World Cup was played in Australia/New Zealand?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday February 10, 2015

Powerlifting records untouched

… Mack, Alleyne, Blackman best lifters

By Leeron Brumell IT WAS the first competition for the year and while no national records were equalled or broken, three lifters showed their worth, two in the Novices and one in the Juniors for the National Powerlifting event.

In the Novices, Orin Alleyne of Upper Demerara Barbell Club was considered the best of all the new male lifters on the day, while the diminutive Britney Mack – the shortest and youngest female on show - was adjudged the best girl.

In the Junior Division Rudolph Blackman took the top honours.

The best lifter is determined by what’s called the Wilks Coefficient or Wilks Formula and it is used to measure the strength of a lifter against other powerlifters despite the different weight classes.

With 36 lifters registered three as guest lifters - the day was going to be a long one; nine hours from the time it started to the time the winners were announced.

There were six females split into three divisions.

Mack of Life Gym at age 16 beat off her lone competitor in the 47kg class, Tacina D’Aguiar, 17 years of age.

Mack’s best squat on the day was 107.5kg and her deadlift 105kg. She and D’Aguiar both had a bench press of 25kg, but Mack’s winning total was 237.5kg,

Female Best Lifter Britney Mack during the deadlift

Britney Mack collects her female Best Lifter trophy from GAPF executive John Edwards.

against D’Aguiar’s 195kg.

There were also two lifters in the 63kg class. Nadina Taharally won over Shellon Nicholas.

Taharally took victory in the squats with 107.5kg.

Nicholas managed 95kg as her best and while both had 47.5kg bench press, Nicholas held the edge in the deadlift at 107.5kg.

Taharally totalled 255kg, five more than Nicholas.

In the 84kg class, Tia Telford put in the work in the deadlift to take

victory. She trailed Tracy Shamshudeen in the squat, while they both had a finishing weight of 52.5kg on the bench press. Telford out-pulled Shamshudeen by 32kg (132kg) to take the win. Telford totalled 272kg while Samshudeen registered 257kg.

When the best weights of all the ladies along with their bodyweight were calculated according to Wilks – the tiny Mack registered 319.41 to take the best lifter title.

Female Best Lifter Britney Mack is watched by spotters during the squat.

In the Male Novices, Alleyne was in competition with himself. His squat of 275kg set the tone in the 83kg class, he benched 147.5kg and deadlifted 237.5kg for a winning total of 612kg. No other lifter came close. Denzil Hopkinson was second with 552.5kg and Vickram Panday 3rd at 515kg.

Other category winners were: 59kg Me yo sal Headley - sq 120kg, bp 75kg, dl 160kg for a total of 355kg in the 59kg class.

Derran Harris – sq 192kg, bp 115kg, dl 199kg for a total of 502kg in the 66kg class.

Rawle Porter – sq 165kg, bp 120kg, dl 190kg, totalling 475kg in the 74kg division; Dennis Adams – sq 209.5kg, bp 167.5kg, dl 167.5kg for a total of 576.5kg in the 93kg division.

Matthew Levi - sq 120kg, bp 90kg, dl, 155kg, totalling 370kg in the 120kg class When the top 3 finishers in each division were pitted against each other on paper

- Alleyne came out the best lifter, Wilks giving him 433.3.

And in the Junior Division with six lifters to the bar Rudolph Blackman squatted 272.5kg, benchpressed 172.5kg and pulled 280kg in the deadlift for a total of 725kg. His Wilks for the best lifter title was 514.96.

Darren Ramotar 660kg was 2nd in regular competition and Imran Mohammed 625kg in third.

GFF and Shabazz negotiating a way forward ... FIFA working on draft constitution

By Rawle Toney “THE GFF Normalisation Committee and Shabazz are currently negotiating a way forward,” stated Chairman Clinton Urling, when contacted yesterday by Chronicle Sport, seeking clarification on the way forward with Jamaal Shabazz and the country’s Senior National Team and U-23 unit.

Shabazz was hired for Guyana’s February 1 Friendly International against Barbados. The two countries played to a 2-2 draw at the Barbados National Stadium.

GFF Normalisation Committee chairman Clinton Urling (L) and Jamaal Shabazz

According to Urling, a decision will be made shortly with regard to Shabazz’s full-time employment as head coach of the Golden Jaguars who will be heading into preparation mode for their June 2018 World Cup Qualifiers against St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“We held a closed-door meeting with the national players on Friday, February 6 and received positive feedback from them on the entire encampment and game experiences.

Additionally, there was unequivocal support and endorsement for the coach and technical team for their performance and

professionalism for Barbados engagement,” Urling said.

However, Urling also mentioned that “a lot will come down to the existing reality of the GFF financial situation and what remuneration we can offer. In other territories, like Trinidad for example, government or corporate sponsors pay the head coach and technical directors.

However, in our context, there is no such support and the federation is left to absorb all costs.”

Meanwhile, with the Brazil 2016 Olympic Qualifiers in the horizon, Urling noted, Guyana will begin the process of putting together and training the National U-23 squad and that “only two players from the

Barbados game would qualify for the U-23 team, so we have an opportunity to identify and work with the next generation of senior National team players.

No concrete decision has been made in terms of the coach for the squad. Those discussions are currently ongoing.”

But, at present, the Normalisation Committee’s sight is set primarily on putting in place a new Constitution for the GFF. Last week, FIFA’s Head of Member Association Primo Corvaro, along with CONCACAF’s Director of Legal Affairs Marco Leal, visited Guyana to spearhead the GFF’s constitutional reform process.

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Sport CHRONICLE

GFF and Shabazz negotiating a way forward

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

See story on page 27

Powerlifting records untouched

Novices Best Lifter Orin Alleyne is all focused during the deadlift.

Junior Best Lifter Rudolph Blackman holds strain during the deadlift.

(See story, other photos on Page 27

Jaguars trounce Jamaica to soar at top of points standings KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – Guyana Jaguars continued their imperious march through the WICB Professional Cricket League (PCL), easily trouncing Jamaica Franchise by 105 runs on the final day of their fifth round contest here yesterday.

Starting the day needing to claim just four wickets to wrap up victory, Guyana were briefly held up by lower order resistance before ousting the hosts for 234.

Fast bowler Keon Joseph was the pick of the bowlers with three for 34 while left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul (2-37) and Ronsford Beaton (2-47) supported with a brace of wickets each.

Odean Brown, batting at number 11, top-scored with an enterprising 45 not out while Dave Bernard Jr, unbeaten on 16

overnight, got 37.

Damion Jacobs, 25 not out overnight, made 36 while number nine batsman Jason Dawes chipped in with a defiant 33.

Resuming the day on 105 for six in need of 340 for victory, Jamaica flourished thanks to Bernard and Jacobs who extended their seventh wicket to 65 before being separated.

Bernard faced 69 balls in an hour-and-ahalf at the crease and hammered eight fours while Jacobs faced 70 balls in 75 minutes, and counted six fours.

Beaton got the breakthrough, removing Bernard lbw and triggering a slide that saw three wickets tumble for 13 runs.

With Jamaica tottering on 150 for nine, Guyana appeared set for an early evening but the last wicket pair of Brown and

Dawes hunkered down in a stand of 84 to frustrate the visitors.

Brown hit five fours and two sixes off 75 deliveries while Dawes played the anchor role, counting three fours and a six off 111 balls in just over two hours at the crease.

The impressive Joseph returned, however, to wrap up the innings when he had Dawes caught at the wicket.

With the victory, Jaguars remained top of the standings on 75 points after the completion of the fifth round of matches, yesterday. In second position are Barbados Pride on 60, followed

by Jamaica Franchise on 53, while Windwards Volcanoes move to 46 points, T&T Red Force on 26 and in the cellar Leewards Hurricanes on 11 points.

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Fast bowler Keon Joseph took five wickets in the match.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2015