GNN Online Newspaper Oct 12 2015

Monday, October 12, 2015

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AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE -PAGE 2

CSEC TOP PERFORMER AWARDED This year's top performer at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examination; Victoria Najab was presented with the President's Award on Sunday and will be receiving a $100,000.00 to assist with her Caribbean Advance Proficiency Examination (CAPE) studies as well. This commitment was made

by President David Granger as he presented the award at the Saraswati Vidya Niketan (SVN) Secondary School's graduation ceremony.

Najab, who wants to become a petroleum engineer, noted that she and her colleagues are not only celebrating their own achievement, but the country's as well.

The privately-run institution, in Region Three, continues to produce outstanding performances and this year captured the top two spots at the CSEC level.

Najab gained 21 grade one passes, counting her double award in Agricultural Science, while runner-up, Va m a n a d e v H i r a l a l gained 19 grade ones and a grade two.

Najab said u n d o u b t e d l y, t h e teachers were “the most valuable players”, as they went beyond the call of duty to make the school the phenomenal one it is today.

Hiralall, who won the Prime Minister's award with 19 Grade ones and 1 Grade two said, “The school has been a major part in my achievement. It has changed my entire view

on education as a whole.

I use to see education as a duty, but now I see it more as a privilege.”

Delivering his address at the ceremony, President Granger reminded the students that they are at the beginning stage of a lifelong process of learning.

He spoke of the rapid technological changes that are taking place around the world which calls for them to be on par. The President also underscored the need for more students to gravitate to the fields of Science, Technology and Mathematics in order to meet the needs of our developing country.

Principal of S V N , S w a m i A s k a r a n a n d a congratulated the 64 CSEC and seven CAPE students as he urged them to not become complacent as there is always room for improvement.

Pointing to the national overall pass rate for English and mathematics, which is now just about 50 percent, the Principal reported with pride that the students at SVN have continuously been raising the bar.

Out of the 12,600 students in Guyana, who wrote the 2 0 1 5 C S E C examination, 47 students passed with 11 grade ones or more, and of that number, 23 percent were SVN students.

President delivering feature address

Vamanadev Hiralall-winner of Prime Minister's award

Graduating class posing with President Granger

BABY SUFFERS FRACTURED SKULL IN CAR CRASH

One of the cars involved in the accident

A five month old baby was up to late Monday evening still a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Pediatric Ward nursing a fractured skull.

The child whose name was given as Jonique Abrams was rushed to the GPHC on Sunday after she was involved in a car accident along with her father and aunt.

According to facts reaching GNN on Sunday afternoon, the baby was seated in the back seat of her father's when he allegedly jumped a major road causing another vehicle to slam into the vehicle at the corners of Alexander and David

Street.

The impact caused the car to topple several times before coming to a stop with its wheels in the air. The baby was pulled from the vehicle unconscious and was given CPR by someone who has rush to the accident scene.

Meanwhile, Jude Abrams, the child's father and Leena Abrams, the aunt of the baby, were assisted out of the car by public spirited citizens.

G N N w a s informed that the condition of the child became complicated when doctors did a CT scan on her. They discovered a

problem with her chest which apparently developed due to the pressure which was placed on her tiny stomach by the person who attempted to provide her with CPR. The mother of the child who is a journalist explained that her daughter had three CT Scans on Sunday evening as doctors kept a close eye on her.

Meanwhile the child's aunt only suffered minor lacerations while the father suffered a fractured arm. The vehicle involved in the accident were PTT 4022 and PNN 3404.

Postmortem tomorrow for mother/child found floating

The police are awaiting the results of a postmortem on Tuesday to determine what may have led to the death of Attica Sukhai and her two year old daughter Xolani. The discovery of bodies was made on Sunday in the lower Pomeroon River area.

Speaking with the GNN today the Divisional Commander Kevin Adonis told

explained that the police are treating the incident in their initial investigation as a drowning.

It was also pointed out by one of the persons from the area that when two were pulled from the river it was discovered that Sukhai had several marks about her body.

The bodies of the two were found floating in

the Pomeroon River on S u n d a y. I t w a s n o t immediately clear when last the two were seen and of the woman might have had a problem with anyone.

GNN will bring you a full and detailed story following the Postmortem which will be conducted on Tuesday.

HARMON MAINTAINS “NO APOLOGIES” PM Salary higher than Obama’s

Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

The issue concerning the pay hike for Government officials continues to gain attention countrywide.

Ever since the announcement a number of organizations have spoken out against such move, including Red T h r e a d , s o m e Tr a d e Unions and the opposition Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

F o r m e r Agriculture Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy in a statement compared the salaries of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo to that of Presidents and Prime Ministers in other parts of the world.

“In the USA where the average citizen earns about $US53,000

and the minimum salary is about $US20,000 per year, its President (Barack Obama) makes about $US400,000 per year or just over $US33,000 per month. Next door in Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, Jamaica, the Prime Minister's salary is about $US100,000 annually ($US8,000 per month). In Brazil, the President's salary is about $US12,000 per month,” Ramsammy said in a statement. He noted that all these countries are much richer than Guyana.

Ramsammy said Obama's salary is about 20 times that of the minimum salary in the USA, while Nagamootoo who is not the head of state is earning, without benefits,

-RAMSAMMY

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon

more than 30 times the minimum salary in Guyana.

In addition, he noted that Junior Ministers under the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government, is earning with benefits more than $US5,000 per month or more than 20 times the minimum salary in Guyana.

He pointed out that under the Peoples Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), a senior minister working for over 20 years, like Clement Rohee, earned less than $US3,000 per month. “ B u t A P N U + A F C spokespeople, like

Granger, Greenidge, Basil Wi l l i a m s , Tr o t m a n , Harmon, Nagamootoo and Ramjattan maliciously lied that PPP officials were the highest paid in the world,” the statement added.

He said the salary increases are indisputably the highest in the world.

Meanwhile, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, told GNN today that he is maintaining maintained his position that g o v e r n m e n t i s unapologetic about the increases. “I have said what I have to say on the matter and I don't have anything more to say,” Harmon told GNN. S e v e r a l government officials, including Harmon, have

offered justifications for the increase. The justification is that they earned and deserved the increases. Harmon was quoted in sections of the media as saying that “government has no apologies to make for the salary increases.”

However, he has since come in for criticisms over his comment.

The Official Gazette of September 25 announced the increases subject to the Ministers, Member of the National Assembly and Special Offices (Emoluments) Act. It also went on to state that the amendments were retroactive to July 1, 2015.

The gazette report listed the Prime Minister's salary as $20,580,000 per

annum, while the salary of every Vice-President was listed as $11,135,064 per annum. For the Cabinet Ministers, their salary was listed as $10,439,124 per annum while the Junior Ministers were listed as receiving $8,346,492 per annum.

The Attorney General is listed as having the same salary as the Chancellor and the Speaker of the National Assembly listed as receiving $10,439,124 per annum.

Ramsammy proclaimed that teachers, police officers, doctors, nurses, engineers and other public servants did not earn and deserve pay increases.

“FLIP-FLOPPING” ON LAW SCHOOL

SIGNALS CONFUSION-PPP

Recent sentiments expressed by Attorney General and Minister of Legal affairs, Basil Williams, regarding the establishment of a law school here has caught the attention of the opposition Peoples Progressive Party (PPP). At the party's weekly media conference on Monday, October 12, General Secretary Clement Rohee said it signals confusion in the

Coalition government., Rohee said the Attorney General (AG) made an unbelievable somersault which in effect ruined his President's commitment to establish a law school in Guyana.

“Mr. Williams must cease horsing around and start working on the realization of the law school here in Guyana as directed by P r e s i d e n t G r a n g e r. ” Rohee said.

Last week, Wi l l i a m s t o l d m e d i a operatives that “It is not a priority in this type of economy that we have inherited,” referring to the establishment of a law school here. The AG stated that it was the PPP/C administration which made this decision and one of the reasons stated was its inability to pay intended lecturers an equivalent salary to that of

other law schools, under the aegis of the Council of Legal Education (CLE).

H o w e v e r, h e believes that though the venture is costly, it can be d o n e t h r o u g h public/private partnership. He noted that the State of the economy inherited does not allow for the realization of the venture.

The PPP/C claimed that this

explanation does not bode well stating that “Guyana's economy which, up to the time the PPP/C was in office was, the fastest growing economy in the Region characterized by steady annual growth rates and with foreign reserves never seen before in the country's history.”

Previously, the government had given its commitment to establish

a local law school in light of issues faced by Guyanese students requiring entry into the H u g h Wo o d i n g L a w School in Trinidad.

GNN contacted Williams' office to solicit a comment from him on the matter but was told by his secretary that he was unavailable and that he will be in a meeting all day.

www.gnngy.com e-Mail: gnn@gnngy.com Tel: 611-9698

EDITORIAL

Curbing bullyism Bullying is nothing new. It has been ongoing for centuries. What may be considered to be different in the present time, is its reach into various aspects of society. While this may provide fodder for debate, what remains undisputable is the reality of its occurrence and its seemingly continuous increase. The latter must be cause for concern for all s t r a t a o f s o c i e t y. I n zooming into just one aspect; schools, the stark reality begins to haunt.

This is not taking only local schools into consideration. When examined on a global scale, the number of incidents is staggering.

That being said, the local scenario appears to be two-fold in the context of reported and unreported. This is based on what is believed to be that a number of cases remain unreported thereby making the reported cases an inaccurate reflection, making it on par with general crime. Of course, there are reasons why unreported case for both crime and bullyism to be higher; among them being fear. Some posit that fear seems a much more realistic reason in the case bullyism, especially in schools. What cannot be ignored is that it is a derivative, among others, of society itself.

E c o n o m i c segregation, racial barriers, elitism, religion and cultural differences are some of the general overarching catalysts that

tend to precipitate incidents of bullyism.

While not the only set of reasons, each one would probably rank higher than others in different parts of the world. Given that, the feeling of superiority appears to be a common factor which results in bullyism. What makes it even more challenging to combat bullyism, is its lack of confinement to one particular age group or et h n ici t y. A g ai n , o n e group may suffer more than others in various parts. But the focus here is on schools.

The obvious question is how and when can this scourge be eliminated from our schools? For one, it needs the input of all, Teachers, t h e P a r e n t Te a c h e r s Associations (PTAs), the Ministry of Education and counselling and support services, being foremost.

While our media is not inundated like others with reported cases, comfort cannot be derived given the numerous unreported cases generally as a result of fear. The creeping influence of gangs in some schools and the intimidation it instills, in many ways mute any thought of what is perceived to be “snitching” and any resistance contemplated by victims.

This is clearly not unique to Guyana, but a reflection of a global trend.

H o w e v e r, i n a s m a l l society like ours and one which is still considered as conservative, the

expectation is that this menace should not be challenging to mitigate.

The seeming reality would render such though as a myth. What compounds this already complex matter, is that occurrences are not confined just to the schools. It occurs outside, in public places and even on social media. It is believed that incidents of the latter are extremely low here, however, the e x t r e m i t y o f consequences in other countries has been suicide by teens. Here in Guyana, many teenagers' lives are basically influenced by what's on the social media. That complicates the issue.

What is glaring are the challenges that exist to deal with bullyism. Just recently, the Minister of Education of Trinidad and Tobago, Anthony Garcia, announced that his Ministry is moving to implement measures listed in an Anti-Bullying Report to help curb the recent spate of school v i o l e n c e . H i s announcement is in the wake of several videos of school bullying being posted on social media.

One positive that followed is the outrage expressed by viewers at such atrocities. It means that people would not condone such. It therefore adds pressure and makes it even more compelling, for the implementation of anti-bullying measures.

It should be noted that

public outrage should not the only premise for such interventions. It goes back to the need for effective counselling, the ability of Teachers, parents and guardians to be cognizant of behavioural changes and the will to holistically deal with this issue. The intention is not to imply that there are such deficiencies, but to advocate for a more robust approach which has to be

sustained and which must receive the support of all involved. The levels of such incidents as reported recently in Trinidad and Tobago, must be seen here as “too close for comfort”.

Maybe it provides an opportunity for consideration to derive anti-bullying measures and its eventual implementation here.

However, even if mechanism are agreed and

implemented, it would still be dependent on victims developing confidence to report their sufferings.

Unfortunately, until such an environment can be created, whether here, Trinidad or further afield, the number of unreported cases will remain higher than the reported. Therein lies the challenge; a challenge that calls for all hands on deck.

Pastor, Church members robbed while closing church A Pastor and several church members were robbed and held at gunpoint on Sunday night while they were closing up the Church at Meten-MeerZ o r g , We s t C o a s t Demerara.

Police, in a statement said that around 20:00 hours, Pastor Dillip Bikhari of the Universal Church, was in the process of closing when he along with Brazilian National Andrea Santos and two other church members, were attacked and held up by three men armed with handguns.

According to the police, the men took away some $400,000, three cell phones, $1,000 US and a lap top computer and escaped.

The police responded to the report received and were able to arrest one of the suspects in the Meten-

Meer-Zorg area.

An unlicensed .357 magnum revolver, one of the stolen cell phones and the stolen lap top computer were found in his possession.

He is in police custody assisting with the investigations.

Body of 58 year old fished out of Pomeroon River

An investigation has been launched into the c i r c u m s t a n c e s surrounding the death of 5 8 - y e a r- o l d N i c h o l a s Jacobus, whose body was recovered from the Pomeroon River on Sunday.

A p o l i c e statement revealed that the

body of Jacobus, of Kabakaburi, Pomeroon River was pulled from the river at approximately 9:45 hours.

Investigations have revealed that Jacobus had left a shop in the Pomeroon River for his home in a paddle boat during Friday.

The boat alone was discovered in the river the following day with the front damaged.

Jacobus' body was found on Sunday October 11, after a search was launched.

The body is at the Suddie Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post mortem.

WILLIAMS HITS BACK AT BAR ASSOCIATION

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, today hit back at the Guyana Bar Association (GBA) which called for him to “keep his mouth out of the appointment of members of the judiciary.” This call was made against the backdrop that the separation of powers provides for the judiciary, legislature and the executive to function independently.

T h e G B A comment came after Wi l l i a m s a t a p r e s s conference last week announced that the administration is already engaged in discussion on the appointment of a Chief Justice, since the current Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang is up for retirement and will be proceeding on his entitled leave soon.

Wi l l i a m s t o l d m e d i a operatives then that he has already discussed potential candidates with President David Granger, but did not reveal those names. Article 127 of the Constitution states that

“The Chancellor and the Chief Justice shall each be appointed by the President, acting after obtaining agreement of the Leader of the Opposition.”

To d a y, t h e Government Information Agency (GINA) quoted Williams as saying “The media asked a question if it's not true that the Chief Justice is supposed to demit office. That was true. Should I lie about that? Why would the Bar Association take issue with that? That I confirmed the question that the Chief Justice is due to retire in February…would you want a situation to happen similar to the issue in the Supreme Court being headless…is that how the country should function?”

The GBA in a statement sought to remind the Minister of what is stated in the constitution. “In fact, matters concerning the Chief Justice fall under the Chancellor and the Judicial Service

Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams

Commission, and not the Minister. And under the very important principle of the independence of the Judiciary, any member of the Executive, including the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, must be very careful not to act in violation of, or appear to compromise that independence,” the statement added.

The GBA said

Williams gave the impression that vacation leave for the Chief Justice is a matter which he should pronounce on and which could be perceived as politicization of the judiciary. The association believes that the Attorney General's comments can have the unintended effect of politicising not only the issue of the leave of one of country's top judicial

officers but also the office itself.

The Attorney General responded that he cannot be interfering by simply stating a matter of fact. “The Judicial Services Commission itself said in a disciplinary matter that their scope pertains to administrative matters whilst the Chancellor's is judicial…however this

government reserves the right especially where the people of Guyana are affected by what is happening in the justice system to be able to give guidance or pronounce on it…the minister of Legal Affairs is answerable on matters pertaining to the judiciary,” the Minister explained.

Further, he said it is government's responsibility to ensure the infrastructural framework is in place, so that justice can be delivered.

“So we cannot comment on the fact that there was supposed to be a land court building erected over which would have introduced four additional court rooms and it has been budgeted now for more than two years? What has happened to it? That is interfering with the judiciary? I can assure you that this government will comment on those things so long as they do not touch and concern the judicial -continues on page 9

Delay in assets transfer will not stymie setting up of Opposition leader's office Gail Teixeira

PPP's Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, has confirmed that Opposition leader Bharrat Jagdeo is moving ahead in setting up his office at the location that has been earmarked.

Speaking to the Guyana News Network (GNN) today, Teixeira said with or without the outstanding assets that are to be transferred to Jagdeo's office, they are moving ahead to establish same.

Minister of State, Joe Harmon

“It's functioning already although we haven't been able to get all the assets, press releases and so on are being sent out from the office of the Leader of the opposition,” Teixeira stated. She is the appointed person to receive the assets on behalf of Mr. Jagdeo.

In a release on Thursday last, the PPP/C described as “dishonest and conflicting”, statements

emanating from Minister of State, Joe Harmon with respect to the transfer of assets for the Leader of the Opposition's office. “ Te i x e i r a h a d indicated the intention of moving the assets on Monday, October 5, 2015 a n d s a m e w a s communicated to Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs,” the statement added.

Teixeira said she

was advised that the transfer could not be done on Monday, as Harmon had indicated that “they are not ready as yet, hence the date was change to Thursday October 8, 2015.

Harmon had publicly declared that with regard to the transfer of the assets, that, “They could have it now; they could have had it last week.”

However, upon arrival at the former Office of the Leader of the Opposition, Ms Teixeira and two other Members of Parliament were advised by one Mr. Backer that they were only allowed to move a few desks and chairs, a photocopier, two filing cabinets, a partition and a w a t e r d i s p e n s e r, t h e statement noted.

F u r t h e r, t h e y were told that the remaining items which are located in the upper flat of the building could not be handed over since Advisers from the Ministry of the Presidency were still using them.

The party added that there was no definite indication as to when these items will become available so as to complete the setting up of the Office of the Leader of the O p p o s i t i o n , a constitutional Office.

Teixeira said the PP/C has still not received all the assets, adding that “nothing has changed from last Thursday.” The PPP/C had stated that the intrusion by the Ministry of the Presidency is a deliberate

attempt to stymie the work of the Leader of the Opposition.

However, GNN spoke with Harmon on Monday with regard to the issue. He stated clearly that he has nothing to do with the transfer of assets and that it is the responsibility of the Clerk of the National Assembly.

“They have to deal with him, not me. In fact, they shouldn't even be making contact with me concerning that.”

Harmon did not speak to the accusations made by the PPP/C last week about his “dishonest and conflicting” statements regarding the transfer of assets.

PUT DIFFERENCES ASIDE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF GUYANA - ALLY

From left: Project Officer, Ministry of Social Cohesion, Sharon Patterson, Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally and Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples' Affairs, Sydney Allicock

Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally recently took the message of social cohesion to Region Nine (Upper Takutu –Upper Essequibo) telling those

present that the time has come for all Guyanese to work to achieve national unity and togetherness.

“You are integral to social cohesion in Guyana. This government

is interested in national unity, in working together for the development of you, your community and your country. I have great interest in this Region. I want to begin my projects

in Region Nine.”, Ally told the gathering.

To this end, she disclosed that one of the projects, scheduled to begin in early November, would be implemented in collaboration with the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST), which will work with the farmers, p r o d u c e r s a n d manufacturers in the Region 9 area to develop their products, marketing strategies, and proper labeling methods.

Addressing a large gathering at Lethem,Minister Ally noted that the purpose of the activity was to involve citizens at the community level in a national conversation on the promotion of togetherness and national unity.This, she explained, was one of the primary mandates of her Ministerial post. “ Y o u r relationships in the community are important.

We want to promote useful and productive relationships within and among groups at the community level. How you relate to n e i g h b o u r i n g communities, regardless of your ethnic background, is also important,” she said.

Minister Ally said that social cohesion is desperately needed for the Region and the country to develop and reach its potential. To this end, Minister Ally said t h a t t h e n e w administration's priority and thrust at this time, was to ensure that the lives of all Guyanese, especially those in the hinterland areas, are vastly improved.

She took the opportunity to highlighted President David Granger's ten point plan for the Hinterland Regions, which her Ministry will assist in executing. These will

include introducing a Hinterland Education Support Programme, the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service, the development of the highway between Lethem and Linden and also the development of better roads and ports,the resolution of land title issues through the Hinterland and Indigenous Peoples Lands Commission and the Hinterland Language, Cultural and Sport Service.

Also present at the meeting were Vice President and Minister of the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, Ministerial Advisor at the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Mervyn Williams, Project Officer, Ministry of Social Cohesion, Sharon Patterson and other R e g i o n a l representatives.(Adapted from GINA)

Head Teacher sent on Leave for beating students with bell Headmaster of the Sand Creek Primary school in Region 9, who reportedly harmed three students by hitting them with the school bell, has been sent on administrative leave.

GNN spoke with Regional Education Officer (REO), Carl Parker who disclosed that two female and one male, between the ages of 10-12 were flogged with a bell by Headmaster; Michael Alfred for failing to say “Good Morning” when

they entered the school.

One of the female students involved in the incident, a 12 year old received three stitches to her head at the Lethem Hospital.

The Education Ministry on Monday sent in an official to investigate the matter and compile a report to submit to the Te a c h i n g S e r v i c e Commission (TSC). The incident was reported to the Police and the teacher was sent on administrative leave, pending the

outcome of the investigation.

In his defence, the Headmaster said he was frustrated claiming to be made to sleep in the school.

“He said he was made to sleep in the school, a situation that neither the Education Department, nor the Regional Administration is aware of. Apparently no report was made to this regard why he had to be sleeping in the school”

Parker responded.

Te a c h e r s f r o m t h e Awarewanau Primary School in Region 9 were recently charged by the TSC for brutally flogging two female students.

They were dismissed on two charges – breach of the teaching service rules that govern the administration of corporal punishment and possible criminal matter.

Adhering to new electrical code can avoid fires Given the number of fires with electrical origin across the country, the Government is working to implement a National Electrical Code (NEC) which outlines a set of necessary criteria for construction, installation, repair, up-grade and other electrical works.

Stakeholders in the field are currently being given the opportunity to become au-

fait with the criteria over a two week period. This is being done through a workshop which began at the Regency Suites/Hotel, Georgetown today. A batch of 50 persons contractors, engineers, lecturers and instructors are participating in the event.

The programme comes under the aegis of the Hinterland Electrification Company

Inc. (HECI) of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, and is aimed at training 100 electrical personnel overall on the essentials of the NEC. The opening ceremony was addressed

by Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Annette Ferguson.

The Minister told the gathering that “We

cannot allow that state of play to continue…We have to standardise our approaches… We must adhere to the one code that governs us all. The NEC is structured in such a way that it gives the requisite guidance for all aspects of our operations, whether we are contractors, engineers, lecturers, or instructors. We must hold each other's feet to the fire of compliance, to ensure

that other people don't get burnt.”

She added that compliance to these standards are ultracritical, as without it, lives will be lost, properties destroyed, livelihood decimated, and generations of hard work literally brought to naught.

The Electricity Sector Reform Act of 1999 establishes the provisions, which led to

the gazetting of the NEC, under the Electricity S e c t o r ( Te c h n i c a l Standards) Regulations 2008, made under the Electricity Sector Reform Act 1999. However, the bringing into force of the code was delayed to allow reasonable time for contractors to become familiarized. (adopted from GINA)

Guyana effectively monitoring Seabob Fishing Seabob trawlers will officially recommence their trade after being docked for seven weeks with the reopening Seabob (shrimp) fishing on October 5.

The closure of Seabob fishing allows for the restoration of stocks and the protection of Guyana's fishery from over-fishing. This Harvest control rule was

established in 2014 following the conclusion of stock assessment the previous year where it was deemed fully exploited but not over fished. The rule which is considered as `best practices` in fisheries management allows trawlers 225 days at sea.

The seabob fishery in Guyana has been well known over the years for generating foreign exchange earnings and revenue through exports

regionally and to markets in North America and Europe. The major industrial stakeholders include Pritipaul Singh Investment, Noble House Seafoods, BEV Processors, Guyana Quality Seafoods and Fisheries Department.

Closed seasons are specified time periods where no legal fishing is permitted for a particular fishery and its implantation is closely

monitored by the Fisheries Department on an annual basis. Such an intervention is not only limited to Guyana, but has fast become a global practice aimed at allowing various fisheries to multiply or replenish, thus ensuring growth and sustainability. During this period, companies conducted fleet maintenance, revision training for fishermen and management staff ventured off on annual vacation leave.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, final measures are

currently being put in place for the seabob fishery to enter into assessment for achievement of Marine Stewardship Council Certification (MSC) which signifies that harvesting and management of fisheries resources are being done in a sustainable manner, which in turn allows for access into global markets for sale of produce. (adopted from GINA)

LIVESTOCK STEALING BILL FOR PARLIAMNET

Minister Noel Holder interacts with farmers at the exhibition

Praedial larceny, which is basically defined as the theft of agricultural produce or livestock from a farm or estate is one of the m o s t d i ffi c u l t c r i m e s various governments struggle to get under control. In Guyana it is no different as farmers across the country complain of persons stealing their livestock. Efforts have been made in the past, through collaboration with the Guyana Police Force, to

have this addressed; however it has not proven to have satisfactory effects.

Given this, the Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder has announced that efforts will be intensified to have a Praedial Larceny Bill taken to Parliament very shortly.

He was at the time addressing hundreds of farmers and stakeholders at the opening of the eighth annual livestock exhibition of the West Berbice Sheep

and Goat Farmers Association (WBSGA), held at the Norman Singh Memorial Turf Club, No. 6 Vi l l a g e , We s t C o a s t Berbice, on Sunday. The event was hosted as part of Agriculture Month activities.

“I have noted with pleasure the range and quality of the animals being exhibited. It remains impressive, and is a testimony of the potential of our country, to become a

major player in the production, consumption and trade of livestock,” Minister Holder stated.

He committed to addressing challenges of the sector to meet international export requirements, noting that the exhibition can be used as a learning forum as well.

“We must view what we do beyond sufficiency of domestic production; we must look at CARICOM and the

regional consumption of sheep and goat meat. The region is highly dependent on imports from New Zealand and Australia, with imports (being) approximately 75% of our consumption,” he advised.

A regional study of 2006 estimated the total value of the industry, with respect to meat alone, at close to US$30-$40M, with mutton accounting for most.

Guyana is one of the countries with the greatest number of sheep within CARICOM; however, weight and other production parameters lag behind those of its Caribbean counterparts.

The issue of allocation of suitable lands for grazing of animals is another constraint.

However, this is expected to be addressed shortly by the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), as a portion of land will be opened up at Onverwagt and be handed over to the Association.

The quality of the breeds provided to the famers is yet another constraint in meeting the internationally acceptable standards, and to this end, the Ministry of Agriculture will be boosting its AI (artificial insemination) programme, and will also be looking to make

available the Texana breed to farmers.

Chairman of the WBSGA, Clyde Mc Almont, explained that the organization which started nine years ago has a total of 78 farmers from Plantation Profit to Rosignol with 35 being women who are single parents. The association has benefited and continues to benefit from collaborative efforts with National Agriculture and Research Extension Institute (NAREI), Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), and the Rural Enterprise Agricultural Development Project (READ).

Meanwhile, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Representative to Guyana, Rueben Hamilton Robertson, who also delivered remarks, the FAO is fully supportive of the development of the small ruminants sector.

Acting Chief Executive Officer of the G L D A , D r. D w i g h t Waldron advised that the Ministry is working with stakeholders both locally and internationally to have the small ruminants' sector on par with international standards.

WILLIAMS HITS BACK...

-from page 6

functions of the j u d i c i a r y, ” Wi l l i a m s stated.

Chang will reach the age of retirement in February, 2016 prior to when he is expected to proceed on all accumulated vacation leave. Former Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran in his blog “Conversation Tree” explained that when Chang retires a vacancy arises for a Court of Appeal Judge, not Chief Justice, because his substantive position is that of Justice of the Court of

Appeal. The acting Chancellor, Carl Singh, is the substantive Chief Justice. When, therefore, Chief Justice (ag) Chang retires the President has two options, namely, to require the acting Chancellor to resume his substantive post as Chief Justice and appoint a Chancellor or, appoint a Chief Justice.

The Constitution requires the agreement of the Leader of the Opposition to these appointments. Back in 2013 Granger, while he was Opposition Leader

called on the PPP/C government to advertise both positions.

Then Head of The Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon had said that “there is no defined process that involves the Leader of the Opposition other than agreeing with or not agreeing with the President's nominee.”

Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan at that time had said that while nothing appeared wrong with advertising the

positions it would be unconstitutional for the Chancellor and the Chief Justice to lose income if they reverted to their previous positions.

He further contended that advertising the positions would lead to a number of other unsettled matters such as the composition of the interviewing panel, payment of travel and subsistence for shortlisted candidates to be interviewed and the salaries the appointees would be paid.

Chief Justice(ag) Ian Chang

AMAZING WORLD

GIRL, 9, FORCED TO MARRY 78 YEAR-OLD MAN

There's little outward clue to the trauma Younis has already been through in her 13 short years. When she was just nine years old, her parents arranged for her to marry a man old enough to be her grandfather, in accordance with local Samburu tradition. The Samburu are an ancient Kenyan tribe pastoralist cattle herders,

said to be "distant cousins" of the Maasai. Even to outsiders, their languages and customs are strikingly similar.

Younis and other girls like her have dared to break away from some of these traditions -- child marriage, female genital mutilation and beading (the practice of promising girls to their male relatives

for sex) --which are illegal in Kenya. But in doing so they risk being disowned by their families and communities.

"When I was about nine years old, my father married me off to an old man who was 78 years old," Younis explains, the memories of her harrowing experience still raw. "I went to his home

and I stayed with him one week. "He told me that I will be a wife but I was just innocent, I wanted to come to school. But that man wanted me to be a third wife. I told him, I will not be your wife, and he caned me.

"Then I heard that there is a woman who helps children. I came from Baragoi barefoot, I didn't even have shoes that day. I came to Maralal ...

Kulea took me to [the] children's office, she rescued me." There are eight other girls at Younis's boarding school just like her; all have been brought to safety by Josephine Kulea and her Samburu Girls Foundation.

To these girls, and some 200 others across Kenya, Kulea is "Mama Kulea." When their families refuse to have anything more to do with them, she takes the

place of their mothers.

Kulea is fighting against the very Samburu cultural traditions she grew up with. She says she began asking questions about what was happening in her community after attending boarding school and studying for a nursing degree in a different part of the country.

The parents and relatives of girls she rescues are often detained for just a short period of time, and many in the Samburu community do not like the changes she is working to bring about.

"Growing up from this community, everyone looks at me like, 'You should be like us, you should not be fighting us," she explains. "It's a risk for me but I still give it a go."

To reach out to people, Kulea hosts a radio program, which is how the mothers in this village

heard about her; the girls here are already "beaded," promised to local men in exchange for bead necklaces -- the youngest is just seven. "All the girls in the village are at risk," she says "This one is nine years old but they want [to] marry her off. That's why they are asking for her to go to school."

Girls are bought for sex by a member of the same clan before they are married off. The more beads she has around her neck, the higher the price.

Once girls reach the age of marriage they will marry someone from a different clan. If the girl falls pregnant before that to one of her relatives, she may be forced to undergo an abortion; if she has the child, it is unlikely to be accepted by the community.

(Adapted from CNN)

DOOMSDAY AVOIDED PARTYING IN AN AS ASTEROID MISS UNDERGROUND

NIGHTCLUB Good news, earth survived a "potential" asteroid collision. A statement by NASA last week noted that asteroid 86666 (2000 FL 10) was going to pass safely by Earth on Saturday, seeking to quell what had become doomsday panic among some.

"It poses zero threat," the space agency's Near-Earth Object office tweeted, stating that the asteroid would miss our planet by 15 million miles.

For comparison's sake, the moon is about 238,000 miles from Earth. At its closest, Venus is about 25 million miles away from our planet.

The asteroid's is estimated to be as large as 2.6 kilometers (1.5 miles), according to the NASA Near-Earth Object Program. It's the second

time in the past few weeks that Earth s tubbornly refused to cease to exist; ominous speculations surrounding the "blood moon" lunar eclipse of September 27-28 didn't pan out, either.

Back in August, NASA released a statement clearly stating that there would be no threat after theories that a large asteroid would hit Earth went viral. "There is no scientific basis -- not one shred of evidence -- that an asteroid or any other celestial object will impact Earth" on the rumored dates, NASA's Paul Chodas, manager of the Near-Earth Object office, said in August. The agency's office is at Pasadena, California's, Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

That's not to say that NASA hasn't missed

near-Earth objects in the past. In February 2013, a meteor streaked through the skies of Russia's Ural region and exploded. The space agency said the meteor was a small asteroid and its explosion was the equivalent to 300,000 tons of TNT, which caused glass to shatter in buildings and injured about 1,000 people, most in the city of Chelyabinsk, according to Russian authorities.

The chances of being hit by an asteroid are minuscule though. In fact, there's a 0.01 percent chance of a potentially hazardous object impacting Earth in the next 100 years. You have a greater chance of being struck by lightning than Earth does of being hit by a big asteroid in your lifetime. (Adapted from CNN)

It was Saturday night in the Maldives and the dance floor was heaving. The problem was, despite the pounding bass from the pulsating speakers, I couldn't keep my eyes off the scores of iridescent fish and rainbow-coloured corals peering through the glass. I was 6m below the surface in the world's first underwater nightclub, where you are as likely to encounter a killer shark as a DJ killing the dance floor.

The venue was Subsix, positioned 500m offshore of the island resort Niyama in the Dhaalu Atoll, a 40minute hop by buzzing seaplane from the capital Malé. Imagine a series of giant portholes looking out onto a vivid slice of pristine reef – albeit with a DJ rig and bustling cocktail bar behind you.

Snapper, wrasse, anemones and parrotfish winked through the floorto-ceiling windows.

Subsix originally opened in 2010, constructed on land before being sunk and relocated to a coral garden carefully reconstructed by

marine biologists. Fastforward five years: the reef is flourishing and the nightclub has undergone a major underwater revamp.

With more than just a little dose of nocturnal naughtiness – think banging Pioneer-brand decks and a Magnumstocked bar – the club also only shuts when the last guest climbs the stairs to take the shuttle boat back to the island, a 15-minute ride away. Earlier in the week, so I was told, a group of Russian guests kept the party going until sunrise.

It may be a mixture of the spurious and the authentic, but it was as glamorous as any club you'd find after dark in New York's Tribeca or London's Soho. Against all my initial reservations – what about the environmental impact?

Do I really want to pay that much for a beer? – I found it hard not to have my disco socks blown clean off. Maybe it was something to do with the lack of oxygen down

there.

Yo u ' d a l s o b e forgiven for thinking that this kind of venue is holiday overkill: the Maldives has long gone in for this kind of showy oneupmanship. In the past few years, the archipelago has welcomed a number of oddities, each more dumbfounding than the last. At Huvafen Fushi luxury resort you can experience a cocoonshaped underwater spa, while the underwater wine cave at Anantara Kihavah Villas seems that it could have been designed by a James Bond villain. At the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, you can dine underwater without getting wet, with 180degree views of stingrays, sharks and snapper as they swim by. ( A d a p t e d f ro m M i k e MacEacheran's article, BBC)

Regional

Regional

Police Caribbean faces social unrest unless homes world treats it better searched SEVERAL policemen's homes were busted for guns and ammunition in what a police search party revealed involves the persistent stealing of arms from inside the Arouca Police Station over the past five years.

The crackdown at the respective policemen's homes took place during the wee hours of Friday morning by a party of police officers from the Arouca Police Station headed by Ag Inspector H u b e r t P r i c e .

Commissioner of Police (Ag) Stephen Williams, denied knowledge about the particular police exercise, but told Newsday that the heads of police divisions possess certain levels of autonomy to conduct exercises, even the searching of the homes of their fellow police officers, for anything illegal.

Newsday learnt that not a single weapon, even as much as a bullet,

was found at the respective homes of over 14 cops.

Contacted yesterday, Price confirmed the report, but said he could not comment on the raid nor disclose information about it.

Senior police officers stationed at the Arouca Police Station were also mum, with one officer describing the raid as unprecedented.

Justice of the Peace (JP) Khan, when contacted yesterday, said: “I cannot give no comment on that....that is police business not mine.” Asked whether the warrants he signed were for the purpose of conducting raids at police officers' homes, Khan told Newsday it was against the ethics of the role and function of a JP, to disclose to the public, the operations of the police service.

A senior police source, however, told Newsday yesterday that

over the past year, an audit of the Arouca Police Station's arms and ammunition stored in the station's “strong room”, had been undertaken.

A police team discovered that a number of guns, and ammuntion, have been missing and, according to the source, they are exhibits in firearms cases pending in the Chaguanas a n d T u n u p u n a Magistrates' court.

However, most of the cases, Newsday learnt, were over six years old.

The homes were those of police officers who were stationed within the police district of Arouca.

(Adapted from the Trinidad Newsday)

Jamaica's Finance Minister Dr. Peter Phillips has warned that the Caribbean population will lose patience with the international community unless they provide the resources to modernise infrastructure.

According to emergingmarkets.org, the minister called for the international community to pay urgent attention to the Caribbean's economic troubles, or face grave social consequences as the region is facing a p a r t i c u l a r l y d i ffi c u l t situation.

“I have a real concern that if there is not a marshalling of global attention on the Caribbean to address the debt overhang and need for significant inflows of resources, then what we will see is a kind of failing, or political economy risk” Phillips said.

He noted that without improvement, “populations will lose patience with existing institutions, and that

Dr. Peter Phillips

brings the risk of a further setback, such as social disturbance and discontent”. He argued that resources are needed across the Caribbean to revitalise and modernise infrastructure, and set the platform for a growth rebound.

“Time and time again in the Caribbean people become willing to spend massive resources after the problem has festered rather than use a little more foresight and will to deploy much smaller resources and prevent the emergence of

the problem,” he said.

The financial publication reported that Phillips said in regards to marshalling the initiative he would look to the “main historical and trading partners of the Caribbean” such as the US, Canada and UK, as well as multilateral institutions.

The minister was speaking during meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Peru on the weekend.

(Jamaica Observer)

“Anti-bullying measures coming”

Education Minister Anthony Garcia

Education Minister Anthony Garcia says his ministry is moving to implement measures listed in an Anti-Bullying Report to curb the recent spate of school violence. Garcia was speaking in the wake of several videos of school bullying being posted on social media.

Viewers on the social sites have expressed outrage at the footage as one of the latest incidents which shows a Form Three student being bullied, beaten and kicked by a Form Five student at a Williamsville Secondary School. In a follow-up video related to the same incident, the victim's relatives are attacked by

the same bully and others in the presence of teachers and parents.

In another video at another school, a teacher is seen allegedly cursing a group of students for causing mischief by emptying the fire extinguishers and playing cards. And in a separate incident at a school in Aranguez, another student's head was shaved by bullies while he waited for the school shuttle to go home.

In a telephone i n t e r v i e w y e s t e r d a y, Garcia said: “We can't allow this to continue and it is a concern to us and the ministry. Every effort will be made to stop this which

has crept into our education. He said every effort is being made to implement the AntiBullying Report which was developed by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of National Security.

“Action will be taken urgently to implement this report,” he said.

First vice president of the T&T U n i fi e d Te a c h e r s ' Association (TTUTA) Antonia De Freitas said the ministry needed to support schools to implement a discipline m a t r i x . “ We h a v e a situation where there are some students who are out

of hand and these students make choices to take certain courses of action,” she said. De Freitas said in some instances there is a full complement of safety o ffi c e r s a n d s e c u r i t y officers but some contracts are due to expire soon.

“We need a support to create a discipline matrix in the school and be empowered to follow through,” she said. She said the actions of some students warrant suspension and if continued without consequences they become empowered.

(Adapted from the Trinidad Guardian)

INTERNATIONAL

ISIS LEADER CONVOY HIT BY AIRSTRIKE - IRAQ'S MILITARY Iraq's military claims its air force struck a convoy in western Anbar province that included ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The fate of al-Baghdadi is unknown, as he was "carried away in a vehicle," the military statement said. "The Iraqi airforce carried out a heroic operation by striking al-Baghdadi's convoy while he on his way to attend a meeting with senior ISIS leaders in Karabelah," the statement said.

The site of the meeting was also struck

FOUR YEAR-OLD RAPED IN DELHI Tw o m e n a r e b e i n g questioned by Indian police in connection with the rape of a four-year-old girl in the capital, Delhi.

The child is in intensive care after being found unconscious by railway tracks on Friday night and had surgery for extensive injuries.

The attack raises fresh questions over women's safety in Delhi after a 2012 gang rape and murder shocked the world.

The girl, who was found near her home in a poor neighbourhood in the

north of the city, was slashed and had severe injuries on her body.

Her family allege she was lured with an offer of food or sweets by a group of men. Delhi commissioner for women Swati Maliwal, who visited the child in hospital, described her injuries as "horrific".

The gang rape and murder of a student in 2012 in Delhi led to protests and new anti-rape l a w s i n t h e c o u n t r y.

However, brutal sexual attacks against women and

children continue to be reported from across the country.

In 2014, a Delhi woman alleged that she was raped by the driver of her Uber taxi. In July, police arrested a man who confessed to sexually assaulting and murdering 30 children from in and around Delhi. More than 1,500 cases of rape have been recorded by the police this year but there are believed to be many others which go unreported. (Adapted from BBC)

and several ISIS leaders were killed and wounded, the statement said. The Pentagon says it can't confirm the report at this time. The question is, who might lead ISIS if alBaghdadi dies?

Claims that alBaghdadi has been hit in airstrikes have been made twice over the past year.

I n N o v e m b e r, I r a q i officials said he had been wounded in an airstrike.

In March, Iraq's Interior Ministry said the Iraqi air force wounded alBaghdadi in an airstrike on the Iraqi town of Al-

Qaem.

Each time, audio recordings of al-Baghdadi showed up on social media within days after the airstrikes.He is enemy No. 1 in the fight against ISIS, and this summer, U.S. intelligence officials said they believed alBaghdadi was in the area of Raqqa, Syria, the de facto capital of the selfdeclared Islamic State. He was also still in charge of ISIS' operations, they said.

(Adapted from CNN)

TURKEY FINGERS ISIS IN BOMBINGS

The Islamic State (IS) group is the prime suspect in the Ankara bombings that killed nearly 100 on Saturday, Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu has said.

No group has said it carried out the attack, but the government believes that two male suicide bombers caused the explosions, hitting a peace rally.

The official death toll is 97, but one of the main groups at the march put the number of dead at 128. The funerals of more of the victims are taking p l a c e o n M o n d a y.

Saturday's twin explosions ripped through a crowd of activists gathering outside the main railway station in the Turkish capital.

They were due to

take part in a rally calling for an end to the violence between Turkish government forces and the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

There is anger in Turkey that authorities were unable to prevent such a major attack in the heart of the capital city - and some skepticism from opposition groups about the government's claims.

Mr Davutoglu said authorities were close to identifying one of the suicide bombers, using DNA tests, and that this would help to pinpoint which group carried out the attack. He had previously said that IS, the PKK and far-left groups were all capable of such an

attack.

Some local media have implicated the brother of a man who carried out an IS bombing in the southern border town of Suruc in July, which killed more than 30 people. There are also reports that investigators believe there are similarities between the device used in that attack and those used on Saturday.

The Ankara bombings are the deadliest in Turkey's history. The G e r m a n C h a n c e l l o r, Angela Merkel, is due to visit the country on Tuesday. "These attacks will not turn Turkey into a Syria," Prime Minister Davutoglu said on Monday. (Adapted from the BBC)

SP

RTS

VETTORI TO HELP EMERGING ENGLISH SPINNERS Daniel Vettori

Daniel Vettori has been roped in to work with t h e E n g l a n d P e r f o r m a n c e Programme spinners next month in Dubai.

The former New Zealand left-arm spinner and captain will join the EPP batting and spin group, led by Andy Flower, for 10 days in November, and work with Surrey allrounder Zafar Ansari and new Sussex signings Danny Briggs, Tom Westley (Essex) and Stephen Parry (Lancashire).

Ravi Patel (Middlesex), Will Beer (Sussex) and Matt Carter will also be a part of the squad in a net b o w l i n g c a p a c i t y.

Vettori, who retired from international cricket after the World Cup this year, signed on a three-year contract with Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League in April. He also coaches Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. "Daniel has been one of the most successful and

respected spinners in world cricket for almost two decades, so we are delighted to add his considerable experience to the England Performance Programme this winter," Peter Such, EPP's lead spin bowling coach, was quoted as saying in an ECB press release.

"I am sure that the players will benefit from working with him for the 10 days that he is with the EPP in November." (Adapted from Espncricinfo)

Finn out of first England/Pakistan Test England fast bowler Steven Finn has been ruled out of the first Test against Pakistan with a stress injury to his left foot. Finn, 26, impressed in last week's final warm-up game against Pakistan A in Sharjah when he took four wickets.

Captain Alastair Cook announced he will open the batting with Moeen Ali, spinner Adil Rashid makes his Test debut and James Anderson returns. The first Test in Abu Dhabi begins on Tuesday at 07:00 BST. Cook said on Finn's injury: "It's a bitter blow for him, he's had a huge 12 months.

Hopefully he'll be right for the second Test."

Asked whether he was in contention for a spot in the team, the skipper added: "Absolutely, he was. His performance in that warm-up game was good.

"After the warm-up game, he complained of a pain in his foot. Yesterday he

Steven Finn

bowled pretty well in the nets, and got through. But obviously it's got worse." Rashid has also been in good form while in the United Arab Emirates. The 27y e a r- o l d Yo r k s h i r e bowler scored 51 with

the bat in the first warmup match against Pakistan A and took 353 in the second.

"He can bowl some absolute jaffers and is a wicket-taking threat," Cook said of the

leg spinner. Meanwhile, Pakistan have doubts over leg spinner Yasir Shah, who limped away from practice on Monday.

Shah, who is the fastest Pakistan

bowler to reach 50 Test wickets, suffered a suspected back injury in the nets. Left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar, who played for Pakistan A in both warm-up matches in Sharjah last

week, has been called up as cover.

(Adapted from BBC)

SP

RTS

Bronze eludes Guyana Guyana missed out on bronze at the recently concluded 2015 Pan American Challenge championship after it went down to Uruguay 3-2 in another tense penalty game, its second in two games.

Playing for the third spot, the previously

unseeded Guyanese team took the early lead through a penalty corner from Marvin Dannett (5th Minute) and held that lead for a good 20 minutes before Uruguay scored its opening goal.

Guyana's failure to properly defend a penalty corner in the 22nd

minute which Juan Manuel Canessa scored led to the scores being tied 1-1.

H o w e v e r, t h e Uruguyans found a chink in the Guyanese armour and quickly punched their way through for a second goal in just over a minute later, this time a field goal

compliments of Joaquin Rodriguez (23rd).

Robert France however in the 40th minute levelled it up again after scoring a field goal and both teams tried furiously to find the separator, however it would take penalties to decide a winner.

Opening the shooting for the Guyanese (GUY), Bradford scored while Canessa (URU) had his shot defended as did France and Gonzalo Martinoni (URU).

Dannett would score his shot while Diego Laborde(URU) also converted successfully.

Jamraj Assanah missed his, Alexsis Lopez (URU) scored, Andrew Stuart (GUY) missed and Ignacio Costas (URU) carried his team over the line.

Meanwhile Brazil beat Venezuela in a low scoring 1-0 affair to take gold.

Hicken Confirms GFA Candidacy

Commander Clifton Hicken shows off his footballing skills

As the race begins for the Office of the Georgetown Football Association, one candidate is bringing an entirely different bend to the ball, both on and off the field.

C u r r e n t A Division Commander and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Clifton Hicken is of the view that the use of football can have many spin off effects, and as such, he is hoping to capitalize on these outcomes to tackle

community development and sport in one move.

Hicken explained exclusively to his plans for the sport should he win, adding, “Very early, we are going to be looking at workshops aimed at providing leadership and teaching conflict management.”

The Commander acknowledged the pride that is usually associated with football; noting that most players at the national level are considered brand

managers and as such should be taught from an early age to carry themselves in a respectable manner.

The ACP intends to focus on having some of the first division players become role models for younger students at the primary and secondary level, by introducing them as part of big brother football programs.

“I want to work closely in partnership with the corporate sector and the

ministry of education (department of sport) and I'm going to tell you why.

It's important for us to nurture football through a very small stage; the primary school level. If I work with the Ministry within the school curriculum, I can foster a relationship where we can develop community fields for football.”

He noted that once communities have fields, it will translate to many areas of general

development; areas he said included the cleaning up of communities when matches have to be hosted there as well as giving idle youths in the area a chance to do something constructive with their time.

H e s p o k e gleefully of having more community teams moving up to the second division level and those second division teams moving into the first, citing a constant turn over and

flowing pool of players.

With regard to the stagnancy of local tournaments at the GFA level, Hicken says he has plans to have two half yearly tournaments to ensure that the development of the said players continue.

The ACP also indicated his willingness to ensuring that persons have access to basic football gear in an attempt to break down barriers to development.

Monday, October 12, 2015

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BRONZE ELUDES GUYANA -see page 14

Guyanese players eagerly anticipate the outcome of the penalty shootout