Kaieteur News

al i c e p S

Online readership yesterday 84,213

April 07, 2013

$140

Email: kaieteurnews@yahoo.com

Website:http://www.kaieteurnews.com

Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

Despite Govt-imposed financial stipulations ...

Indebted Wireless Connections granted radio licence Annual Easter Hat show remains a touch of class

Two more American globetrotter miners crashes in Guyana while murdered heading to Suriname

Four decades of selfless service…

Gang hits local business community with bogus Sister Noshella Lalckecharran is Manager's Cheques a 'Special Person’

Harmon vows all-out fight to recall Jagdeo-issued radio licences

Page 2

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Harmon calls for across-the-board scrutiny of radio licensees All recipients of radio frequencies must be subjected to scrutiny on par with those who are required to reapply and as well as those who are now applying to be so licensed. At least this was the conviction of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Executive Member, Joseph Harmon, when he took the spotlight as the budget debates continued in the National Assembly Friday evening.

Harmon insisted that the allocation of radio frequencies by former President Bharrat Jagdeo shortly before he demitted office “in the manner and the numbers given to his party comrades is wholly unacceptable and the APNU views this as an improper exercise of his discretion.”

Harmon alluded to the pronouncement of Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman, who according to him was moved

to describe the former President’s decision as obscene. “He said that it was an obscenity and I agree with him,” admitted the APNU member.

Harmon in pointing to the fact that much of the information relating to the award of radio licences is already in the public domain disclosed that “what I would wish to say is that the persons who have been issued with these licences must be subjected to the same scrutiny to which the persons who are now applying for licences have been subjected to and those who have been asked to reapply.”

According to him it has now become essential that the Chairperson of the Guyana National Broadcast Authority, Bibi Shaddick, seeks to act and must be seen to act on the crucial matter.

“Equity and justice demands it...If the Chairman

...even as he calls for a rework of the national budget

APNU Executive Member, Joseph Harmon and others can’t get it right, then let them resign,” stated Harmon.

Turning his attention to the recently presented national budget, Harmon said that the APNU will in no way be supporting the $81 million that Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, assigned to the National Communications Network (NCN).

This decision, he explained, is premised on the fact that President Donald Ramotar who also fills the capacity of Minister of Communication is yet to release the report of the investigation into wrongdoings at NCN. Harmon disclosed, too, that this state of affairs had seen the Office of the Leader of the Opposition inking a letter to the President’s office on two occasions with the only response being that “we are considering the report.

We need the report; the public needs it,” insisted Harmon.

The APNU executive vocalised his belief that the national expenditure fails to address the true realities of Guyana even as he asserted that the choices made by the Minister in allocating the resources of the country would not reflect the urgent priorities in physical infrastructure.

He alluded to the country’s flagship projects such as the Marriott Hotel, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Expansion and the Amaila Falls. “All suffer from one fatal defect – public buyin.

These projects were conceptualised in secret and their executions still contain certain elements of secrecy,” said Harmon as he sought to reiterate the position of the APNU for open debate on such matters.

“Bring all the information on these projects to the National Assembly and let us have an open debate on them.

While we appreciate the efforts made by the Government to share some classified information to a small group of persons we believe anything short of bringing information to parliament is unacceptable,” added Harmon.

According to him there is a need for broad stakeholders’ involvement in the infrastructural development of Guyana even as he amplified the importance of a revised National Development Strategy as a useful starting point.

Harmon added, “I believe that this budget has given the wrong priorities for allocating resources and requires rework...as such I would not support its passage in its present form.”

Construction of transmission tower at Plaisance...

Residents will not allow Govt. imposition

The contentious Plaisance playground Residents of Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, would not allow Government’s imposition of a transmission tower on the community playground when there are alternative locations in the community, says Aubrey Norton, former People’s National Congress/ Reform Member of Parliament.

Norton, a resident of Plaisance, said that residents do not object to the construction of the tower but rather the location chosen by Government. He said that residents would now have to explore their options and take relevant actions.

He made those comments in response to Government’s main Spokesman, Dr. Roger Luncheon’s utterance, that “Government will not allow this project to be hijacked and to be treated so irresponsibly.”

Dr. Luncheon was

referring to recent protest actions by residents against the construction of the tower that caused the Chinese contracting firm Huawei, in collaboration with local subcontractors to temporarily halt during his post-Cabinet press briefing, on Friday, at the Office of the President.

“The e-governance team would be seeking to resolve the matter…I don’t believe I could contemplate another site identified as resolving the matter. Our intention in having the matter resolved is to have the matter resolved as planned,” Dr. Luncheon stated.

“If this matter is resolved to our mutual satisfaction, we’ll have a new hole dug,” he added.

Senior officials of the government had earlier indicated that after the protests the setting up of the e-governance tower would be

shifted to another location.

This was indicated by the head of the project, Alexei Ramotar.

According to Norton, Dr. Luncheon’s comments are contradictory since the outcome on one hand cannot be mutual satisfaction when on the other Government has already made a decision where the tower should be.

He said that the most suitable location for the tower should be where the first Guyana Broadcasting Corporation tower at Sparendaam was before Government moved it across the Demerara River to La Parfaite Harmonie. This, residents claimed, was to facilitate the building of mansions for close associates of the administration at “Pradoville 2”.

Norton said that according to Guyana’s Constitution citizens must be

consulted on matters that will affect them and this was not the case with the construction of the tower.

Dr Luncheon said that all the necessary permission was sought and granted by the authorities of the village.

However, he could not say if the government gained permission from the elected representatives or from the Interim Management Committee (IMC) which was appointed by the government itself.

However, Norton alleged that Government and its IMC comprising 12 People’s Progressive Party/ Civic supporters of the 14-member Council collaborated to have the tower erected on the playground.

This tower is one of 55 transmission towers slated to be erected by Government to facilitate its E-governance project.

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 3

Despite Govt-imposed financial stipulations There is growing evidence that Government did not tell the truth when it tried to explain the criteria used by former President Bharrat Jagdeo to issue several radio licences, days before he left office in 2011.

In January last year, Head of the Presidential Secretariat made it clear that the radio licences were issued to persons who had the financial means. It simply meant that the applicant had the money to run the operations associated with radio stations – not a cheap venture by any means.

He also said then that applicants should have been “fit and proper” and must show technical and other media capabilities.

Luncheon, in defending the process, said that not all “lagoo bagoo” would have been considered and that the Broadcast Act would have been used in the issuing of those licences.

However, Government may very well be hard pressed to explain how one businessman received a licence despite indications that he was in financial difficulties. It would be hardpressed to explain how the other, long established media houses who had applications were overlooked, using the same criteria, despite their financial standings.

Businessman Maxwell Thom who traded under the name of Wireless Connections, a popular cell phone outlet that was based at Bourda Market and several parts of Regent Street, was one who received a radio broadcast licence to transmit on 93.1Fm in Georgetown.

According to the

Indebted Wireless Connections granted radio licence…

November 27, 2012 publication of the Official Gazette, Citizens Bank signaled intentions for an order to foreclose on mortgages in the name of Maxwell Thom and Shelly Thom, both named as principals of Wireless Connections.

The mortgaged properties that the bank wanted to foreclose on were listed as Block XXX, Parcel 1606, of Plantation Ruimveldt and Lot 55 Broad Street, Charlestown.

The Broad Street property is the same lot number where a hotel associated with Thom is being operated.

Thom was also taken to court in 2011 for owing a Regent Street businessman for rent and a judgment was made. Kaieteur News was told that he owes over $6M in back rent on that property, at 130 Regent Street. He is reportedly heavily indebted to Auto Supplies and a number of other places.

Yesterday, Kaieteur News made contact with Thom for possible comments. However, after listening to the reporter, he said he was in a meeting and a call should be made to him again later. However, his cell phone rang out after that.

Wireless Connections was a main retailer for cell phones and accessories for the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T).

There were several branches across the city including at the GPO building. These are now closed.

In addition to Wireless Connections, broadcast licences were also issued to

New Guyana Company Limited, which publishes the Mirror newspaper, and belongs to the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) was granted five radio frequencies. The contact person for New Guyana Company Limited was listed as Dharam Kumar Seeraj, a Member of Parliament for the PPP. Telcor and Cultural Broadcasting Incorporated was also granted five radio frequencies. The contact person for that company was given as Omkar Lochan, the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, under Minister Robert Persaud.

NTN Radio (Anand Persaud), Rudy Grant, Hits and Jams Entertainment (Rawle Ferguson), Alfro Alphonso and Sons Enterprise (Alfro Alphonso), Haslyn Graham and Little Rock Television Station (Rockliffe Christie) also received licences to transmit on one frequency each.

Five more went o Jagdeo’s best friend, Dr. Ranjisinghi Ramroop.

In December, 2010, Jagdeo also granted two close associates of the PPP permission to broadcast television signals on the 2.5 GHz band, which allows for cable TV operations and internet-related services.

These persons were Vishok Persaud, the son of longstanding PPP stalwart Reepu Daman Persaud, and Brian Yong, who mounted the PPP platform in 1996.

Those who reportedly

Two Easter queens at Bartica

Miss Akeelah Stephen was crowned Queen and Trenicia Fraser, the first runner up, when Ellen’s Annual Junior pageant and hat display 2013 was staged over the Easter weekend. The venue was Leanna’s Kiddies’ Park.

The second runner up was Angelica Marslow.

“This was really our Easter fund raising event.

Many people from Bartica and its environs look forward for this fantastic show, the only one of its kind,” the organizers were Principal Ellen Odwin and staff of Ellen’s Nursery School, Bartica.

Each contestant was

given a pair of earring and other gifts, the Queen received one gold chain and a pair of earrings and other gifts.

SHOLANNA PETERS was crowned Queen while Tenisha Skeete was first runner up. Kimberly Tracy was the second runner up for the senior category.

Wireless Connections: Maxwell Thom evaluated the radio application included controversial Press Liaison to the President, Kwame McCoy, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon; Network Administration at the Office of the President, Roy Jagnandan; and Head of the Project Cycle Management Division of the Ministry of Finance, Tarchand Balgobin.

The administration had defended Jagdeo’s decision to issue those licence even though it was days before he stepped down.

Both Luncheon and President Donald Ramotar stopped short in explaining what methods Jagdeo used in arriving at his decision in choosing those successful applicants.

The issuance of radio and television licences has been a contentious one over the years drawing a sharp divide between government and the opposition who railed against the lone state-controlled radio stations.

An agreement was finally made to establish the Guyana

National Broadcasting Authority under a new Broadcast Act which was passed in 2011. Jagdeo signed that act in 2011 but did not wait for authority to do its work.

The details of those licences were only revealed when the Opposition demanded answers and got them a few weeks ago, sparking several protests by

media houses and newspaper vendors over what they said was the unfair distribution.

Both Kaieteur News, the biggest selling newspaper in Guyana and Stabroek News, another independent one, were among those overlooked by the former President.

The Broadcast Authority has since asked media houses and others to submit fresh applications.

Page 4

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210

Editorial

Moving the Capital It was reported that the lead negotiator to the UN Climate Change Convention. Mr. Andrew Bishop declared that “it would be difficult to move Georgetown” inland even though he conceded that there is overwhelming evidence that the city will be threatened by rising sea levels due to climate change. He suggests that instead, we ‘move development’.

We believe that Mr. Bishop is missing the point which is that no one has suggested ‘moving Georgetown’ anywhere.

Phrasing the suggested response to rising sea levels the way he has, invokes images of us having to move St George’s Cathedral and Parliament buildings board by board and brick by brick to higher ground. This is very far from what has been proposed.

This newspaper, in fact, has long proposed that we construct a new economic capital in the Rupununi but that this be accomplished as part of a grand strategic reorientation of our entire development strategy. The US has shown that a country can have an administrative capital (Washington) and an economic capital (New York) that work just fine. We pointed out that when Lee Kwan Yu assumed power in Singapore back in the 1960’s he defined the ‘hinterland’ that his city-state would service for its economic development as Europe and the US. By then they had shown they had the markets for goods and services that Singapore could deliver.

In this new millennium, we have been blessed to have one of the new emerging economic behemoths just across our Takutu River border, which not coincidentally, that country Brazil has bridged. We are stating once again: our policy makers must quit haggling over how to share our minuscule pie and grab the opportunity to make northern Brazil our ‘hinterland’. But maybe Mr Bishop meant the same thing we are suggesting: we can ‘move development’ into the Rupununi.

The first constraint to the development of the Rupununi as an economic centre, some may point out, would be transportation to the Coastland. But this objection displays a refusal to extricate our thinking from its present mode: we are not seeking to service the US and Europe but northern Brazil.

And the transportation linkages to that destination are already in place. From the Takutu Bridge one can drive on surfaced highways all the way to Brazil’s interior city of Manaus, which has a population of 1.8 million and the fourth highest per capita in all Brazil.

We have to plan for the orderly economic development of the resources of the Rupununi, which used to satisfy most of the beef for northern Brazil. This industry can be resuscitated. We have been extremely lackadaisical about developing the agricultural potential of the Rupununi. We can do worse than copy what the Brazilians did in the early days of their push for agri-development.

The leased large swathes of land for 25 years to the Japanese who were concerned with food security - especially in protein, for which soya fitted the bill. Today, Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of soya and it is practically all produced by local owners. The Chinese are the present successor to the Japanese in the quest for food security.

Why do we not nip our budding xenophobia and invite them and their funding and technology to develop agriculture in the Rupununi?

To move up the value-added chain we would have to introduce agro-processing and other manufacturing industries on a large scale. This would need cheap and reliable electricity. We already have the Amaila Falls HydroElectric Project on stream, which can supply the Rupununi much easier than Georgetown and the Coast. There is also an offer from Brazil to construct a much larger hydro-electric plant with their capital and to import our excess production.

In terms of integrating the development of the Rupununi and the rest of our Atlantic coast, which is going to be an ever-increasing expensive proposition to keep viable, there is also the Lethem-Georgetown-Berbice Highway that the Brazilians are willing to finance.

As we advised before: Go south, Guyana!

Sunday April 07, 2013

Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com

The sale of Lamaha Gardens playfield may have been above board but neither legitimate nor legally sound DEAR EDITOR, Land that has been alienated and reserved for a specific purpose through the operation of law cannot be sold as a residue under the original transport without reversal of the mechanism by which the land was alienated initially.

The Chief Co-op Officer has stated on a number of occasions that the sale of Lot 142 Lamaha Gardens, which was initially set aside by the proprietors for the establishment of a community church and subsequently redesignated as a public open

space for recreational purposes, was above board, legitimate and legal because the Transport was executed in compliance with the provisions of the Co-operative Society Act, Chapter 88:01.

Other writers have argued persuasively that the Civil Service Association Cooperative Society was not properly dissolved and therefore any sale of its assets is unlawful.

In this letter I wish to draw attention to a fundamental point which has so far eluded the previous submissions on this issue, that is: Land that

has been alienated and reserved for a specific purpose through the operation of law cannot be sold as a residue under the original transport without reversal of the mechanisms by which the land was initially alienated.

To establish this point requires a succinct examination of legal machinery for establishing a Housing Scheme such as the Civil Service Association Cooperative Society Scheme of Lamaha Gardens.

EXPLANATORY NOTES Where the proprietor of

land desires to sub-divide the land into two or more parcels, he is required to cause a Sketch Plan, showing the proposed mode of subdivision to be prepared and submitted to the Central Board of Health for its approval. Section 135 of the Public Health Ordinance Chapter 145 of the Laws of Guyana, stipulates that when that Central Board of Health is satisfied with the proposed layout it shall issue a first Certificate to the Proprietor, which allows the proprietor to seek planning permission from Continued on page 7

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 5

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Kaieteur M@ilbox

We East Coast Demerara commuters are at the mercy of unscrupulous bus drivers

The time for damage control has long been in the Rupununi

DEAR EDITOR, I am a single parent employed with the Government of Guyana. I travel five days per week to work in Georgetown. My salary is under $50,000 per month. I am very much ashamed and embarrassed with the transportation system in Enterprise/ Nonpariel/Coldingen and other parts of East Coast and the country as a whole. It is most frustrating.

From Nonpareil, Enterprise/ Coldingen and the outlying areas the bus fare officially is $120 per person to Georgetown. Daily it is $240 return bus fare. But almost all the buses in Coldingen/ Nonpariel/Enterprise collect $200 from each passenger.

Official working hours is 8.00a.m.to 12.00 p.m. and 1.00 p.m.to 4.30 p.m. So many vehicles in Guyana, yet still we the workers are left for hours on the roadways. We are left stranded on the East Coast parks bus parks /Camp Street and North Road, etc.

Why? In the mornings, bus conductors as well as drivers tell us, the passengers, point blank “we going short”, “we nah going town.”

Meaning they going up to B.V and from B.V. they then head to Georgetown.. They would then sort out passengers which comprise school children and ‘short drops’ which is between $60.00 and $100.00. We are left to suffer on the road from as early as 6.30 a.m. and to be still left on the road ways stranded sometimes until 09.30 am for transportation.

In the afternoons, they tell us point blank if you pay $200 jump in the bus. Many a days we are left to suffer in this way

and this causes lateness to work and workers are left answerable to the mercy of supervisors coupled with the long traffic jam on the East Coast Highway in the vicinity of Apex School at Montrose daily in the morning hours and the continuation of other schools on the Carifesta Avenue, and other schools leading to Camp street, etc, which also includes stop lights before reaching north road and which we can cope with).

The problems could have been solved if bus conductors and drivers fetch passengers from their own areas rather than coming out of the Enterprise/Nonpareil/ Coldingen areas and going all the way to collect people on the main public road and other areas. It’s very difficult when the buses don’t pick you up.

You have to take short drops all the way until you reach the Coldingen turn, then take a taxi from there to go into the area, since it’s a haven for robbers.

At the end of the day you spend almost a $1000.00 on fares trying to reach home before it’s too dark. Not many people can afford this. When it is early you have to walk in that long road to Enterprise and its environment. It is a harassing and frustrating problem.

We are calling on the relevant authorities to please help to adjust the situation with the bus fares — (commuters must not pay more than the required fares).

Another suggestion is that maybe the Government can implement public buses at parks for various country wide areas. The commuters are suffering to an extent of being disciplined and given letters

for late coming, etc. Working mothers, pregnant mothers, children and aged workers also suffer. In many cases people cannot afford to pay $200.00 as their wages are insufficient but we have no choice but pay and hold onto our jobs Editor, the afternoons are no better. A bus will stop, but when you reach the destination, the conductors say $200.00 is the fare. The bus conductors shout at you saying ‘ short short, Better Hope”. They make several trips to Better Hope and then do all the short drops until they reach Coldingen/ Nonpariel/Enterprise.

Passengers all along the East Coast face the same fate where we are left stranded. It’s either we pay $200 and ply the route we are going or take another area bus for the same fare of $200, stop off by Coldingen or Enterprise, and take a taxi for the short drop of $200 / $300/ $400 for the single journey to go into Coldingen/ Nonpariel/Enterprisef.

Editor, the situation is getting worse. Can something be done about this? On Weekends the same buses who refuse passengers from Monday to Friday are begging for the same passengers and begging for them to travel when they see you at the bus park. We are fed up and confused. Buses still continue with the short drops and increased fares of $200 and nothing is being done. (Please let the bus fares remain the same as $120 and return $240), many people cannot afford to pay $400 return.

Residents and public servants (Enterprise/ Nonpariel/Coldingen)

DEAR EDITOR, The Marudi beating of innocent civilians by law men is garnering the attention that it rightfully deserve but sadly the seriousness to equate the gravity of this situation has not been given by the relevant authorities.

As I read Mr. Carl Parker’s letter ‘the animals in police uniform’ Wednesday, March 7th 2013 brings into question the level of education and mannerism of some members of the Guyana Police Force.

When an officer of the force is ignorant to the degree of being unaware of who he works for and can say with confidence that he does not work with the President and he the President cannot give him orders, is a very frightening revelation and reality we as citizens are being faced with.

This beastly act perpetrated by this law man who took the oath to protect, serve and maintain the laws of the land is most appalling.

His conscious act of bestowing countless lashes on a woman and her children, one being a twelve year old child begs to question the humanity of this officer and his colleagues in the force.

I believe the other officers who were there are equally responsibility for this gruesome and inhuman act.

They stood watching without any attempt to preserve the laws they sworn to do, but rather stood in their ready to shoot posture to defend this unlawful and barbaric assault on this woman and her child.

I’m of the firm view that the severity of this unpleasant incident is not getting the serious response and actions

that are needed to prevent this from recurring. And the fact that this said policeman is still in the area working and his boss, the commissioner of police says ‘nothing is wrong with this, as investigation is still going on’ is testimony to the very poor level of seriousness being given to this miscarriage of justice.

We as citizens must make it our duty and responsibility to ventilate and speak out to the powers that be that we will not all our constitutional rights to be eroded and that the law is superior to all, regardless of who you are or where you work. We the people must be conscious and cognizant, that the power of the people is greater than the people in power and injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Jermaine Figueira

This unpleasant incident is not getting the serious response it deserves

DEAR EDITOR, First, please allow me the honour of congratulating Mr. Sydney Allicock, APNU Parliamentarian, for his excellent, honest and thorough assessment of life in the Rupununi during the Budget Debates. Even though I did not hear the presentation, it has indeed generated a lot of debate in the media, inclusive of the now discredited Chronicle.

(The opposition was quite in order not to give them a cent).

Here in the Rupununi, residents from all over on hearing of what was in the Kaieteur and Stabroek, rushed down to Lethem to get their personal copies, but all were exhausted, there were no more papers for them. I wish that the Editors of these two media houses can donate a few hundred of the papers so that they can be distributed to the out-lying villages.

The event as carried by both dailies drew knowing looks and nods of agreement with that distinguished son of the soil. I think indeed he is a true hero-a hero of the people who was so bold and honest in telling it as it is.

We also saw the banner

headline of the Chronicle of the same day. Nobody bothered to read the article because we knew what would have been inside. Needless to say however, that the headline was misleading. Today’s Chronicle (Friday 5th April) was even more aggressive with four (4) articles on two facing pages. Yes, they sought to do damage control.

Mr. Editor, the time for damage control has long been gone because the people of the Rupununi know what Mr. Allicock was saying; they can relate to it.

Firstly, there was an emergency meeting of the PPP at the local freedom house here in Lethem. The articles had them scampering to find answers to the Budget presentation. I guess they could not find any so the rest is obvious: discredit the messenger and to hell with the message. That is the PPP modus operandi.

So the Chronicle has the results of that panic meeting.

Mr. Editor, please allow me the space to examine the various articles. We have one with comments attributed to the President of the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and

Industry (RCCI), Mrs. Jacqueline D’Aguiar. Ms. D’Aguiar is totally out of touch with reality. She claimed that there have been continuous improvements especially in the health and education sectors.

Mr. Editor, I challenge Mrs. D’Aguiar to itemize those improvements. While she is at it Mr. Editor, I want her to consider the following: · There are many students in Grade six that cannot read or write. They have spent six (6) years of their tender lives not knowing the difference between letter a and letter z.

They cannot compute. In other words, they are totally illiterate. I know this because I once attempted to give extra lessons to students of this grade.

I quickly abandoned the project when I realized that I was not equipped to deal with the situation. I promptly reported my assessment to the parents and the then Education Officer. I am not sure what was done about the situation, but I do know that that kind of situation still exists; · The Lethem Hospital Continued on page 6

Page 6

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox The time for damage control has long been in the Rupununi From page 5 cannot diagnose typhoid. I know this because I had typhoid last year and could not be diagnosed. I had to seek help elsewhere.

Additionally, we still have issues according to Mrs. D’Aguiar. The ventilation at the hospital is virtually nonexistent. There is no natural air flowing through the hospital. Unlike the old hospital that we used to have.

I know this because my sisterin-law was a patient at the facility and I had to purchase a fan for her. The ward was an oven. This will render rehabilitation and recuperation difficult; · This morning (Friday 5th April) I was awaken to the sound of contractors repairing pot-holes in a newly paved road. I know this because it happened in front of the gap where I am living; · Some residents can hardly feed themselves. I know this because they come to me for help. There is a particular family that fell on hard times that I would ask other residents to assist, and they do so very willingly.

There is simply no second chance for this family; · The dormitory at St. Ignatius Secondary School is overcrowded to the extent

where students are made to study in shifts; · The St. Ignatius Primary School is also overcrowded and the Government did not see it fit to improve the learning environment for these children.

Mr. Editor, the Education Committee also joined in the attempts at damage control, and in turn did mislead the general readership. It must be noted that while the Headmistress at the St. Ignatius Secondary school has been doing an excellent job, there have been attempts to discredit her and make her life uncomfortable. I alluded to an incident recently where a junior teacher was allowed to get away with murder: she engaged in actions to malign the head teacher.

Mr. Editor, I would like the Education Committee to state why they did not inform Regional Councillors of the presence of the Teaching Service Commission to Lethem. I met them on their way out of Lethem that morning and only then became aware that they had visited the region to deal with disciplinary matters. Not surprising Mr. Editor, that particular case was not presented to the Commission.

I took the opportunity to raise

the matter with them and they were very disappointed that the matter was not even raised. They mentioned that the issues raised were very frivolous and could have been dealt with at the department level, but that one they would have loved to address.

It must be pointed out that the interference in reflected in the percentage passes for last year – 56%, a drop of 17% over the previous year’s results.

What improvements?

While I am at it Mr. Editor, the Committee expects Mr. Allicock to know of certain things when I, who am on the council is now reading it for the first time. For example, the building identified for the Technical Institute – was that matter brought to Council?

Did the location get the full approval of Council? Were other stake-holders consulted to ensure that all are in agreement with the location?

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs too joined in the fray. I would like to take the Permanent Secretary to task. Until the electricity provided to these communities can be used to lift them out of poverty, to create jobs, and to enable the residents to engage in manufacturing, I would advise that he hold his tongue.

The solar panels provided can energize but 3 bulbs at the most. Additionally, residents are warned that they must not use the panels for radio or television because the authorities will know if they do, and the appliance will be repossessed. What utter nonsense. This clearly is an attempt to ensure that the residents do not listen to news from the outer world. This is an attempt to keep the residents in the dark.

Mr. Editor, the Permanent Secretary is 20 years late. This is the age of fast-paced information and residents of the Rupununi, as Mr. Allicock has stated, are very intelligent people, so they ensure that they are kept abreast with the news. They come to Lethem and purchase their news papers, not Chronicle, but Kaieteur and Stabroek. They are informed Mr. Editor.

As Mr. Allicock has stated, we do not want people living on the coast making decisions for us. That is exactly the position with the solar panels. The PS sat in his office and decided that the best thing for the communities is solar panels. The communities need and deserve much more that solar panels. They need electricity so that they can transform the many wasted fruits into marketable products; they

need electricity so that they can power their refrigerators, televisions, radios/stereos, blenders, micro-waves, washing machines and other house-hold appliances. I detect an air of surprise in the PS Mr. Editor. He did not know that the Amerindian people are so advanced, so he thought a solar panel will suffice. How wrong he must be.

Mr. Editor, what the detractors fail to realize, is that the backwardness is in the way the government treats the people. We still have dirt roads when our neighbours have paved roads; we have no streetlights when our neighbours have lights on every lantern post in every street; we do not have a security policy when our neighbours have professional internal and external security; we have a dilapidated electricity generating system while our neighbours have access to hydro-electricity; we have a health system that does not cater for our needs while our neighbours assist us with our medical needs; we have high rates of unemployment while our neighbours go to work every day; we have incompetent management while our neighbours frown on incompetence; we have garbage everywhere while the

communities of our neighbours are clean; we have Public Officials who are accountable to no one while our neighbours’ Public Officials are accountable to the people; we have destroyed all of our systems while our neighbours are proud to uphold and embrace theirs.

The PPP has made all of that possible. To use Mr. Allicock’s words, the lack of vision, the lack of prudent management, and the abundance of corrupt practices have combined to make the Rupununi the most backward place in the entire Caribbean. That is a serious indictment on the government and they should do the decent thing and resign. They are a miserable failure.

Consequently I will side with Mr. Allicock’s call not to support the budget. Well done sir, you have made us here in the Rupununi proud. May God bless you as you continue to expose the harsh conditions under which we exist.

I will encourage Mr. Allicock to convince Mrs. D’Aguiar to embrace APNU since therein lies Guyana’s salvation. She needs to do this to ensure that her late husband Mr. Harold D’Aguiar, the very first and youngest Regional Chairman of Region # 9, under the PNC, rest in peace.

Carl Parker Regional Councillor

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Page 7

Kaieteur M@ilbox

The sale of Lamaha Gardens playfield may have...

From page 4 the Central Housing and Planning Authority.

The Sketch Plan must next be submitted to the Central Housing and Planning Authority for its approval. If the proprietor proposes to sub-divide the land into ten or more parcels, at least 20% of the total area of the land must be reserved for public purposes. By Part III of the Town and Country Planning Act Chapter 20:01, the CH&PA is required to “regulate and control the provision and setting of community facilities, including shops, schools, churches, meeting halls, play centres and recreation grounds, in relation to the number and siting of houses.”

When the CH&PA is satisfied with the layout, land use and other matters incidental to the foregoing provision, an approval is granted to the proprietor, based on which approval a cadastral survey of the land must be executed by a Sworn Land Surveyor, mirroring as far as practical the approved design.

Duplicated copies of the survey plan must be submitted to the Lands and Surveys Commission, where it is checked for compliance with the aforementioned laws, among other things, and approved and recorded.

The original copy of the Cadastral Survey Plan is deposited in the Deeds Registry and forms the basis for the issuance of Transports, leases and other title instruments affecting immovable property, pursuant to section 22 of the Deeds Registry Rules made under the Deeds Registry act Chapter 5:01.

Before the proprietor is allowed to transport any parcel under the new design he must obtain a Second Certificate from the Central Board of Health, which certifies that the proposed infrastructural development works have been

implemented in keeping with the initial approval under the first certificate.

Where the subject area falls within a municipal district, the Second Certificate must be issued by the Council in the form of a Town Clerk’s Certificate. It is relevant to note here that from time to time, additional areas are bought under the township, at which time all lands designated for public purposes are subsumed under the jurisdiction of the Council for management purposes.

Operation of section 23 of the Deeds Registry Act Chapter 5:01, a Transport of immovable property other than a judicial sale transport shall vest in the transferee the full and absolute title to the property which is indefeasible.

However, the Caribbean Court of Justice in Ramkishun v. Fung-Kee-Fung et al (2010) CCJ 2., has noted that “equity was not unknown to the civil law. It was always part of Roman Dutch Law....”, and the Honourable Court was able to trace the history of Roman Dutch Law and found that on equivalent terms, as those in English Common Law, a volunteer who acquired transport was bound to honour and give effect to the equitable interest created by his predecessor in title.

In this case the Civil Service Association Cooperative Society, who is the proprietor of Lamaha Gardens, had no good title to the subject area that could have been alienated and transported without a reversal of the reservation through the operation of law.

Therefore, the liquidator had no better title than the proprietor. If this was not the case, then the Liquidator could alienate and dispose of the residents’ undivided interest in the other reserves as set out in the original cadastral plan by L.W. Cox; such as the drainage reserves, alley ways or engineering reserves and the road

reserves, since they are all legally held under the residue of original transport. This simple line of argument, in my humble view, should not require the intervention of the CCJ to have the transport rescinded, since the Deeds Registry Act provides for the rescission of transports issued in error. And, a long line of older cases have established that equitable principles can apply to immovable property to the extent that they are compatible with statute law.

Therefore, if the undivided equitable interest was created by statute law there is no need to carve out an exception as the done in the Ramkishun case.

One of the arguments offered by the Chief Coop Officer to justify his decision to sell the land was that rates and taxes were owed to the City Council in respect of the property.

The wellestablished mechanisms for judicial sale of land that falls inter arrears are set out in the Deeds Registry Act at Section 29. Therefore instead of trying to ‘make it happen’ by appointing a liquidator, he would have been well advised to invoke those provisions.

If that approach was taken, the council would have realized that the land was redesignated as a recreational park and was subsumed under their control, not only through the gestures of the operation of the Civil Service Association Co-operative Society Scheme, but by the operation section 320 of the Municipal and District Council Act Cap. 28:01, which states that “all undivided lands in every council area, except private lands held in joint ownership in common, shall be under the control and management of the council.”

When Lamaha Gardens became a part of Greater Georgetown, the subject area was maintained and managed by the City Council as a community play round, for a period of time, which is

evident by the annotations on the amended Georgetown Plan, and which would have been revealed if the rule promulgated by the late former Land Court Judge, G.O. Bromes, that required a contemporary Cadastral Plan for each application for title, was adopted by the Registrar of Deeds.

Even a simple inspection of the property would have uncovered the fact that after the city council abandoned the playground, the community pooled their resources (consistent with the covenants in their transports) and contributed towards upgrading the facility. This raises the issue of adverse possession, which, according to section 3 of the Title to land (Prescription and Limitation) Act Cap. 60:02, as amended, “Title to land ...... or to any undivided or other interest therein” may be acquired by undisturbed possession, user or enjoyment for over twelve years.

Therefore, the residents have acquired prescriptive rights to the land, even if they were of the wrongful belief that the land was a reserve, based on the decision of the CCJ in Tulsie Persaud vs AG (2008) CCJ5.

(Name withheld)

UG needs to improve its people skills DEAREDITOR, As a child, I had many dreams.

One of these dreams was that I would someday pursue studies at the University of Guyana.

When this dream finally came true several months ago, I was elated. However, this elation did not last long. I quickly discovered that insensitivity and impoliteness seemed to have taken residence in the human-like forms that occupy the various offices at the Turkeyen Campus.

Whether one is seeking assistance from the Admissions Department, Examinations Department, Loan Department or Bursary, one is bound to have an unpleasant experience. Students are often hesitant to approach the arrogant personalities who wear cold stares on their solemn faces and pretend to be there to offer assistance. These employees also seem to be in a perpetual state of “go slow”, for they almost never get things done promptly. It is unfortunate that these employees do not seem to understand that they are obligated to provide quality service since we (the students) are paying for it. Someone needs to inform them of this fact since they seem to lack the intelligence to figure this out themselves.

Unfortunately, the display of insensitivity and impoliteness

does not end in the offices on campus. Recently, these despicable behaviours were demonstrated in the classrooms during an examination.

For the Use of English test that hundreds of us wrote in March, we were supervised by forms bearing the semblance of humans. Most of them displayed unprofessional conduct, shouting at students, humiliating them and refusing to give additional writing paper when requests were made.

Even lecturers who tried to put us at ease were insulted by these invigilators who seem not to be aware that examinations can be nerve-wracking experiences for many students, and that behaving like pigs would only make the situation worse. To add to this unfortunate situation, the person whom I later learned is in charge of the course behaved as unprofessionally as the invigilators. How can a university professing to be improving the knowledge and skills of students hire people who lack the knowledge and skills to function in an academic environment?

I can only pray, like many other students, that something is done very soon to address the appalling attitudes of these human impersonators.

Disillusioned Student

Page 8

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Wakenaam to get regular ferry service next month Regular ferry service to Wakenaam is expected to resume possibly early Mayat the end of this rice harvesting season. The ‘every other day’ service to the island was temporarily instituted to also satisfy the needs of rice farmers of neighbouring Leguan.

This is according to the Traffic Manager of Transport and Harbours Department, during a brief telephone interview with this publication on Friday.

The Manager said that owing to requests made by farmers of Leguan, the decision was made for the lone ferry, M.V. Malali, which now services both islands to provide the service every other day.

She explained that the department only has one ferry to serve the islands and the destinations of paddy leaving both islands are different.

The paddy leaving Leguan goes to Supenaam while Wakenaam farmers send their paddy to Parika.

This arrangement began about two weeks ago. This is around the same time Wakenaam residents complained of the

inconvenience. Residents, particularly farmers, complained that the irregularity of the service is causing spoilage of their perishable produces.

He noted that this is a great i n c o n v e n i e n c e t o commuters, particularly farmers, who depend on the ferry to transport their cargo. It was noted that farming is the primary economic activity on the island and the produce is transported to other parts of the country.

According to a resident, no notice was posted at the Wakenaam Stelling informing passengers of a change in schedule.

But, the Traffic Manager said that notices have been placed at the Parika, Supenaam, Wakenaam, Leguan and Adventure Stellings. In addition, a meeting was held at the Parika Stelling to inform residents of the arrangement but only two farmers of Wakenaam attended.

A resident claimed that if indeed the department has an every other day arrangement it is not effective.

The man claimed that the

ferry left the Wakenaam two Saturdays ago and did not return until last Tuesday.

He said that on Friday the M.V. Makouria arrived at the Stelling instead of the M.V. Malali which is said to have developed mechanical problems.

However, residents were able to transport their produce to Parika after several days.

This is not the first time that Wakenaam residents are facing transportation woes. In fact, the first issue with late ferries is now compounded with the unscheduled arrivals. The farmer noted that the ferry usually arrives at Wakenaam at midnight to go to Parika and sometimes at 11:00 am.

He said that these timings do not coincide with those of the market and cause great discomfort and fatigue.

According to the Traffic Manager, ferry works according to the tide.

If the ferry arrives when the tide is low there is the possibility of the vessel grounding. She noted that the area around the Stelling has not been dredged for a while.

This wooden structure located on Lance Gibbs Street Queenstown has been a threat to other buildings in close proximity despite numerous reports and appeals to the relevant authority on its condition.

The persons most fearful is former Guyana and West Indies off-spinner, Roger Harper and his family.

To date there has been no talk about pulling the building down even as other residents close by are

worried about it falling and causing damages to their property.

Already the building is collapsing.

The front has separated and sections of the roof have fallen in.

Miner shot dead in North West, another killed in Venezuela The murder rate continued to climb in Guyana’s interior, with the latest victim being 23-year-old Randy Rafael, who was found dead around 07:00 hrs at Bruck Up Landing, North West District, with a gunshot wound to the head.

A police release said that Rafael’s body was found in a hammock after police ranks from Yarakita, acting on information, visited the area.No motive was given for the killing and police said that the suspect has not yet been arrested.

The release said that while at ‘Bruck Up’ Landing, the ranks received further information that the body of another Guyanese of Amerindian descent had been brought over earlier in the day from the border village of Mundo in Venezuela.Police said that investigations revealed that Titus Daniels, a miner of Yarakita, was allegedly fatally stabbed to his back by another Guyanese miner during an altercation at Mundo.

Kaieteur News was told that both Daniels and his assailant

were consuming alcohol at the time. The release stated that other Guyanese miners arrested the suspect and brought Daniels’s body to Guyana. The suspect was handed over to the police and is in custody. Efforts are being made to bring the bodies to Mabaruma, North West District. In late March, the body of Ray Holder, a 29-yearold miner of South Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara, washed ashore at Mahdia. A post mortem revealed that he had been stabbed twice in the chest.

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 9

Veteran butcher allegedly forced out of business His name is Abdool Jabbar but many know him as ‘Butcher’. In fact when looking for Charles Street Reserve Parika, East Bank Essequibo, it would be easily found if one asks for ‘Butcher Shop Street’ named after the veteran butcher who has been operating in the area for over 30 years.

But now, Butcher fears that his livelihood is under threat since he claims that he is being removed by the head of the local National Democratic Council, ‘all because of favoritism.’

According to Jabbar a named businesswoman has

erected several small shops for let in the area where he operates and it is allegedly the woman’s plans to get rid of him for the expansion of her liquor business.

‘Butcher’ said the woman, who is allegedly affiliated to the NDC boss made complaints against him and now he is being forced to move off the parapet where he has been vending for all those years.

On March 19 last, Butcher said that he received a letter from the NDC head ordering that he move. The letter shown to Kaieteur News cited a section of the law which

St. George’s Cathedral supports ‘Autism Speaks’ Ordained in blue, parishioners demonstrated their unwavering support through ‘Autism Speaks’ outside St. George’s Cathedral for Autism Awareness Day which commenced on April 2.

Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders.

These disorders are characterized by varying degrees of communication difficulties, social and behavioral challenges as well as repetitive behaviours.

‘Autism Speaks’ which was established in 2005 remains the world’s leading autism science and research organization. The organization has committed more than US$195 million to research and developing innovative resources for families to cope with the unfortunate circumstances that are created in the everyday lives of their children that are affected by the mental condition.

Today the Cathedral is also supporting ‘Light it up Blue’.

It is upon this background, the Cathedral, which is in full support of this movement, requests that fellow worshippers wear something blue today as another expression of support.

Dem boys seh...

Dem could get a radio boycott Old people always seh that nobody don’t hear first bell but that dem does always hear last bell. What dem old people mean is that when de warning bell ring fuh school or church people don’t pay attention but as soon as the final bell ring is then dem does run fuh start preparing. Dem always late.

Well nobody didn’t hear wha happen when Jagdeo give out de radio station but everybody hear when Sam Hinds talk about it.

Dem boys seh that people got to learn to listen and that dem shouldn’t tek nutten at face value. All of dem sit back because dem believe that was only spite mek de man do that but when de thing expose is then people know.

It don’t matter that some of dem radio station would never broadcast because dem ain’t got nutten to tell de people, what matter is that everybody should get a fair break. Of course some people does always get a head start.

De Waterfalls paper was de last one to come on line and it tek off. Jagdeo really believe that if he give De hard Times paper a radio station then de station gun advertise wha news it got to publish and people gun buy de paper. He lie.

And dem suh bareface. Donald claim how dem free up radio in Guyana but de government still giving $81 million to de government radio and TV station. Dem boys seh that if dem want to share money give everybody de money and see who gun give de government de most fuh its money. Hen See Hen doing more harm than good for de government.

Dem got some private radio station that would win more support fuh de government in a week than Hen See Hen can do in a year. That is why Jagdeo give he friends but he forget that de very public did teach he friends a lesson wid a boycott.

That can happen again and from de looks of things, it will happen again.

Talk half and watch de situation.

prevents vending in stipulated areas of a community.

On March 28, last, the butcher said he received a personal visit from the NDC official who told him that he must leave.

This is however the same area, ‘Butcher’ charged, where the liquor store owner is reportedly placing her extensions. To heed the NDC’s warning, butcher said he approached the NDC head and vowed to move within the stipulated time before appealing to the official to locate another spot where he can vend to make his living.

The very next day, the butcher said that he was taken to another spot, but he now blocks a ‘dam’ (road) and a drain.

Butcher said many residents complained that he was now blocking the road. A named resident, he said, constantly banged it in his ear about his wrong positioning and the difficulty he posed to persons wanting to traverse the area.

The butcher said that he now sought the intervention of the NDC official to assist with the problem he was having with residents. On March 30, the NDC official was reportedly reached by butcher who laid over his issue.

But when he related the issue, Butcher said that he was told not to worry about the people complaining. He said that he was advised that “they can run to APNU and AFC, but they don’t have the power; I have the power.”

Knowing very well that his new location was not suitable, Jabbar said he went back to the NDC official on April 1, who this time told him (Jabbar) that he was preparing another notice for him to move which would have been delivered later in that day.

“When he told me that, I ask where will I go brother?”

And with tear-filled eyes, butcher said he was reportedly told by the official that, “You find a suitable place, even if is in the river,

Abdool Jabbar known as butcher you have to move.”

Butcher said that when he asked why this is being done to him, the blame is being thrown on the NDC overseer for the NDC’s doing since that is the person who draws up the notices.

“Ever since, I have erected a sign on my cart; to move in seven days. I don’t know where I will go or what I will do.”

The man said that he is aging and only recently he lost his son, so he must now continue the business alone to maintain the family.

Jabbar is seeking some intervention as he sees this move by the official as “taking bread out my mouth.”

Kaieteur News however sought a response from the NDC Chairman Moraj Sookhoo who said that several persons using carts and other portable vending equipment were asked to move by orders of the Local Government Ministry.

He said that the street where Butcher operated is now developed and the named business owner wants to extend business after certain upgrades were made.

He further said that the butcher has a well built stall in the Parika Hydronie market and the butcher goes there also.

If Butcher is able to locate a suitable spot where he is not affecting residents or the business owners then he would be accommodated.

Page 10

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Gang hits local business community with bogus Manager’s Cheques Police are tracking a sophisticated criminal gang that has been fleecing local businesses out of millions of dollars using bogus Manager’s Cheques from the various banking institutions.

Within the past month the gang has carted off in excess of $12M in items after convincing unsuspecting businesses that the cheques were genuine.

They have already carted off six complete dredges and several pieces of electronic appliances, including computers from reputable companies.

From all indications, the gang is made up of locals and foreigners, judging from the accents of some of the callers who make the orders for the items.

One businessman told this newspaper that he was hit for $7M by the gang who cleverly used the Easter weekend to perpetrate the scheme.

“These people are so smooth and convincing,” the businessman who operates a manufacturing business told this newspaper.

He recounted that last week Tuesday he received a telephone call from a male with a Dutch-sounding accent who enquired about some dredges he had for sale.

He subsequently made

Two of the bogus manager’s cheques

arrangements to have the items available for inspection by the person who had expressed interest in them.

According to the businessman, he did not have the slightest inclination that the whole scheme was a fraud, since the caller who said he was representing the ‘Aranka Mining Company’, kept contacting him on his

telephone, all the while building up trust.

“The man told me that he operated a store in the interior and will be doing much more business with us in the future,” the businessman stated.

The caller agreed that he would pay for the items with a Manager’s Cheque, which was agreed to by the

businessman. On Holy Thursday, (the day before Good Friday) members of the gang turned up to uplift the dredges and handed over the Manager’s Cheque worth millions of dollars to be drawn against Citizens Bank.

Of course, it was after 16:00 hours when the possibility of encashing the cheque was non-existent and

the businessman was forced to deposit it into his bank account at another city bank.

Since it was the long Easter weekend, the businessman had to wait until the following Tuesday to find out that the cheque was no good, not that he had suspected anything.

Of course all efforts to contact the persons who had paid him the cheque and collected his items were futile since all calls to their telephones are not being unanswered.

The matter was reported to the police and the businessman subsequently learnt that the gang had used the same scheme to hit about 10 other businesses.

In one case the wife of an East Bank Demerara businessman was actually detained by the police when she went to a city bank to cash one of the cheques that was paid to her for items that she had supplied to the confidence tricksters.

Kaieteur News understands that earlier last week another business that deals in electronics narrowly avoided being scammed $2M by the same gang.

A member of the gang had approached the business with an order for 12 (42-inch) television sets, bed sheets and other furnishings,

claiming that they were opening a hotel in Eccles, East Bank Demerara.

But the business owner became suspicious and did some checking around and found out that there was no proposed hotel in Eccles.

He nevertheless agreed to supply the items and accepted a Manager’s Cheque drawn on the Bank of Nova Scotia.

But when the buyer turned up to uplift the items, he appeared to have sensed that all was not well with the plan and he began acting strangely, even as employees were gathering up the items.

He fled the business place when he was asked to come into the office to sign up some documents. He was aware that his image would have been captured on the closed circuit television.

In another case a West Coast Demerara businessman was lucky to recover an outboard engine that he was conned by persons using the same modus operandi.

So far there has been no report of arrests.

Yesterday, the businessman who spoke to Kaieteur News said that he has decided to go public with his plight so that others can be alerted and not be caught in what appears to be a well organized scheme.

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Harmon vows all-out fight to recall Jagdeo-issued radio licences Parliamentarian Joseph Harmon has vowed an all-out fight to have the radio licences issued by former President Bharrat Jagdeo just before he left office recalled.

Harmon, a leading executive with the opposition coalition APNU, declared that Parliamentary, judicial and all necessary measures would be taken as the need arises. He has not ruled out street protests to correct what he says was a clear case of nepotism and bias on the part of Jagdeo.

Further, Harmon declared that the Broadcasting Authority, which has been “piled up with political appointees” should be made independent and autonomous.

The very month he left office, Jagdeo gave five radio frequencies each to his best friend Dr. Ranjisinghi Ramroop; The Mirror newspaper, which is owned by the ruling PPP; and Telcor and Cultural Broadcasting, which is linked to Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud.

Harmon contended that those licences were issued even though Mr. Jagdeo had signed new regulations into law which would bring a broadcasting authority in

place to issue such licences.

As far as Harmon is concerned, Jagdeo used his powers in an arbitrary manner and in a way that expressed nothing but bias towards his friends and the friends of the government.

President Donald Ramotar has defended the granting of broadcast licences by Jagdeo, saying that the former President was simply fulfilling a commitment he had made early in his second term of office.

Harmon argued that even if Jagdeo was doing so, his powers needed to be exercised in the context of the new broadcast regulations which he signed into law.

President Ramotar said that in the case of Ramroop, the Mirror and Telcor, one licence but five frequencies each were given to them to facilitate the reach of those stations.

“This is simply too much,” Harmon argued. He said that the licences should be recalled and that those licencees should reapply under the new legislation and fulfill the requirements of the new process, including spelling out the need for five frequencies. Even so, Harmon argued that the Governing Board of the Broadcasting Authority should be made

autonomous and independent, and without the control of the political directorate.

Bibi Shadick, a Member of Parliament with the ruling PPP, chairs the governing board.

Broadcast experts have said that five frequencies are not needed to relay programming, but that other facilities could be used instead of clogging up the airwaves and limiting the availability of frequencies that could be awarded to others.

Jagdeo also granted cable licences on the 2.5 GHz Band to his close associates, Vishok

Persaud of E-Networks and Brian Yong.

Both Persaud and Yong are known to be close to Jagdeo and Winston Brassington, the man who manages Government’s investments.

The service offered by the two men, such as 4G, requires both the availability of licenced airwaves – also called spectrum – from the government, and considerable private investment in infrastructure.

In early December 2010, Persaud introduced his company’s WiMax 4G Network, opening up a wireless digital communication system to provide broadband wireless access, satellite services providing internet access and voice services to miners and companies in the interior and other services.

Persaud launched his service the very month that he was granted a licence.

From all indications Persaud moved to set up his infrastructure knowing that he was assured of a licence from Jagdeo.

Harmon said that the opposition would be proposing amendments to the Broadcast Act to make it independent and free of political control.

Nine vivacious young ladies from across the mining Town have taken on the mantle of ambassadors of their respective communities, and are expected to vie for the coveted title of Miss Linden come May 4, at the Mackenzie Sports club Ground.

Silvertown will be represented by Nikieta Mcfarlane, while Kenisha Regis will wear the sash of Watooka, and Latisha Phillips, Blue Berry hill.

Nicola Rodney will represent Block 22; Renea Sydney, Retrieve, and Shevannie Charles; Amelia’s Ward, while Shanti Paul, Kimberly Elexy and Laketya

Mcphoy will be representing the communities of Coomacka, Kara Kara and Central Mackenzie respectively.

Chairman of the Interim Management Committee Orrin Gordon exhorted the delegates to be good ambassadors and to sell their communities and the pageant. Chairperson of the sashing event on Saturday evening, Camille Cummings, also invited the contestants to be good ambassadors.

Proudly holding the franchise for this year’s Linden town week pageant is the young and vibrant duo of

Quacy Johnson and Lincoln Zephyr of “ De Sherrifs entertainment”. They are collaborating with the L & L Lounge to host the event.

Gordon applauded the two young men for taking on the task of hosting the pageant, and expressed optimism that it would be one of very high standards, judging from the ‘ambience’ of the L& L Lounge where the sashing was held.

The promoters apart from having the delegates sashed also took the opportunity to unveil some of the prizes that would be up for grabs.

Very much in evidence was the Jailing motorcycle,

which the queen will ride away with, along with a pair of gold earrings, a trophy and gift set.

The first, second and third runners up will also receive tangible prizes including a trip to a Caribbean island and a Gateway laptop, which was also on display.

There would be several other prizes up for grabs including prizes for Best Body, Best Smile and Miss Congeniality.

The Miss Linden Pageant is one of the most popular events on the calendar of the Linden Town Week of activities. It returns this year after a one-year hiatus.

APNU Executive Member, Joseph Harmon

Nine to vie for Miss Linden crown

Page 11

Page 12

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 13

Cancer patients in limbo as treatment facility awaits licensing

By Romila Boodram Guyana’s only cancer treatment facility has been out of operation since last June, leaving almost 80 patients worrying about their fate.

Officials of the Cancer Institute of Guyana (CIG) are now saying that they are awaiting licensing of the facility from the Ministry of Health before they resume operations.

Following complaints from the public last week, Kaieteur News visited the institute to appraise the situation.

The treatment centre, in a statement issued to this publication said it is hoping that the Ministry of Health would speed up the process in presenting them with a license to start their cancer treatment therapy.

One of the affected patients is former Attorney General, Doodnauth Singh.

According to CIG, last June, a decision was taken to upgrade the cancer treatment machine with a newer version.

Appropriate steps were taken to minimize the turnaround time.

In October, the installation of the new machine, LINAC PRIMUS was completed but treatment

Health Minister Bheri Ramsaran could not have been started because of the new health care act which requires all medical facilities to be licensed.

The new act prompted the Health Ministry to seek assistance from PAHO and WHO to oversee performance of the LINAC PRIMUS equipment. A report from both organizations confirmed that the machine met with international standards.

Documents requested by the Health Ministry were presented for further review and evaluation by the designated inspectors representing MOH. Currently, the lives of

The Cancer Institute of Guyana

about 80 cancer patients are in the hands of the Ministry of Health.

These patients are suffering from various types of cancer and their illness is at different stages.

The CIG came into existence in 2006 via a collaborative effort between the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Health and the private sector, in the form of Global Imaging Services Incorporated.

Since its establishment,

records show that the facility has diagnosed numerous patients and has treated over 960 patients with Radiation Therapy.

Kaieteur News tried to contact Health Minister, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran for a comment but all calls went unanswered.

Cancer can be treated by surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy and monoclonal antibody therapy.

The choice of therapy

depends upon the location and grade of the tumor and the stage of the disease, as well as the general state of the patient.

CIG uses Chemotherapy, radiation therapy and intracavitary therapy to treat cancer patients but because the facility is not licensed, no radiation therapy is being done at the facility.

Radiation therapy also called (radiotherapy, X-ray therapy or irradiation) is the use of ionizing radiation to kill

cancer cells and shrink tumours.

Radiation therapy can be administered externally via external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) or internally via brachytherapy. The effects of radiation therapy are localised and confined to the region being treated.

Radiation therapy injures or destroys cells in the area being treated by damaging their genetic material, making it impossible for these cells to continue to grow and divide.

Page 14

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Guyana signs US$5M financing agreement under GRIF - for Small and Medium Enterprises development Guyana on Friday signed another agreement under the Guyana Redd+ Investment Fund (GRIF). This time it was for a US$5M fund for the development of small and micro enterprises with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as its partner entity.

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, signed the nonreimbursable agreement with IDB Resident Representative, Sophia Makonnen, in the Boardroom of the Ministry of Finance, Main Street, for funding to be made available from the GRIF that would target building of alternative livelihood for vulnerable groups which currently has limited access to financing and limited technical and business skills.

“The fact that this project is funded under the GRIF, and in particular the fact that the IDB today is playing the role of partner entity under the GRIF institutional mechanism, is significant because we have worked very hard with all of the partners involved in this process to design an administrative mechanism that would see the funds

intermediate in an efficient way and would see the funds delivered ultimately to the intended beneficiaries. We are happy therefore to see GRIF projects materialise,” he said.

The other projects that have been signed for execution under GRIF funding are an institutional strengthening project for the Rupununi, in which the IDB is also the partner entity with Guyana. The other is the Amerindian Development Fund in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

This third signing, according to a statement from Government, is continued validation that the Government of Guyana’s partnership with the Government and people of Norway to provide global environment service, Minister Singh noted as well.

He said that the partnership in its own right was pioneering in so many ways and that “projects like this, funded by the investment fund that was established under this partnership with Norway,

Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh and Resident Representative, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Sophia Makonnen following the signing of the non-reimbursable financing agreement to the tune of US$5M for the execution. projects like these are important from that standpoint, they represent the manifestation of this partnership in project implementation.”

There is also the other position from which the project addresses the development of small and micro enterprises, an area that Government has been seeking to address.

Singh said that Government has recognised for a long time the extremely

important role that small and medium enterprises can play, and have played in transforming the economic landscape of the country, particularly of communities, families and individuals, and so over the years have been encouraging small business development from a number of fronts and through various avenues.

“This really represents our latest effort as it relates to promoting small businesses,” he said.

The project will address the constraint of lack of access to financing by establishing among others a credit guarantee fund, an interest support facility and a Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) grant scheme, Minister Singh said.

He said that all of the afore-mentioned schemes will

be executed through partnerships inclusive of the private sector and financial institutions.

Lack of skills will be addressed through a training voucher scheme, he said, and this will also encompass guidance on how to access financing, and in particular for projects that are consistent and in line with LCDS. He noted that the project represents a single element of what is much broader, Government’s strategy for promoting small business development, and mentioned other initiatives like the set up of operation by year-end of a Credit Bureau to provide easier and more affordable access to financing for SMEs. The Micro and Small Enterprise Development and building alternative

livelihoods for vulnerable groups initiative was approved by the IDB on February 7.

Makonnen stated that the goal of the project is to support the reorientation of the economy into a low carbon cap as envisioned in the LCDs and to create incentives for small businesses to invest in LCDS. She listed upscaling in SMEs productive activities, more SMEs gravitating towards the low carbon sector and less carbon emission from the project.

The “Micro and Small Enterprise Development and building alternative livelihoods for vulnerable groups” will be implemented by the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce under the aegis of the Small Business Bureau.

Daniel Persaud, 44, of Lot 2191 Tushen, East Bank Essequibo, has been convicted for fraudulently converting property entrusted to him by Woodruff Phillips in June 2010. On Friday, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ court, Magistrate Sueanna Lovell, concluded that sufficient evidence was brought before the court for him to be sentenced for the crime.

According to the charge, Persaud collected a cheque

worth $5 million from Phillips by falsely pretending that he was in a position to supply him with a quantity of 40 feet containers.

Persaud and Phillips knew each other as they would usually transact business. On June11, 2010, Phillips presented Persaud with $5 million cheque for the containers which the defendant promised to supply on behalf of Neal and Massy group of companies, where he was employed at the time. However, he put the

money to his own use and personal benefit.

Magistrate Lovell pointed to the detail that the defendant used the name of the company with which he was employed to solicit the money from Phillips when in fact the Company was not authorized to supply containers.

Persaud’s Attorney, Rexford Jackson, asked that the court take into consideration that the defendant had offered total reimbursement to the plaintiff, and had already given $2 million as a down payment.

Jackson said that his client is still willing to make complete restitution if given the chance to do so. The lawyer further explained that the defendant is the sole bread winner for his wife and four minor children. The Magistrate subsequently ordered that Persaud make absolute restitution within the next six months. Failure to do so will result in 22 months imprisonment for the defendant.

Tuschen resident convicted for fraud

Policeman loses weapon while transporting prisoners On Wednesday, last, a Police Corporal attached to a police station in Linden was transporting prisoners from the Mabura Police Station to attend court in Georgetown when he realized that his .38 revolver was missing.

The prisoners were being taken to court to answer charges for being in possession of illegal drugs. According to procedure he could not stop with the prisoners to make any searches. The corporal returned to the location the next day in effort to search but came up empty handed.

The matter was then reported to his seniors and investigations are ongoing.

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 15

SHOULD AIRLINES PASSENGERS PAY BY WEIGHT TO FLY INSTEAD OF BY SEATS?

By Ralph Seeram The biggest hassle I have coming to Guyana is weight, baggage weight that is, especially if the wife is coming. She thinks she can fit the entire Orlando into four suitcases each weighing fifty pounds. The four include my allotted two which from her perspective I don’t need. My clothes and other stuff are relegated to fit into my carryon luggage.

She has so many relatives and she thinks that she can bring something for everybody. In the early days coming to Guyana this was

not a problem, she had only sisters to cater for. Over the years it escalated to sisters and children, then sister’s children and their husband or wives, then it became sisters, husbands, sister’s children and other half then sister’s grandchildren. One thing I can tell you, when it comes to children, Guyanese women and men are great producers.

You would think birth control does not exist.

Coming back to my suitcase story; at times when she is over her fifty pounds she complains that the bathroom scale has a problem. Another time she

was five pounds over, I told her to repack she shuffle around some stuff prioritizing what to carry, when I weighted the suitcase it was now ten pounds overweight. Now I have to justify to her why Caribbean Airlines will not accept a suitcase over fifty pounds and the arguments starts.

I find myself in the uncomfortable and involuntary position defending Caribbean Airlines. You now know what I mean about being stressed coming to Guyana.

Recently I mentioned to my readers on a recent trip to Jamaica how Caribbean Airlines ticketing clerk made me check in my carry on because it had 28 lbs instead of 23 lbs. I tried to point out to the clerk that I was entitled to two suitcases weighing up

ImmigrationINFO Immigration News For Our Community

What is an Affidavit of Support?

Attorney Gail Seeram An affidavit of support is a document that must be completed by all petitioners for family-based and some employment-based sponsorship. In the affidavit of support, an individual signs to accept financial responsibility for another person, usually a relative, who is coming to the United States to live permanently.

The person who signs the affidavit of support becomes the sponsor of the relative (or other individual) coming to live in the United States. An affidavit of support is legally enforceable; the sponsor’s responsibility usually lasts until the family member or other individual either becomes a U.S. citizen, or can be credited with 40 quarters of work (usually 10 years).

If you filed an immigrant visa petition for your relative, you must be the sponsor. You must also be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident. You must have a domicile in the United States or a territory or possession of the United States.

Usually, this requirement means you must actually live in the United States, or a territory or possession, in order to be a sponsor. If you live abroad, you may still be eligible to be a sponsor if you can show that your residence abroad is temporary, and that you still have your domicile in the United States.

In some cases, the sponsor/petitioner does not have the income required by law and would have to get a joint sponsor to also complete an affidavit of

support. A joint sponsor is someone who is willing to accept legal responsibility for supporting your family member with you.

A joint sponsor must meet all the same requirements as you, except the joint sponsor does not need to be related to the immigrant. The joint sponsor (or the joint sponsor and his or her household) must reach the 125 per cent income requirement alone.

You cannot combine your income with that of a joint sponsor to meet the income requirement. When you sign the affidavit of support, you accept legal responsibility for financially supporting the sponsored immigrant(s) generally until they become U.S. citizens or can be credited with 40 quarters of work. Your obligation also ends if you or the individual sponsored dies or if the individual sponsored ceases to be a permanent resident and departs the United States. Note, divorce does NOT end the sponsorship obligation.

The following individuals are required by law to submit an Affidavit of Support, completed by the petitioner to obtain an immigrant visa or adjustment of status: 1. All immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (which include parents, spouses, and unmarried children under the age of 21) 2. Relatives who qualify for immigration to the United States under one of the family based preferences such as: unmarried, adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens (adult means 21 years of age or older); spouses of permanent residents and the

Gail Seeram unmarried sons and daughters (regardless of age) of permanent residents and their unmarried children; married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, their spouses and their unmarried minor children; and brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens, their spouses and their unmarried minor children.

3. Employment based preference immigrants in cases only when a U.S. citizen or permanent resident relative filed the immigrant visa petition, or such relative has a significant ownership interest (5% or more) in the entity that filed the petition.

Failure of a sponsor/ petitioner to submit an affidavit of support or to meet the income requirement would result in denial of visa issuance or denial of adjustment of status. If you change your address after you become a sponsor, you are required by law to notify the USCIS within 30 days by filing Form I-865, Sponsor’s Notice of Change of Address.

If you fail to notify the USCIS of your change of address, you may be fined.

to a 100 lbs, which I am not making use of, so my extra five pounds on my carry on will not make a difference that the airline will be 95 pounds ahead. Unfortunately she could not see the logic of this.

During this discussion there was this obese woman who probably weighs over 300 lbs, more than twice my 130 lbs. I made reference to the woman’s size that is taking far more weight on the plane than me and my carry on luggage, and suggested the airline should charge by weight if it is so concerned about weight.

So I am browsing the news this week and there it was, a Samoa airline has start charging passengers by weight. Yes you are reading right; this airline has been charging passengers by weight for some time and recently the U.S Department of Transportation has granted the airline permission to charge passengers by weight on its International flight from American Samoa to Samoa.

This is great. I am saying to myself. I hope other airlines including Caribbean Airlines, start implementing the system. After all, it seems only fair; why should a child of fifty pounds pay the same

fare as an adult weighing over 200 lbs? There would be no hassle with suitcase weight, you pay by weight (I am aware there may be a limit to what the baggage handler can lift). According to the airline’s Chief Executive Officer, “ Planes are run by weight and not by seat and travelers should be educated on this important issue, the plane can carry only a certain amount of weight and that weight needs to be paid, there is no other way.” He also added passengers who need more room will be given room to be comfortable. Good idea; have you ever been on a plane next to an overweight sweaty person?

It is annoying; they get all into your “space”. It gets worse if they are a chatterbox.

The truth is that airlines are really all about weight— weight and fuel consumption.

Some Guyanese owners of a charter airline are learning that the hard way. They are now serving time in Federal Prison. Their crime? They overloaded fuel and under reported the weight of the plane. The plane became too heavy for takeoff and caused a tremendous fiery crash at a New Jersey airport. Recently there have been complaints

by Caribbean Airlines

competitors that they are at a disadvantage because Caribbean Airlines gets cheaper fuel. You see how fuel is important? More weight, more fuel use, more cost; less weight less cost.

There is an interesting benefit to the pricing by weight by the airline. The health officials in American Samoa have contacted the Airline; they want to “ride on the awareness this is rising and use it as a medium to address obesity issues”.

If there ever is a way to force people to lose weight this is the answer. Do you have an idea how many pounds of” lard” will be shed if someone is planning a flight? It would be a win win situation for all, good health for passengers, more profits for the airlines.

On my last visit to my doctor a few week ago I noticed that I gained two pounds. I am determined to shed the two pound gained just in case Caribbean Airlines get ideas of a weight to pricing structure. I plan to make two trips to Guyana this year, one shortly. I like this idea of paying by weight, bring it on Caribbean Airlines.

Ralph Seeram can be reached at email: ralph365@hotmail.com

Page 16

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Berbice records yet another road fatality ...CBR rider killed in East Canje accident Yet another road fatality has occurred in Berbice. This one came less than 24 hours after the county recorded its second and just over 48 hours of the first on Wednesday.

This time, 23- year-old Ganesh ‘Max’ Persaud of 5 Strand, New Amsterdam, lost his life after he was allegedly knocked off his CBR motorbike.

The incident occurred around 17:10 hrs along the Canefield Public Road, East Canje on Friday.

His best friend, Shaun Sattar, who was riding alongside Persaud into East Canje on another motorcycle to organize a fund- raising barbeque that was to have been held today, for his younger brother who needs a lot of money for surgery in Trinidad.

Persaud was riding his late brother, Jarvis DeFreitas’s CBR CF 8751 “and he was riding in front of me and a hire car—a white 212—just come and pull in the corner and made a sudden U-Turn in front of Max and he [Max] knocked the car from the back door and fell off the bike”, said Sattar.

The boy added that

DEAD: Ganesh ‘Max’ Persaud Persaud’s two hands were broken as well as his right foot. “He was bleeding through his mouth”, said the eyewitness. He was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he died late Friday evening.

Persaud was employed as a clerk with his uncle, prominent Attorney-at-Law, Charrandass Persaud.

“We were like brothers,” said the friend. “We were doing a barbeque for his next brother, Lakeram Persaud, on Sunday in Canefield, so that was what we were arranging and we didn’t get to make it…

It will have to call off,” he

stated.

“He was a friendly person. He never passed anybody straight”, lamented Sattar.

Persaud leaves to mourn his mother, a single parent, Jean Persaud, and his siblings.

The driver of the hire car that allegedly hit Persaud is in police custody at the Reliance Police Station in Canje.

One of Persaud’s brothers, 28- year- old Jarvis De Freitas died early September 13, 2012 in a gruesome accident at the Sheet Anchor, East Canje, Berbice, while drag racing with another biker.

According to reports, De Freitas and some friends were drinking at a beer garden at Cumberland, East Canje when they decided to drag race. It was reported that the men took off at a terrific speed and De Freitas was unable to properly negotiate the treacherous Canje turn. His bike literally flew between two lamp posts, jumped a drain, crashed through a fence, and ripped apart a wooden shed before coming to rest aback of a Chinese Restaurant, with the body of the rider nearby.

As if that toll was not

The mangled CBR which Persaud was riding at the time of the accident enough on the family, it also should be noted that another of Persaud’s younger brothers, Lakeram Persaud was hospitalized at the Georgetown Public Hospital

Corporation (GPHC) for multiple injuries he sustained during an accident on Valentine’s Day this year.

Lakeram was heading home on his motorcycle when

he was struck down in front of the New Amsterdam Hospital. His mother started an appeal to the public to raise US$7,000 for Trinidad surgery on her son.

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 17

Page 18

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

36 graduate from Obama’s skills programme

By Samuel Whyte Some 36 youths who were part of the second batch of the President Barack Obama’s Caribbean Basin Security Initiative partnership training in Berbice, graduated on Friday at a ceremony held at the St. Francis Community Developers (SFCD) New multipurpose training centre at Rose Hall Town, Corentyne.

The training which caters for out of school youths and those not in a job, saw the graduates being involved in the Skills and Knowledge for Youth Employment (SKYE) initiative which caters mainly for youths 15 to 24 years.

SKYE is a project unit that is funded by the United States through USAID and is a core component of the US President Barack Obama’s Caribbean Basin security Initiative. It has so far been successfully implemented in Regions Four, Six, Nine and Ten. The main aim is that those who would have and pass through and graduated from the programme will have the requisite skills from the “Work Readiness” training programme to be in a position to find jobs, some for the first time in their lives.

The feature address was delivered by United States Ambassador to Guyana Mr. D Brent Hardt.

In his feature address Ambassador Hardt who was also present at the launching ceremony congratulating the youths on enhancing their marketability and equipping themselves with skills that will enable them to be successful both in the workplace and life.

He told them that they have been given a second chance and is happy that they are taking steps to grasp it and should do so with both hands.

He told them that employers would value a strong work ethic, punctuality and personal hygiene which are some of the things taught by the SKPE programme.

He also alluded to the fact that it is a programme through the initiative of President Obama and he is proud that his government can stretch its arm so far and wide and assist the not so fortunate.

Also present were Mr. Jan Karpowicz SKYE Chief of Party in Guyana, Executive Director of YCG Dmitri Nicolson and Private sector representative Mr. Vishnu Doerga. Dwayne Mitchell, life skills and livelihood

Pics US Ambassador D Brent Hardt, centre, along with Mr. Jan Karpowicz, SKYE Chief of Party in Guyana and Executive Director of YCG Dmitri Nicolson with the graduates as they display their certificates and other tokens. programme manager of the YCG, was the chairman of the proceedings.

The youths were trained over a six-week period at two training centres in East Berbice, namely the All Saints Presbyterian Development Centre and the SFCD. The youths were presented with certificates which were distributed by Ambassador Hardt. Jamal Bennett was the best graduating student with

Jacqueline Victor the runner and Marsha Rajram the most improved. They were presented with trophies and other tokens.

The SKYE Project aims at employment, education and skill-building opportunities for youth at-risk. It also focuses on strengthening and re-integrated youths into society.

Among some of the topics covered were personal development, interpersonal

communication, leadership, health and safety at work, customer care, rights and responsibilities, introduction to internship and financial fitness.

The SKYE project which is a two-year programme is expected to come to an end in 2015 when over 1500 at-risk youths in the various regions are expected to be trained.

SKYE has four implementation agencies or partners in Guyana namely --

the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) which works out of Region Nine, Guyana Youth Business Trust (GYBT) which works mainly in Region Ten, Volunteer Youth Corps (VYC) which operates c o u n t r y w i d e a n d Yo u t h Challenge Guyana (YCG) w h i c h a l s o o p e r ates countrywide.

The Berbice segment of the programme is being implemented by the YCG with assistance from the SFCD.

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 19

St. Kitts and Nevis High Court judge refuses to grant injunction … sets April 18th to hear substantive matter

Queens’ Counsel, Dr. Henry Browne (left) and Mr. Sylvester Anthony speaking outside the Lee Llewellyn Moore Judicial and Legal Complex on Friday afternoon. (Media credits: Erasmus Williams) BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (CUOPM) — Resident High Court Judge His Lordship Mr. Justice Errol Thomas late Friday afternoon, denied an interim injunction sought by six members of the National Assembly to order that the lawmaking body debate a Motion of No Confidence

following passage of the 2013 Budget.

‘The claimants sought to get the court to grant an interim injunction pending the hearing of the substantive matter or at least pending a request to respond to the application. We objected very strenuously and at the end of

the day, after two and a half hours of submissions mostly on their part, the court declined to grant any interim injunction and the matter has been adjourned for further hearing on the 18th of April,” said Mr. Sylvester Anthony appearing for the respondents, the Speaker of

the National Assembly, Hon. Curtis Martin, Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas and members of the Federal Cabinet.

Mr. Anthony pointed out that the submissions on behalf of the opposition parliamentarians were only served less than 12 hours before the hearing.

“In fact, the Honourable Speaker only got his papers this (Friday) morning and so our position was that this matter was sufficiently serious and required a fair process which meant that we had to have an opportunity to respond adequately to what was being submitted,” said Mr. Anthony, adding: “Our essential position is that the court has no jurisdiction to hear this matter and we were of the view that that position ought to be first argued for the court to determine whether it had jurisdiction before it went any further.”

Mr. Anthony told the Communications Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister that the position of the

respondents is that the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act, precludes the Judge from making any Orders against the Speaker in relation to his powers as Speaker of Parliament.

“We think that that is a sufficiently important point that needs to be argued fully, before the judge goes further to listening to applications and urging motions filed by the claimants.

They sought to get us to give them some kind of undertaking that the Parliament was not going to meet, or the Parliament was not going to do any business before it discusses the No Confidence Motion. We refused to give that kind of undertaking because it is not in our provisions to do so...but the more important thing is this, if you want an interim injunction in the court, you have to show what the urgency,” said Mr. Anthony.

“Our point was simply is this. It is 112 days since they have filed the motion. They have gone all over the World, Caribbean Islands, on every

radio station in St. Kitts and they have had Public Meetings, but they have never once come to the court,” he said.

“How can you wait for 112 days and then on the 112th day, come in on a Friday afternoon at 2:00 pm, serve the papers on us, less than 12 hours earlier and tell the Judge the he must give you an order?” said Mr. Sylvester, who further pointed out that application from the opposition is based on the fact that they say they don’t know what the Parliament will do, but they are afraid that the Parliament might do other business other than the hearing of the Motion.

“That cannot be the basis under which you get an injunction from the court, especially an injunction that has an effect of tying the hands of the Parliament; that cannot be a proper basis to seek an injunction. And we are going to be resisting that application very, very strenuously when we appear before the court on the 18th Continued on page 21

Page 20

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Judgment a complete victory Jamaican doctors end protest for the rule of law, says AG Trinidad Express - Justice Mira Dean-Armorer ’s judgment is a “resounding answer” to those who questioned whether passage of Section 34 was Government’s attempt to create a loophole to benefit United National Congress financiers Ish Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson.

So stated Attorney General Anand Ramlogan at a news conference Friday at Cabildo Chambers, St Vincent Street, Port of Spain, shortly after the landmark ruling was handed down at the Hall of Justice.

In her 175-page judgment, Dean-Armorer dismissed all the arguments raised by the Section 34 applicants, which include Galbaransingh, Ferguson and Ameer Edoo.

“To all those who felt that Section 34 was the Government’s way of trying to create a loophole that can be exploited to benefit particular persons, I think this judgment gives a resounding answer to them because what it demonstrates is far from it, the Government has been committed to the rule of law and it was in fact a parliamentary oversight and

Ish Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson Section 34 was passed through the collective inadvertence of the entire Parliament and I am pleased to say that we were able to rectify that matter with this judgment,” Ramlogan said.

“This in no small measure vindicates the position taken by the Government in this matter,” he said. Ramlogan said by October last year there were some 42 applications filed under the constitution to challenge the validity of the repeal of Section 34. He described Dean-Armorer’s judgment as “a resounding and a complete victory for the

rule of law and the state of Trinidad and Tobago”.

“All eight points which were raised by the defendants in this matter were resoundingly rejected by the court in a very comprehensive, well reasoned and analytical judgment delivered in record breaking time,” Ramlogan said.

Dean-Armorer refused to grant a stay of the criminal proceedings against the men, telling their lawyers to take their case before the Appeal Court.

“It is a comprehensive, detailed, well-reasoned

judgment that has analysed all eight submissions made, and I am extremely confident that the State will be able to defend any appeal in this matter,” Ramlogan said.

Ramlogan “respectfully hopes” that because a stay of the criminal proceedings was not granted, an ad hoc court will be convened to hold a trial for the two men.

“No conservatory order has been granted and that will be a matter for the Court of Appeal, but if no conservatory order is granted by the Court of Appeal it means that the way is now clear for the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) and the criminal justice system to be activated to try these defendants,” Ramlogan said.

Ramlogan also slammed calls by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley yesterday for him to step down. “This is a matter where the State has emerged victorious, so it is ironic that on a day when the State and the Government has found itself victorious that he will be calling for my resignation. I find that rather amusing, to say the least,” Ramlogan said.

KINGSTON, Jamaica Government paid doctors yesterday, ending the two-day sick out following a meeting with officials from the Ministries of Health and Finance.

The two-day strike placed the country’s overburdened public-health sector under severe strain forcing with hospitals to postpone some elective surgeries, send home non-critical patients and reschedule hundreds of appointments.

Yesterday, President of the Jamaica Medical Doctors Association, (JMDA) Dane Miller said it’s hoped that the matters affecting them will be addressed quickly.

“The decision of the executive of both bodies, we are asking our members to consult their doctors and try to recover even though this illness has not fully passed, we are asking them to come out to work.

We need to bear in mind that on the weekends its usually emergency service but tomorrow we should see full return to service, both clinic and elective surgery and we will continue to service the

people of our beloved country to the best of our ability and we await the response of the Minister”.

He said the matter will now be discussed at the Cabinet level and a decision should be made before Finance Minister, Dr Peter Phillips presents the final budget on April 18.

On the other hand, Horace Dalley- the minister without portfolio in the Finance Ministry, would not reveal date for the next meeting with the doctors, but said it could be within the next two weeks and this time line was discussed with the doctors during a meeting on Friday.

“We’ll be going back to another meeting in two weeks’ time to see what level of resolution we have been able to bring to the matter.

The implications for resolving the issue on the table require a decision of the Cabinet and we will be discussing with the Cabinet some of the issues that are raised by the doctors. We do understand the issues and we are in the mood to find a way to resolve these issues” Dalley said.

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 21

Rowley holds out no hope for army/police bill resurrection

Trinidad Guardian Leader of the Opposition Dr Keith Rowley says no matter what amendments the Government may bring to the

Senate later this month, legislation to give the army police powers will never be passed. He said the Government was just effectively defeated in the Senate last Wednesday after four key independent senators spoke out against the bill.

The Government rejected the concerns of the Opposition in the House of Representatives and passed it with the required majority, he said, but in the Senate the independents, whose support was required, spoke out firmly against the main provision of the legislation, which was to grant police powers to soldiers. “No amendment, by removing this (provision), can save the bill, because that was the backbone of the bill,” he

(Reuters) - Mexico’s state oil monopoly Pemex this month will begin increasing exports to China by 30,000 barrels a day, the head of Pemex said yesterday.

The two-year agreement between Pemex and China’s Sinopec was signed in January, Pemex Chief Executive Emilio Lozoya said at a press conference in Sanya, China.

“This represents a landmark in the history of Pemex, since it is the first long-term contract of its kind signed with a Chinese company,” Lozoya said.

The level of exports to China could increase over time as part of the agreement, he added.

Pemex sends most of its o i l t o M e x i c o ’s l a rg e s t trade partner, the United States.

The oil company in 2012 exported an average of 1.256 million barrels a day, of which 85,000 barrels a day went to Asia.

Lozoya was at a press conference with Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto, who is on an official visit in China.

Pena Nieto and Pemex signed two separate agreements with Xinxing Cathay International Group and China National Petroleum Company for academic and technological cooperation.

At the same event, China’s government signed an agreement of understanding with Mexican steel company Altos Hornos de Mexico .

The agreement between Pemex and the Chinese companies comes as Pena Nieto prepares to launch a major overhaul of the Mexican energy sector this y e a r, a i m e d a t m a k i n g Pemex more efficient.

The Mexican oil industry has been hampered by underinvestment and legal prohibitions on private participation.

From page 19 of April,” said attorney Sylvester.

Queen’s Counsel, Dr. Henry Stogumber Browne noted that the legal team objected to the process in that it was not fair.

“Some of the papers we received only today to argue the case, but latched onto that, we were sufficiently agile to demonstrate to the court that it lacked the necessary jurisdiction to tie the hands of Parliament; that he cannot fetter and must have respect for another branch of Parliament.

We convinced the judge, that to say that Parliament cannot meet after the Budget unless you are going to debate the Motion of No Confidence, is an extreme proposition, which does not sound in Constitutional Law. And as my learned friend (Sylvester Anthony) said, they sought an interim injunction to fetter the powers and privileges of Parliament based on some speculative thinking and we told the court that that whether the motion is heard or not heard, is not a justiciable matter,” said Dr. Browne.

Dr Keith Rowley

Mexico’s Pemex to increase oil exports to China

St. Kitts and Nevis High ...

said, adding that it now means, “The bill is stone-cold dead.”

Rowley said so in an interview with reporters after yesterday’s Roundtable meeting at City Hall, Port-ofSpain. On the planned amendments Rowley said the Government was now trying to “cobble up some amalgam and try to pass that,” but warned, “Without the powers of arrest, the Government would have failed in what it set out to do. “No amount of amendments can save a bill that is fatally flawed. It is as

simple as that.”

He said no matter what amendment is brought by the Government when the debate resumes on April 23, the main provision of the bill will not be supported and the legislation, unconstitutional.

Any attempt by the Government to give soldiers police powers, even with a three-fifths majority vote, would be wrong, he argued.

He said the Constitution provided for such matters to be done “a particular way, with particular safeguards,” but

what the Government put forward in the Parliament did not meet those requirements.

Rowley said that provision required that “persons wielding the power of police have to be appointed by the Commissioner of Police. They have to fall under the Police Service Commission and certain liabilities attached to their actions.”

None of those things was satisfied by what was before the Parliament, he said. “So there is no way this bill can be saved.” Rowley said the

Government was hoping to “dupe” independent senators to pass the law, but whether the Government returned with the bill, abandoned it or sent it to a committee, “We will not accept police powers being capriciously given to soldiers to create a state of management which is alien and will divide the people of T&T.” Rowley also told reporters yesterday Attorney General Anand Ramlogan should tender his resignation to the PM.

Page 22

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Powers, Iran fail to end nuclear stalemate in Almaty talks ALMATY (Reuters) World powers and Iran failed again to ease their decade-old dispute over Tehran’s disputed nuclear program in talks that ended yesterday, prolonging a stand-off that risks spiraling into a new Middle East war.

The lack of a breakthrough in the two-day meeting in Kazakhstan aimed at easing international concern over Iran’s contested nuclear activity marked a further setback for diplomatic efforts to resolve the row peacefully.

It is also likely to strengthen suspicions in Israel - which threatens air strikes, if necessary, to stop its archenemy from getting the bomb - that Iran is using diplomacy as a stalling tactic.

“Over two days of talks, we had long and intensive discussions,” European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said.

“It became clear that our positions remain far apart,” Ashton, who represents the six powers - the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany - in dealings

Iran’s chief negotiator Saeed Jalili attends a news conference after the talks on Iran’s nuclear programme in Almaty, yesterday. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov with Iran, told a news conference.

Underlining the lack of substantial progress during the negotiations in the Kazakh commercial center of Almaty - the second meeting there this year - no new talks between the two sides were scheduled.

But a senior U.S. official said there had been no breakdown in the negotiations with Iran.

“There was no breakthrough but also no breakdown,” the official, who declined to be identified, said.

“Our intention is to proceed,” he said, referring to a U.S.

commitment to further diplomatic efforts.

Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili acknowledged differences between the two sides.

“We proposed our plan of action and the other party was not ready and they asked for some time to study the idea,” he told a separate news conference.

Russia’s negotiator sounded more upbeat, saying the talks were a “step forward” although no compromise had been reached.

“Certainly, these talks were a step forward,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said. But he added that it was premature to name a date and venue for further talks.

Iran’s critics accuse it of covertly seeking the means to produce nuclear bombs.

Israel, widely believed to have the Middle East’s only nuclear arsenal, sees Iran’s nuclear program as a potential threat to its existence.

Iran says its nuclear energy program is entirely

peaceful but U.N. inspectors suspect it has worked illicitly on designing a nuclear weapon.

With all sides aware that a breakdown in diplomacy could shunt the protracted stalemate a step closer to war, no one in Almaty was talking about abandoning diplomatic efforts.

Ashton said that for the first time there had been a “real back and forth between us when were able to discuss details, to pose questions, and to get answers directly ...

To that extent, that has been a very important element” But, she added: “What matters in the end is substance.”

With a presidential election due in Iran in June, scope for a breakthrough was slim in Almaty. Iran declined to accept or reject an offer of modest relief from economic sanctions in exchange for curbing its most sensitive nuclear activity.

“I do not think the risk of war has substantially increased,” said Shashank Joshi, a senior fellow and

Middle East specialist at the Royal United Services Institute, “The priority for both sides is to keep the diplomatic track alive until after the Iranian presidential elections.”

But without substantial progress in coming months, Western governments are likely to increase economic sanctions on Iran.

The talks were held against a backdrop of flaring tension between big powers and North Korea, which like Iran is defying international demands to curb its nuclear program.

[ID:nL3N0CT022] But unlike North Korea, which has carried out three nuclear tests since 2006, Iran says its nuclear energy activity is entirely peaceful.

The six powers tried to persuade Iran to abandon its higher-grade uranium enrichment, as a first step to a broader deal. Refined uranium can be used to power atomic reactors, Iran’s stated aim, or provide material for weapons if processed more.

(Reuters) - Silvio Berlusconi said yesterday his centre-right party would soon present eight bills to parliament, including a proposal to abolish a hated housing tax, in an attempt to seize the initiative despite Italy’s political deadlock.

Since elections in February, Italy has been in limbo with a huge protest vote for the populist 5-Star Movement splitting parliament three ways and leaving no group with enough support to rule alone.

Centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani has rebuffed overtures from Berlusconi’s People of Freedom (PDL) party to form a grand coalition with him. In turn, 5-Star leader Beppe Grillo has rejected Bersani’s attempt to form an

alliance.

“While the other parties are committed to wasting time, we in the People of Freedom party always keep the interests of the country in mind,” Berlusconi said on his Facebook page.

He said the eight bills, to be presented in the week starting April 15, would reflect his party’s campaign programme during the election.

They would be “concrete proposals that will have an immediate positive impact on the real economy and on society, above all in terms of creating new jobs”.

The proposals include his promise to abolish and refund the unpopular IMU tax on primary residences, a review of the powers of tax collection

agency Equitalia, tax incentives for firms hiring young people, and the scrapping of public funding of political parties.

Some of the bills could receive support from other parties. Grillo’s 5-Star has also called for the end of the IMU tax on primary homes and of public funding for parties.

Berlusconi said the PDL would outline the proposals in more detail on April 13, and that they were ready to be presented to the Senate, Italy’s upper house of parliament.

His list of bills also includes reform of the justice and fiscal system and a proposal to revise I t a l y ’s c o n s t i t u t i o n t o strengthen the powers of the prime minister.

Berlusconi to propose eight bills to Italian parliament

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 23

Air strike kills 15 in Aleppo, Assad warns of regional turmoil

Central African Republic council to pick interim leader

(Reuters) - A Syrian government air strike killed 15 people yesterday, including nine children, in a district of the northern city of Aleppo where Kurdish fighters have been battling forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, a violence monitoring group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a warplane had bombarded the western edges of the Sheikh Maqsoud district of Aleppo, Syria’s biggest city, where Assad’s forces have been battling rebels for nine months.

In Damascus, state media said rebels fired a mortar bomb into the heart of the capital, killing one person, wounding several others and causing damage to buildings and cars nearby.

Assad has lost swathes of territory in the north and east of the country. Rebels hold several eastern and southern districts of Damascus and pose a growing challenge in the southern province of Deraa - cradle of the two-year uprising - which could become a platform for a fiercer assault on the capital.

The president told Turkish television that a rebel victory might destabilise the Middle East for decades.

“The situation will inevitably spill over into neighbouring countries and create a domino effect throughout the Middle East

Bashar al-Assad

and beyond ... spreading east, west, north and south. This will lead to a state of instability for years and maybe decades to come,” he said.

His remarks were an acid reiteration of his longstanding argument that Syria and the region will face a bleak future if he falls. His foes argue that his determination to keep power at all costs has already plunged his country into disaster.

The United Nations says at least 70,000 people have been killed in Syria’s conflict.

Daily death tolls of around 200 are not uncommon, activists say. More than a million refugees have fled the country and the Syrian Red Crescent says nearly four million have been internally displaced.

Portugal ruling poses difficulties for bailout goals – government (Reuters) - Portugal’s government said yesterday the constitutional court’s rejection of key austerity measures from this year’s budget creates “serious difficulties” in meeting international commitments under a bailout.

Following an extraordinary cabinet meeting after the court ruling late on Friday, State Secretary for Cabinet Affairs Luis Marques Guedes told reporters the decision “jeopardises the country’s hard-earned credibility” gained with its European partners and lenders.

Marques Guedes said Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho will meet President Anibal Cavaco Silva to discuss the “complex situation” after the court’s ruling, which the government has said it would accept.

The constitutional court on Friday rejected four out of nine contested austerity measures in this year’s budget in a ruling that deals a

heavy blow to government finances. Still, analysts say the rejection should not provoke a governability crisis and expect replacement measures to be found with the European Union and International Monetary Fund.

The government would not provide estimates for how much the rejected measures are worth, but analysts have said at least around 900 million euros (762.7 million pounds) in net revenues and savings are compromised. Some local media have put the figure as high as 1.3 billion euros.

The entire package of austerity measures in the 2013 budget is worth about 5 billion euros and includes the largest tax hikes in living memory, which were mostly upheld.

The court’s decision came before an informal meeting of euro zone finance ministers next week in Dublin where they were expected to approve extensions of loan maturities for Portugal and Ireland.

The Syrian Observatory, which monitors the violence from Britain through a network of activists, medics and military sources, said the death toll from the Sheikh Maqsoud strike was likely to rise because many people were seriously wounded.

A video released by activists showed the badly burnt body of a child, and the Observatory said it was not clear whether any of the dead included fighters. A group of Kurdish insurgents later killed five soldiers in an attack on a security post on the outskirts of Sheikh Maqsoud, it said.

Syria’s Kurds, members of a ethnic group who stretch over a large swathe of the region but have no state of their own, have so far been split over whether or not to support the uprising.

Activists also said three people had been killed in fighting to the east of Damascus, and the Observatory reported clashes in Jobar, on the edge of central Damascus, and government bombardment of targets in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk.

In neighbouring Turkey, the head of an opposition interim government who was elected last month began consultations to start forming his ministerial team.

A statement from the opposition coalition said Ghassan Hitto would appoint 11 ministers, including a minister of defence, interior, foreign affairs, economy, refugees and justice.

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — Central African Republic’s selfappointed leader yesterday announced the creation of a new council that will choose an interim president, a move aimed at placating the international community after he seized power by force two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, the government reduced the hours of a curfew in place since the government’s overthrow, even as gunfire crackled across the city of 700,000 after dark each night.

Michel Djotodia issued a presidential order setting up the council to lead a transitional government until elections can be held within 18 months.

The announcement follows condemnation from the United States, which has failed to recognize his presidency.

Djotodia initially said he would rule until 2016, though later shortened the timeframe at the urging of heads of state from neighboring countries.

“The high council of transition will be tasked with electing a president of the republic, a head of state with a mandate of 18 months,” Djotodia said in the edict.

The formation of the transition government though could further cement Djotodia’s leadership as he is not barred from being among the candidates for the interim presidency.

“He is not excluded so I don’t know why he couldn’t run,” Information Minister Christophe Gazam Betty said.

Michel Djotodia In December, Djotodia’s fighters first began threatening to overthrow longtime President Francois Bozize, who himself seized power after a rebellion a decade ago.

Bozize and the rebels known as Seleka signed a peace accord in January to create a unity government along with the political opposition, though that deal came down amid accusations of mistrust and broken promises.

The rebels advanced on the capital on March 23, and Bozize fled into exile the following day as fighters took over the presidential palace.

The U.S. later said that the only “legitimate” leader in Central African Republic is the prime minister, an opposition figure appointed to the post as part of the January deal.

The body tasked with choosing an interim president will include nearly 100 participants, 10 of whom will come from Djotodia’s Seleka alliance. Another six slots are going to the opposition, while nine seats are being given to Bozize allies.

It was not immediately clear how quickly the participants would choose a transitional leader, though the establishment of a selection process appears aimed at legitimizing and solidifying Djotodia’s credentials as president.

Central African Republic has been wracked by a series of coups and rebellions since its independence from France in 1960. The country is rich in diamonds, gold and uranium through the chronic instability and lack of infrastructure has kept many foreign investors from working in the country.

Looters attacked the capital in the aftermath of Djotodia’s ascension to power, targeting not only homes and businesses but also aid groups. A curfew remains in effect from midnight until 4 a.m., after two weeks of restricting people to their homes by 9 p.m.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Page 24

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Embassies staying put in Lebanon names UK-educated lawmaker prime minister North Korea despite tension SEOUL (Reuters) - Staff at embassies in North Korea appeared to be remaining in place yesterday despite an appeal by authorities in Pyongyang for diplomats to consider leaving because of heightened tension after weeks of bellicose exchanges.

North Korean authorities told diplomatic missions they could not guarantee their safety from next Wednesday - after declaring that conflict was inevitable amid joint U.S.South Korean military exercises due to last until the end of the month.

Whatever the atmosphere in Pyongyang, the rainsoaked South Korean capital, Seoul, was calm. Traffic moved normally through the city center, busy with Saturday shoppers.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency quoted a government official as saying diplomats were disregarding the suggestion they might leave the country.

“We don’t believe there’s any foreign mission about to leave Pyongyang,” the unidentified official was quoted as saying. “Most

foreign governments view the North Korean message as a way of ratcheting up tension on the Korean peninsula.”

North Korea has been angry since new U.N. sanctions were imposed following its third nuclear weapons test in February. Its rage has apparently been compounded by joint U.S.South Korean military exercises that began on March 1.

China’s Xinhua news agency on Friday had quoted the North’s Foreign Ministry as saying the issue was no longer whether but when a war would break out.

Most countries saw the appeal to the missions as little more than strident rhetoric after weeks of threatening to launch a nuclear strike on the United States and declarations of war against the South.

But Russia said it was “seriously studying” the request.

A South Korean government official expressed bewilderment.

“It’s hard to define what is its real intention,” said the official, who asked not to be

identified. “But it might have intensified these threats to strengthen the regime internally or to respond to the international community.”

The United Nations said its humanitarian workers remained active across North Korea. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, however, remained “deeply concerned” about tensions, heightened since the imposition of U.N. sanctions against the North for its third nuclear arms test in February.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi repeated Beijing’s calls for dialogue to resolve the tensions in a phone call with Ban. “We oppose provocative words and actions from any party in the region and do not allow troublemaking on China’s doorstep,” a statement on the ministry’s website said, citing Wang.

The appeal to diplomats followed news reports in the South that North Korea, under its 30-year-old leader Kim Jong-un, had moved two medium-range missiles to a location on its east coast. That prompted the White House to say that Washington would “not be surprised” if the North staged another missile test.

Kim Jong-un is the third member of his dynasty to rule North Korea. He took over in December 2011 after the death of his father, Kim Jong-il, who staged confrontations with South Korea and the United States throughout his 17-year rule.

Lebanese Prime Minister designate Tammam Salam, left, meets with President Michel Suleiman at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, yesterday. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) BEIRUT (AP) — A Britisheducated lawmaker from a prominent political family was named Lebanon’s new prime minister yesterday, and vowed to work toward ending divisions in the nation and preventing the civil war in neighboring Syria from spilling over into the country.

Tammam Salam, a 68-yearold lawmaker and a former culture minister, was asked by President Michel Suleiman to head a new government.

Lebanon’s parliament strongly endorsed Salam, who is widely seen as a consensus figure, with 124 lawmakers in the 128-seat legislature voting in favor of his nomination.

A difficult job in the best of times, Salam faces an even more daunting list of

challenges than usual for a Lebanese prime minister.

The country faces rising sectarian tensions linked to Syria’s civil war, with Lebanon’s two largest political blocs supporting opposite sides in the fight between Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces and rebel fighters trying to oust him. The conflict also has forced some 400,000 Syrians to seek refuge in Lebanon, putting a severe straining on the country of 4 million to cope with the influx.

“I start from the necessity of taking Lebanon out of divisions and political tensions that were reflected in the security situation,” Salam said in his first public statement after being chosen.

He added that he also wants to mitigate threats from

the “catastrophic situation next door,” remarks aimed at trying to allay fears in Lebanon that Syria’s 2-yearold civil war, which has killed more than 70,000 people, will spread to Lebanon.

Salam said he would do his best to form a “national interest government,” a process that could take time because of the sharp divisions among Lebanese politicians as a result of the Syrian crisis.

Once he cobbles together a Cabinet, his new government must win a vote of confidence in parliament to be approved.

Many here will be keeping close tabs on how Salam will deal with the militant Hezbollah group and its arsenal, which is one of the biggest dividing issues among Lebanese.

SHANGHAI (Reuters) Two more people have contracted bird flu in Shanghai, China’s health ministry said yesterday, as authorities closed live poultry markets and culled birds to combat a new virus strain that has killed six people.

State-run Xinhua news agency said authorities planned to slaughter birds at two live poultry markets in Shanghai and another in Hangzhou after new samples of the H7N9 virus were detected in birds at the three sites.

More than 20,000 birds have been culled at another Shanghai market where traces of the virus were found this week.

Officials in Shanghai, China’s financial hub, closed all the city’s live poultry markets yesterday, emptying food stalls.

All poultry trading was banned in Nanjing, another eastern Chinese city, although

local officials said they had not found any trace of the bird flu virus and declared that chicken on the retail market was safe to eat, official media reported.

The new strain of bird flu has infected 18 people in China, all in the east. Six people have died in an outbreak that has spread concern overseas.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that 10 infected people were severe cases and two were mild cases. It reiterated there was no evidence of ongoing human-to-human transmission of the virus.

“More than 530 close contacts of the confirmed cases are being closely monitored. In Jiangsu, investigation is ongoing into a contact of an earlier confirmed case who developed symptoms of illness,” the Geneva-based WHO said in a statement yesterday.

Two new bird flu cases in China amid poultry crackdown

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 25

Page 26

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

American globetrotter crashes in Guyana while heading to Suriname

By Rehana Ashley Ahamad An American citizen who has been traveling the world on a motorcycle since last July was making his way from Guyana to Suriname when he met with an accident in Berbice.

The man, Ben Krijger, said that he was just minutes away from the Ferry Terminal when he slammed into a car which was going to turn, but did not have break lights or any indicator.

Kaieteur News understands that officials at the Ferry service were expecting the explorer for the mid- morning ferry to South Drain Nickerie.

The 34-year-old man, who boarded the last ferry to Guyana, from Brazil, four days ago, became a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), after spending a few hours at the public health institutions in New Amsterdam and Skeldon respectively.

As of yesterday, Krijger was nursing several lacerations about the body.

He also underwent a surgery, to remove pieces of glass from his neck.

The US Embassy, he said, has visited him, and he was able to make contact with his family. Krijger told this publication yesterday that GPHC staff members have told him that he could leave, but with the pains he has been experiencing, he prefers to stay hospitalized.

He does not have any relatives in Guyana, and has lost contact with the generous family that afforded him a place in their home. Krijger said that his girlfriend might soon be flying into the country to see him.

Just hours before his accident, Krijger was interviewed by Kaieteur News. During that interview, he said that Guyana was his fifteenth stop, and that he was going to make his way over

to the next country inline, Suriname.

Krijger noted that while he caught the flu once, and has had several frightening “runnings” with wild animals, the experience has been generally good.

He was of the same opinion even after his recent accident, stating that as soon as he recovers, he would like to continue his trip; that is of course if his family allows him to.

Although the man seems to be very fond of Guyana and its people, he has not had much luck here. This was Krijger’s second accident within the country’s borders during his short stay. His first was when his bike crashed into the ground while traversing the Lethem Trail on his way down to the city, where he was robbed soon after.

Nevertheless, Krijger said that while his bike “Maggie” did not suffer much damages during the first crash, most of his fingers were dislocated, and had to be pulled back in place; something he did by himself.

“That was such a painful thing to do. I screamed so loud, said some words out of this world after doing that. It was extremely, extremely painful…I guess one can imagine.”

Initially, the Racine, Wisconsin resident told this publication that while he was looking forward for some of the most thrilling experiences, he was mostly interested in learning the different cultures, eat the different foods, and especially, change the mindsets of his peers who especially consider that all North American countries as the same.

“People don’t know the difference, and the thing that I want to do, is travel these countries…I hope I’ll be able to tell people about all these different countries and how different they are…look at

Ben Krijger poses with his bike in front of Kaieteur News one day prior to his accident Guyana for starters, you guys speak English.”

Relating some of his experiences here on the third day of his stay, Krijger said that after his accident on the Lethem trail, he experienced one of the most beautiful moments of his life.

“I was tired, and my fingers were in pain, and it was also getting really dark, so I set up tent at the side of the road (the Lethem trail), and I was lying there when suddenly I heard this really loud buzzing sound,” Krijger said.

The smiling man added that he did not know where the sound was coming from, but all he could think of was a really scary and oversized bee.

“I honestly, at first, I kept thinking to myself, oh my God, there’s a giant bee outside, but after listening to the sound for a while, I thought that I was being too

childish, so, I unzipped the tent and here comes this really beautiful humming bird…it just flew in and right up to my face, I kept staring at it, and it

just would not move. I just kinda waited for it to peck my eyes out or something, but soon after, it just flew away…I think that was one of the most beautiful moments of my life.

I love animals, especially birds, and to have an experience like that, for me, it’s just amazing.

Krijger said that when he came to the city, he was particularly pleased with the hospitality.

This is despite the fact that he was robbed of some cash upon arrival.

Nonetheless, Krijger said that when he came to the city, he met a nice man named “Bernard” who allowed him to stay in his home with his family.

“Bernard’s wife was really nice…they gave me food, I got to shower…they were very nice, and for my short time being here, I realize that Guyana has really nice people.”

Krijger said he has always wanted to travel the world. He recalls being at a party at age 17, not dancing and trying to get with the ladies, but rather, staring at a world map.

He added that after working in Hospital

management for a few years, and aging way beyond 17, he finally opted to follow his dreams.

“So, I quit my job, sold my things, and now I’m on this trip…I haven’t seen my girlfriend, or my family since…I call them though.

When I get to another country, I call them. And, they also get to see my updates, and my pictures on facebook.

I also have a website called www.allpointsouth.com” Understandably, his family was upset.

They all thought it was a bad, and moreso, a dangerous idea, and did not want him to go. But, Krijger was determined.

“Everybody thought that I was crazy. My mom cried.

My father said not to do it by myself. My stepdad didn’t say a whole lot. My stepmom said not to. My girlfriend said that she knew I was going to.

Her mother said that I’m not allowed to, and her father, my girlfriend’s father said that he wants to come with me. A lot of responses, but generally, they did not want me to go.

And after this, I don’t think they will, so I’m not entirely sure,” Krijger pointed out.

Annual Easter Hat show remains a touch of class

By Abena Rockcliffe

Elegance stood at its best yesterday at the Promenade Gardens as the Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown hosted its annual Hat Show and Garden Party.

An event like this is not often held in Guyana; so hundreds--mostly women -converged at the Gardens to witness the show with optimism that it will be as promising as usual.

Make no mistake; the participants did not disappoint its audience as nearly two dozen displayed their hats with elegance.

For the past 24 years the club has been hosting the event, which has become a “look out for” affair.

Yesterday the show was staged in three categories— elegant, original and topical.

Each hat on display was designed for the show and made its debut yesterday.

Hats were judged, among other things, on creativity and the way they were displayed.

Competitors modeled to the melodious sounds provided by the Guyana Police Force band which kept the exemplary melodies rather patriotic. Quite a number of children were involved in the competition with the youngest being three years old. She competed with others of her age group and even

Even this little one displays her hat some as old as 12.

In the senior category, the competitors ranged vast in age with the youngest being 14 and the oldest being 94.

She displayed a red feathery hat. In keeping with the fact that it was an Easter hat show, most persons opted to use themes of Easter bunnies and eggs.

Nevertheless in the topical section, Ramkumar Jewanram displayed his hat that depicted the setting of a cricket field. In addition, his hat marked “stop the politics

in cricket.” Jewanram who was the lone male in the competition had his hat designed by his sister Kamela Maniram who was also in the competition and has been involved for the past 10 years.

Also a young designer, Randy Madray had the pleasure of having two beautiful models—Sasha Mamza and Kezia Campbelldisplay his classy pieces that he dubbed Victorian Bloom and Bunny Wonderland.

This year marked the first for his involvement in the Easter hat show.

All hats displayed had catchy names and unique styles; the judges must have had a difficult time.

There were three judges for the junior category, Cheryl Burrowes, Charmaine Blackman-Alves and Sasha Hardt. And for the senior category, the judges were Edda D’Andrade, Lourdes Zunga Rodriguez and Joel Ghansham.

There were other attractions such as a book sale, tea party and games on site.

The funds raised from the activity are put towards charity.

The money funds scholarships to the University of Guyana, School feeding programmes and distribution of hampers to senior citizens in Guyana and shut-ins across the country.

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 27

- brother playing with matches to be blamed

Relatives trying to console the toddler’s mother in the compound of GPHC yesterday

Witness recants in cop killing Things took a different turn at the Springlands Magistrate Court on Friday at the hearing into the execution-style killing of police detective, Jirbahan Dianand, who was attached to Moleson Creek Outpost.

Azam Bacchus, 18, of New Scheme Number 72 Village, Corentyne, who confessed on November 13, 2012 that his uncle, Salim Bacchus, called Black Salim, a businessman of 39 D Line Path Corriverton, Corentyne had shot the detective twice in his head after a money deal went sour, offered another story.

On Friday, Azam Bacchus changed his statement. He claimed that the police beat that confession out of him.

Azam Bacchus was arrested and charged for carjacking and attempted murder of Jermain Rover who was shot in his face and robbed of his car on Saturday

November 10, 2012 while leaving a gas station in Corriverton.

His two other accomplices are also charged and are in custody.

Salim Bacchus on the other hand was arrested on November 20, 2012 after he turned himself in at the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam in company of his lawyer attorney Ramesh Rajkumar. A wanted bulletin had been issued for him.

He faced court in New Amsterdam on November 23, 2012 before magistrate Adela Nagamootoo and was charged for the murder of the late detective.

Salim Bacchus is being represented by attorneys Mursaline Bacchus and Ramesh Rajkumar and Azam Bacchus by Charrandass Persaud.

The preliminary inquiry will continue on April 18.

“If you play with fire, you gon get burn, or somebody gon get hurt” is a phrase that a Sophia mother repeatedly tried to explain to her seven year old son, but could not get him to understand. He ended up playing with a box of matches yesterday afternoon, and set a mattress in their home on fire, causing his one year old brother to become severely burnt.

This occurred at around 16:00hrs.

According to a neighbour, the toddler, Jabarri Stanford was burnt to such an extent that doctors were forced to tell his family that there was not much more that they can do for the little one.

The neighbour explained to Kaieteur News that she was home in ‘D’ Field Sophia (reserve) when she heard a commotion from the back house, and decided to go see what was happening.

The woman said that she was making her way over the narrow bridge which leads to the back house, when her neighbour’s eldest child came running to her, screaming that their house was on fire, and that Jabarri was sleeping inside.

The seven-year-old boy was able to escape the blaze unhurt.

The neighbour added that an alarm was raised, and everyone in the area gathered

to extinguish the fire, after which they were able to go in for the child.

“When we go in, poor Jabarri was screaming away.

The mattress did paste up on he skin.

He whole body did look crack up. We had to peel off some of the mattress pon he before we take he to the hospital,” the woman said.

The neighbour further told this publication that the older boy would be scolded repeatedly by his mother for playing with matches.

“She does warn he and beat he steady for the same thing. One time neighbours did even call police pon she

for beating the li’l boy, but he hard of hearing. He didn’t listen…Now look wha happen,” the woman said.

The children’s mother was reportedly at a nearby shop when the fire started.

Neighbours say that the woman does not usually leave her children home alone.

When she is not around, her four children, ages eight, seven, three, and one, would be left in the care of neighbours, or with Jabarri’s biological father.

The mother was inconsolable yesterday after being told by doctors that not much more can be done for her baby boy, who, as of last evening, remained a patient of the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.

Page 28

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Interesting Creatures…

Tupinambis is a lizard genus which belongs to the family Teiidae, and contains seven described species. These large, South American lizards are commonly referred to as Te g u s ; Tu p i n a m b i s merianae (Argentine Black and White Te g u ) , Tu p i n a m b i s rufescens (Red Tegu), and Tupinambis teguixin (Colombian Black and White Tegu, Gold Tegu, or Common Tegu) are all common in the pet trade.

Tegus that have escaped or have been illegally released have adapted to life in the wild in some of the more remote areas of South Florida.

Tegus are usually primarily carnivorous, except for T. rufescens (which is primarily herbivorous) and T. merianae (which changes from a mostly carnivorous diet as a juvenile, to a mostly herbivorous diet as an adult).

Tegus fill the same ecological niche as monitor lizards and are an example of convergent evolution.

The two most docile and easiest to handle species are the Argentine Black and White Tegu and the Red Tegu. Additionally, a new variety has been recently

introduced, called the Blue Tegu due to the tendency of males to become bright blue upon maturity. These variations grow from just under two feet to a larger four plus feet (gold and blue tegus being the smallest and the red and Argentine black and white being the largest) and have a pleasant nature, making them popular pets.

Tegus are also recognized for their intelligence, and have an impressive ability to remember details.

Most tegus are opportunistic feeders, accepting a wide variety of foods. Tegus’ diets can c o n s i s t of crickets, mealworms, an occasional mouse, fish, hard boiled eggs, chicken, etc.

Certain fruits and vegetables may be offered as well (for e x a m p l e , strawberries,mangoes,papayas,bananas) but usually will only be eaten by the red or Argentinian black and white tegus. The Colombian tegus tend to be almost entirely carnivores/ insectivores.

Dairy products should never be given to reptiles, since, like all other nonmammalian creatures, they lack the ability to digest lactose (only mammals

can). Also, dog food should only be offered in strict moderation to thin, underdeveloped, or sick animals, and only for a limited time. Dog food contains many ingredients that are not meant for lizard consumption, and is also very fatty. In addition, all tegus need size-

appropriate housing with UVA and UVB light setups, maintaining a steady enclosure temperature of 80 F–90 F during the day and at about 75F during the night.

Because tegus, like all lizards, are ectothermic, a temperature gradient will allow them to find the perfect

location for their needs, so they also need a spot for basking with a temperature of 100F-110F. This can mean that a variable number of “warm spots” are needed in housing; so the animal can comfortably move between them, as often as necessary, the number depending mostly on the

local climate. Tegus naturally go into a hibernation cycle. It has been discovered that this is not needed to maintain their health, but it may have adverse effects on sexual development if their first years’ hibernation is skipped.

(Source: Wikipedia – The Free Online Encyclopedia)

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 29

Supine and silent: The Caribbean in a vortex

By Sir Ronald Sanders How beneficial or not to the Caribbean is the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the 27-nation European Union (EU) as a bloc and the 15 small Caribbean members of CARIFORUM individually?

Five years after the EPA became operational, this issue is still being debated. But, it is a sterile debate. The EPA – with all its flaws, and there are many – is a done deal, binding on all the governments. It does have a provision in Article 5 of the Joint Declaration that mandates its “comprehensive review not later than 5 years after the date of signature”, but not one government has sought to invoke such a review due by October 2013. Under the terms of the EPA, by now, there could also have been reviews of at least five aspects of the Agreement had they been invoked.

In any event, a “review”

should be based on facts and evidence that are compiled to justify it, but where in the Caribbean has any government or regional institution gathered the necessary information? And even if the information is gathered, where is the plan worked out by Caribbean governments and the private sector - that addresses what they want to change?

These questions are being raised in this commentary because on the publication of my last commentary (Export-led growth: Who will lead? Part 2), I received the following message from a respected British friend who, like me and many others, objected to the EPA while it was being negotiated and after it was signed and its full impact revealed. The message said: “I fear that you have been exceptionally kind to the EU in this piece and ignored the disparity between the parties to the EPAs. They may have been negotiated within

CARIFORUM but they are bilateral instruments whose main purpose was to secure better access for European exporters into the Caribbean rather than for exporters from individual Caribbean participants in CARIFORUM. Access to the EU market remains constrained by nontariff barriers well beyond the capacity of individual private sector companies operating on a small, Caribbean scale to overcome. This was just what the Commission intended.

And the loss of protection in local markets will further undermine the capacity of the local private sector to compete on the EU market.

The whole structure of the EPA as agreed with the Caribbean is flawed, and as we know was part of preparations for negotiations with Africa rather than the Caribbean, where the issues were rather different and more difficult for the EU trade negotiators. And whilst there is an appearance in the EPAs of opening the EU market to

Fire-damaged school to reopen on April 15

Fire-damaged La Parfaite Harmonie Primary School will not open tomorrow for the new term.

Over 400 students of La Parfaite Harmonie Primary School will have to wait one more week before returning to their fire-damaged building.

According to a government statement, renovations are being “facilitated” to the damaged section of the oneflat structure.

The West Demerara school, which has 489 students, was also temporarily housing almost 200 kindergarten children.

The L-shaped building was badly damaged in the middle section with the headmistress’ room and kindergarten section completely destroyed. The roof in that section has also caved in.

On March 26, Grade Six

students were writing the National Assessment when the fire, believed to be electrical, broke out.

Education officials overseeing the exams and teachers managed to quickly evacuate the students. The blaze was contained to one section.

According to a government statement last week, Saudia Khadir, Superintendent of Exams, has confirmed that the Grade Six students are yet to complete Mathematics Paper 2 and Social Studies Papers 1 and 2. Plans are progressing to ensure that they will be able to complete the test papers in due time. A date will be announced later.

With records of the

students lost in the fire, the school has since started a process of meeting with parents to reconstruct these.

Tomorrow a critical meeting is to be held at 14:00hrs at the school to apprise parents on the way forward. The $60M school was commissioned 18 months ago on October 29, 2011.

Meanwhile, contractors are working to speed up construction on the nursery school next door.

The school had been scheduled to be completed for the January term but was delayed after the contractor reportedly skipped the country. Already the windows are in but the roof is still to be completed.

trade in services, this promise has been thwarted with a whole range of non-tariff issues.”

Of course, in previous commentaries and lectures, I made all the points that the writer expressed in the above message. Indeed, in Bristol in June 2007 on the docks where slave ships left Britain to transport enslaved Africans for brutal exploitation in the Caribbean, I delivered a lecture entitled, “The Commonwealth Caribbean and the new colonialism: risks and resistance in an age of globalization” in which I warned of the disadvantages that Caribbean countries would experience; the unfairness of the proposed EPA in which a tiny country like St Kitts-Nevis, for example, would be individually entering a reciprocal relationship with all 27 nations of the EU collectively; and I railed in particular at the Caribbean agreeing to go beyond the requirements of World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules in opening up their markets to the EU. These observations were ignored even though they were made in chorus with others such as Norman Girvan, Havelock Brewster, Clive Thomas, and Shridath Ramphal. Governments were intent on signing the EPA and many praised it highly. Since then many experienced trade negotiators and regional economists, have criticised the ways that the promises of the EPA have not been fulfilled, and called for mechanisms to be established to gather the information that would justify a review of it.

The EPA was meant to be an instrument that would

govern reciprocal trade between the EU and CARIFORUM countries as well as provide for rules on investment and a development component.

But, the majority of CARIFORUM countries are no better-off for it. As I pointed out in my last commentary, since the EPA became operational, exports of goods from Caribbean countries to the EU has remained stagnant, declining from US$5.8 billion in 2007 to US$5.7 billion in 2011; in trade in commercial services, CARIFORUM countries exported US$6.2 billion in 2009 while the corresponding figure for 2011 was US$6 billion. Further, inflows of EU investment to the region decreased from US$29.0 billion in 2009 to US$24.9 billion in 2011.

Against the background of this information alone – and in the reality of their declining economies and poor trade performance, except for Guyana and Suriname, both of which have benefitted from the high price of gold exports CARIFORUM countries should already have called for a review of the EPA. But the time has passed for blaming the EU for looking after its own interests.

In the absence of work by Caribbean governments and institutions that would justify arguments for a review, and in the further absence of any region-wide meetings between Caribbean governments and the region’s private sector to map a plan that would inform negotiations for change in the EPA, there is little point in continuing to lament the

Sir Ronald Sanders unfairness of it. Lamentation may be good for the soul, but it does not feed stomachs.

The choice that confronts Caribbean governments and the private sector is either to do the joint work that would justify a review of the EPA, or implement the EPA more effectively than has been done over the last five years.

If the choice is the latter, then the region’s private sector must identify what is needed for them to take advantage of whatever opportunities exist in the EPA, and governments must act to facilitate such requirements.

If all parties simply remain supine and silent, unwilling to pull the region’s resources together to integrate production; to perfect the Caribbean Single Market; to create pan-CARIFORUM companies that are financially viable and manageriallycapable of penetrating foreign markets, then the blame rests squarely at their feet.

(The writer is a Consultant, former Caribbean Diplomat and Visiting Fellow, London University) Responses and previous c o m m e n t a r i e s : www.sirronaldsanders.com

Page 30

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Four decades of selfless service…

Sister Noshella Lalckecharran is a 'Special Person’ N

By Latoya Giles

ursing is one of the most noble professions a person can be a part of. It teaches patience and compassion, and those two words most definitely describe Assistant Director of Nursing at the Georgetown Hospital, Sister Noshella Lalckecharran.

Sister Lalckecharran has been in the profession for some 44 years, something she insists she was destined to be in. She has travelled throughout Guyana and can assuredly say that she has nursed the nation.

She hails from Helena number one Mahaica, East Coast Demerara and was born in 1949. Her parents Sookdiah and Lalckecharran had five children together, three boys and two girls. Her mother was a housewife and her father was a tailor/barber.

Sookdiah, she said, also tended their cash crop farm.

According to Noshella, she came from a humble background with strong family ties. From an early age, she was able to appreciate that education was one of the most valuable things that she should strive to achieve. Of the five siblings, she was the only one who managed to attain a secondary education.

Sister Lalcky, as she is now popularly known, started her quest for education at the Canadian Mission School (an Anglican School) in the late 1950s.

After graduating in 1964 she went on to the Hindu College where she gained her secondary education. From early on she said she knew she wanted to become a nurse, even though she had a

fear of blood.

She said she was encouraged to join that particular school by friends who were attending it. Sister Lalcky recounted that her parents wanted the best for her, and as such they made numerous sacrifices. She reflected that attending High School in those days was expensive.

Noshella said her older brother was also supposed to attend High School but because of finances he could not. She recalls having to get

Even though she wanted to be a nurse, she reiterated that her “fear of seeing blood” was a problem. Her father on many occasions would always ask her how come she wanted to become a nurse and could not handle this most fundamental aspect of the profession.

“And so, while yet at primary school, I would attend Red Cross classes, and that was (how) my first exposure came,” she recalled.

After teaching for that

“It was true dedication and love for this country that made me remain here. I could have left the country for a big paying job, but what would happen if everyone left… What would happen if all of the nurses left these shores…No one would be here to take care of the nation's people.” out of bed early in the mornings to catch the train that would take her to school, but she said she did it with pride, commitment and purpose, because she knew she had to do well in order to fulfill her dream. She said her brother started working and along with support from her parents she managed to attend that school and came out successful.

About a year after graduating she was at home, not working. She said that her former headmaster was passing one afternoon and saw her sitting at home. He encouraged her to start teaching. So that's just what she did. She started as a trainee. However teaching was never something she liked doing.

“My mind was never set on teaching…my real passion was nursing.”

According to Noshella, she taught for about a year.

year, she started a brief stint at the Prashad Hospital. She spent approximately a year at that institution. She said that she would constantly v i s i t t h e G e o rg e t o w n Hospital to find out if she was selected to be in the nursing batch, to which she had applied.

“I would visit the (Georgetown) hospital on a weekly basis to see if my name was selected.”

On January 15, 1969, she was called to join the training school. She graduated from the nursing programme.

According to her there was no “student' status. They were doing all the shifts as the senior nurses.

“Back in those days we would run the wards and do everything like the senior nurses…that's a difference, compared to student nurses today.”

Noshella qualified as an Registered Nurse in

September 1972. She said she can still vividly recall her excitement the day she received a letter informing her that she had been accepted into the nursing programme and was required to begin training. It was March 15, 1969 – a few weeks before her birthday.

Her initial placement was in the Maternity Ward doing midwifery, then at the Out-Patient Department, and

by July 1973, she was sent to the Operating Room, for which she developed a keen liking.

She got married in the 1980s and that union produced two children. Also during the earlier part of that decade she transferred to the Suddie Hospital. According to her she spent about at year there. She worked in the Male Surgical Ward and was responsible for the operating theatre there as well. She later returned to the Georgetown Hospital, where in 1986 she was promoted to Ward Manager.

In between her stint at the operating theatre she was doing many courses. In 1996, her then supervisor retired and she took the position until 2001. During that time she completed a course in Canada. In 2001 October she was transferred to the Administrative Section of the Hospital, in which she holds her present position.

Sister Lalcky admits missing the theatre a lot after leaving there, but even

Noshella Lalckecharran

though very busy with clerical and administrative duties, she still makes the time to advance herself academically. From 2005 to 2007, she pursued studies at the University of Guyana, and at age 57, graduated with a BSc in Nursing. And so, from being brought up in a

home where she was the only one attending high school, today, Sister Lalcky is from a home where four out of five persons (including her late husband) attended university and graduated.

While agreeing that every aspect of nursing care (continued on page 33)

Graduating from UG with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 31

Monique's Caring Hands Support Centre…

Helping to change the social fabric of our society… one client at a time

By Jenelle Willabus

T

he HIV/AIDS epidemic is one w h i c h a ff e c t s persons from all walks of life, but when it took the life of a young woman some 13 years ago, that helped paved the way for an organization that today helps numerous individuals and families.

Monique's Caring Hands Support Centre was launched in 2000 and was officially registered as a Non-Governmental Organization which offers support not only to persons living with HIV/AIDS but for many consumed by social ills.

Located at Lot 18 Norton Street, Newburg, Monique's as it is commonly called was the brainchild of Mrs. Dawn Stewart. Mrs. Stewart was a Military Nurse based in the United States of America where she worked, but her heart was always with the country of her birth, Guyana.

Being in the medical field, Mrs. Stewart was privileged t o a t t e n d t h e Wo r l d Epidemiology Conference to talk about HIV/AIDS more than a decade ago. However, returning to Guyana at the time was not in her immediate plans. But as fate would have it, while

attending the conference she recalled being seated next to an Epidemiologist and being privy to world statistics on HIV/AIDS. “As I was talking to this man, he asked where I was from and I said the US, and he said 'where were you born, I'm picking up an accent?'… and when I said Guyana his face lit up and he started showing me infection rates and other stuff, and he pleaded with me to go back to Guyana and do some work.”

Paying little attention to what she was urged to do, she went back to work. Not long after she received a letter from the Epidemiologist further encouraging her to return to her country of birth to “bring about a change”.

This was enough to stir something inside of her, so she began meeting with Caribbean leaders in the United States to see what could be done from the Diaspora standpoint to help fight HIV/AIDS. During one of her first meetings with Caribbean leaders, the Caribbean American Agenda for HIV/AIDS was discussed and out of that the Caribbean People International Collective Inc. (CPIC) – the parent company of Monique's Caring Hands

was formed. But for Mrs. Stewart that was still not enough to bring help to Guyana.

The meeting and the formation of the group was followed by a visit to Guyana and other Caribbean countries where surveys were done to see what could have been done to address the rapidly growing epidemic of HIV/AIDS. While working with the Diaspora, Mrs. Stewart met another woman with the same newfound passion. But what came next for her and her friend was too much to handle.

“A woman on the group we were working with had a daughter named Monique Gildarie and she went into the embassy preparing to go to the United States but she was informed that she was HIV-positive.”

Not only was this news devastating for Monique's mother and other relatives, but it was a wake-up call for Mrs. Stewart.

Shortly after, at just 20 years old, Monique died, but something exceptional and lifesaving was birthed. At the first meeting held at Monique's Caring Hands' Norton Street office, there were dozens of other 'Moniques' who just needed

Founder of Monique's Caring Hands, Mrs. Dawn Stewart, with one of the many children who attend the group. a place to go for a listening ear, advice or just a place to shed some bottled-up tears.

Ever since the first meeting back in 2000 not much has changed at Monique's Caring Hands. As a matter of fact the range of services has expanded as it was found that the issue of HIV/AIDS was just a fraction of the bigger picture in the area of social ills which face Guyanese today.

While HIV/AIDS continues to be one of the

group's main focuses, other areas of focus include domestic violence, child abuse, human trafficking, poverty dysfunctional families, substance abuse and at the same time promoting overall healthy lifestyle. To this end, training in all of the above areas is done with persons who visit the organization seeking help. This unique group has programmes specially tailored for persons with almost every need.

Some of the children who recently benefitted from one of the organisation's ventures

Some of these programs include; Health, improving the health care response to persons involved in risky behaviour. Employers and Employees; creating a safe workplace and enacting policies that help prevent violence.

Leadership Training Programs; this is done through building community leadership to grown skills and foster sustainability. Women and Girls; advancing the health and wellbeing of women and girls to build stronger communities, preventing violence against women and children in communities served.

Men and Boys; teaching men to be good role models which is an integral part in breaking the cycle of violence and at the same time coaching boys into becoming good men through outreaches in the different communities.

Notably, what is a little different to this organization's approach to combating the spread of HIV/AIDS, is the fact that emphasis is placed on every other aspect of growing up.

“What we found over the years was that HIV/AIDS was actually the end result of a cycle of other underlying social issues, so what we seek to do is to deal with all the other issues and offer assistance in whatever way we possibly can,” Mrs. Stewart explained.

From its inception, Monique's Caring Hands has been hosting an annual youth camp which would see youths from across the country coming together to set goals and interact with others, all with the aim of becoming better individuals. Unfortunately, for the past two years the camp was not held due to the lack of funding, and much to the dismay of many youths who look forward to it.

For Mrs. Stewart and her staff, the youth camp was something they too looked forward to, and over the one-week period for the camp they met youths from every walk of life who had a story waiting to be told with the hope of getting help for a burning issue they were facing.

She recounted that recently while attending a function a neatly dressed policeman walked up to her, (continued on page 32)

Page 32

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Helping to change the social fabric ...

From page 31 to boast of his accomplishments, having successfully completed secondary school and joining the Guyana Police Force. Mrs. Stewart said she felt a sense of deep delight when the young man related to her that several years ago he had attended one of the camps and held onto to her advice to stay in school get educated and seek gainful employment.

Over the years the organization has teamed up with others which champion the same cause to host many p r o g r a m m e s t a rg e t i n g vulnerable. For example, through the 'Journey of Life' programme, in collaboration with the National AIDS Programme Secretariat, messages about HIV/AIDS and adapting healthy lifestyles was able to reach thousands of youths countrywide. According to Mrs. Stewart, partnership of this nature is needed. It is her hope that “more organizations will step up their game when it comes to collaborative efforts”.

She then emphasized that funding is needed and this is where corporate Guyana should get more involved.

“I would like to see big companies coming on board and sponsoring these community-based organisations and at the same time holding them accountable for what they do with the funding they receive…That way these companies will get value for their money.”

In the meantime, while funding continues to be an issue, Mrs. Stewart and her two remaining staffers, Ms. Sandra Brandt and Ms. R o s l y n Wa d e , r e m a i n

dedicated to their pursuits.

The trio can be found in the office doing what has become routine.

For Ms. Wade, her motivation will always be the story of 'Michelle' a hard working mother who died of HIV/AIDS leaving her young children behind.

Ms. Wade recalls first coming across 'Michelle' while she was in a coma several years ago at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

“We would normally do hospital visits at the GPHC and one day we met this woman and we learnt that she came out of the interior with malaria, so every day when I went to the hospital I would go check on 'Michelle' until she came out of the coma.”

She said initially they never believed that 'Michelle' would have survived, but miraculously she did, and they quickly struck up a friendship.

She recalled that 'Michelle' was then told after a series of tests that she was HIV-positive. The news was devastating for the young woman, who had gone to work in the interior with her husband just to ensure a better standard of living for their kids. Eventually 'Michelle' was discharged from the hospital and her only support was Ms. Wade whom she depended on to break the news to her family members.

“I think worrying killed Michelle faster. I will always remember the Sunday morning when we went to Michelle's mother's home to break the news, it was very emotional and still is today, because Michelle's mother was sickly,” she recalled.

Successful participants of yet another training programme Mrs. Stewart has also had her fair share of attachment stories, many of the persons dying, causing much pain including Monique Gildarie, Latoya Conway (who was murdered by her partner) and a few others.

But there is one special young lady who gives the founder a reason to smile and keep on going. Several years ago, one of their volunteers in Mahaicony contacted Mrs. Stewart and informed her of a young woman who needed their help. It was found that the young woman 'Rhonda' had nowhere to live.

The staffers of Monique's Caring Hands immediately put their resources together and found a home for 'Rhonda'. Not long after the woman became pregnant, and during the pregnancy it was found

that she was HIV- positive.

'Rhonda' eventually gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, but against doctor's advice, she began breastfeeding her son who was then infected with HIV. Mrs. Stewart and her staff tried to keep 'Rhonda' on the radar as they continued to offer support in every possible way. Not long after she became pregnant again, despite being told of the consequences of her actions.

Her second child was a precious little girl, but 'Rhonda' began refusing the help she was being offered.

Not long after, Mrs. Stewart recalled getting a phone call again from Mahaicony informing her that 'Rhonda' had abandoned her then three-month-old daughter at Mahaicony Creek and was nowhere to be found.

“I remember clearly it was a Saturday. I hurried up to the location and I collected the baby with the intention of taking her to the Ministry of Human Services on the Monday morning. When I took 'Miracle' home, my husband asked where I was going with that baby.”

Ms. Stewart said her husband was clearly fond of 'Miracle' and with Monday morning approaching she was a bit hesitant to carry her away.

“I was worried for this baby, she was so tiny and helpless and I didn't want her to end up in a home or at the hospital, so I decided that I would keep her until she got a little bigger then I would take her in.”

Now, three years later, 'Miracle' still wakes up in Mrs. Stewart's bed and is the centre of her household. But

the story of little 'Miracle doesn't end there, it was subsequently learnt that 'Miracle's' mother, whom Mrs. Stewart had been helping for years, was her relative. Before 'Rhonda' died, she was able to relate that she could not take care of 'Miracle' and was happy that she had found a safe, new home.

These are just a few of the many happy endings that have given the staff at Monique's Caring Hands the courage to repeatedly keep doing their good deeds.

Now above all, they insist that they will each remain committed to giving consideration to the principle that all persons are created for a purpose, regardless of the physical appearance and weaknesses, and always provide their services when needed.

Page 34

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Blood and bones - who was behind this deadly spate of carjackings?

By Michael Jordan It was a sunny Friday in February 1998, that 22-yearold taxi driver Davo Narine left home to pay an electricity bill at the Guyana Power and Light’s Main Street, Georgetown office.

He told his parents that he was going to make his taxi rounds after paying the bill.

But Narine, of 193 Thomas Street, Kitty, never returned home.

When he did not show up, his worried family began to search for him but to no avail.

The following day, they informed the police and ranks joined the search.

After three days, Narine’s car was found aback of the South Dakota Circuit, Timehri, after the family received an anonymous call which informed them that it was there.

The car had been stripped of its wheels, music system and battery. Scouring the area, detectives found the wheels and other missing parts from the vehicle.

Suspecting that Narine had been kidnapped,

detectives tapped the family’s phone in case the kidnappers called to demand a ransom.

Meanwhile, detectives, family members and friends continued to search for Narine.

The ransom call never came and the police were left with no leads or evidence to

arrest anyone.

Refusing to give up hope, relatives kept up the search for months.

They were still searching for Narine when another taxi driver was reported missing.

BLOOD ON CAR SEATS Kissoon Persaud, 47, disappeared on August 23,

1998 after leaving his Hadfield Street home for the Demico car park where he operated his taxi.

His crashed vehicle, with blood on one of the seats, was found at the junction of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway shortly after.

A sawn-off shot gun was also found in the car.

An intense search involving police, concerned citizens, relatives and even tracker dogs was launched for the missing man. But Kissoon was not found.

Then in September, a woman informed police that a male relative of hers, who was also a taxi driver, had been missing since August 20, 1998.

She identified the missing man as 31-year-old Leroy Mentis, called ‘Tony’ or ‘Dougla.’

The woman urged detectives to seek assistance from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to solve the mystery and find the other missing taxi drivers.

According to the woman, Mentis had left his home at around 09:30 hrs for his base at the Georgetown Hospital car park on Thomas Street and was not seen since.

It was reported that his car was found abandoned at the back of Friendship Village, East Bank Demerara with the license plates changed.

Relatives, friends and police searched for the missing taxi drivers day after day. Police began to wonder whether one gang was behind the disappearance of all three drivers.

As investigations continued, police thought that they got a breakthrough in the case when, in mid-September 1998, a taxi driver came to them with a bizarre story.

The driver, 20-year-old Haimwant Ramkissoon alleged that he was driving

near Linden when a man, who was in a police uniform complete with beret, stopped him and asked to see his documents.

Ramkissoon claimed that the ‘policeman’ ordered him out of the car and he then saw a woman and two men approaching.

The driver said that the ‘policeman’ then sprayed something in his eyes that made him drowsy.

Ramkissoon said that he was blindfolded and his hands were tied behind his back.

He said that his abductors pushed him in a vehicle and drove for about 15 minutes.

They then stopped the vehicle and robbed him of his valuables.

Shortly after, he said, he was ‘chucked’ up a flight of stairs at which time he heard a male voice pleading to go home.

According to Ramkissoon, someone broke a bottle and the voice stopped.

He said during the time he was held hostage he heard several voices arguing about cars and about what to do with him.

According to Ramkissoon, after three days, the kidnappers, who had kept him blindfolded, drove him to a deserted area and left him there. When he thought it was safe, he took off his blindfold and sought help.

Ramkissoon’s damaged car was found at the Ruimveldt Industrial Site.

His police report offered a glimmer of hope to the relatives of the missing taxi drivers.

Police conducted searches in the area where Ramkissoon claimed the kidnappers had left him, but found no clues.

By then, investigators had begun to question several suspects in the kidnapping.

Relatives of the three missing men were offered a bit more hope when a wanted man who was the prime suspect in the kidnappings was apprehended in Suriname.

The suspect was a young prisoner, who had escaped from the Camp Street jail while serving a 12-year term for armed robbery and murder.

The fugitive, along with two women, was arrested in Suriname for crimes that were committed in the former Dutch colony.

SKELETON FOUND The two-month search for Kissoon Persaud ended

tragically on October 1, 1998 when his skeleton was found in a sand-pit near the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

The remains were found at around midday about 400 yards off the Soesdyke/ Linden Highway on the northern side, approximately one and a half miles from the Soesdyke junction.

Kissoon’s wife, Lilawatie, who had spent many agonising hours searching for her husband, identified the remains by a gold tooth on the left side of his jaw, a wrist watch which was found partially buried in the sand some distance from the skeleton, his belt and one of his shoes.

The woman had also recognised her husband’s shirt which was also nearby although it was quite faded from exposure to the elements.

An autopsy revealed that he had been shot.

Kissoon Persaud’s wife had said that the man who was arrested in Suriname confessed to shooting her husband.

Soon after, two men were charged with Kissoon Persaud’s murder.

Their Preliminary Inquiry (PI) commenced at the Providence Magistrate’s Court. The matter was subsequently dismissed due to lack of evidence against the accused.

Meanwhile, police and relatives continued to search for the other missing taxi drivers.

BONES NEAR THE SOUTH DAKOTACIRCUIT In January 1999, some woodcutters were working in the forested area aback the South Dakota Circuit when they came across some bones.

They were not alarmed but upon taking a closer look they realised that they were looking at the remains of a human. They quickly called the Timehri Police Station.

After months of hopeless searching, the Narines got a call from the police informing them of the discovery.

Narine’s father, Bob, went with the police to the scene where he identified the skeleton by some of the teeth.

He also identified a checkered shirt, a pair of jeans and a pair of brown footwear near the remains.

The father recalled that his son was wearing these same garments the day he disappeared.

Police confirmed that Narine had been shot once (Continued on page 39)

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Charles Griffith protesting unethical use of Article 282; insists that it is poisonous.

SUNDAY SPECIAL GOVTAGREES TO PAY CHINESE CONTRACTOR $1.4M DAILY FOR PROJECT DELAY Government, in November 2011, signed a US$138M with China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC) for an ambitious expansion of the Timehri airport but millions more are likely to be spent before the facility is completed.

Under an agreement with China, financing will be provided to the tune of US$130M with the Guyana Government indicating it will foot the remaining US$20M or so that it will take to fully complete the project at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

An examination of the contract between the Ministry of Public Works and CHEC signed in late 2011 revealed a number of interesting details.

The contract had been released to Members of Parliament and the media.

Government has to supply all sand and other filling materials for free. This is likely to use up a significant portion of the US$20M. The contract price does not include the construction of a new car park, internal roads and handling equipment area. Rather, CHEC is only charged with the designs but government will have to take responsibility for the construction.

CHEC’s US$138M price tag also does not include the construction of a new cargo area and fuel farm.

The entire project is expected to last 32 months with the government guaranteeing that CHEC be accorded a situation that it will work no less than 10 hours daily. Any failure will see CHEC being given extra time and cost compensation.

Government agreed that this cost compensation could come up to US$7,000 ($1.4M) daily.

RADIO LICENCE GIVEAWAY…PROMPTS 17-MILE PROTEST MARCH “Article 182 of the constitution is very poisonous and is an enemy to all Guyanese…It is an enemy to unity, it is an enemy to democracy, it is an enemy to the constitution itself,” said Charles Griffith last week Saturday (March 30) as he

sought to highlight his concerns in this regard in protesting form.

Griffith, who is a Director at the privately-run Hoyte Blackman Television (HBTV) station aired on Channel Nine, was however undertaking the task in his personal capacity.

Griffith protesting unethical use of Article 182; insists that it is poisonous.

His action, which saw him trekking just about 17 miles yesterday, from Belfield, East Coast Demerara to the capital city, comes on the heels of recent public protest action by dissatisfied members of the private media fraternity in light of Government’s unfair distribution of radio licences.

A placard-bearing Griffith was also a part of those protest actions which were held outside both the Kaieteur News and Channel Nine offices.

Armed with a placard propped on what appeared to be a cross, Griffith in the blistering afternoon sun made his way to the city along the Rupert Craig Highway.

He ended his momentous trek in the vicinity of the Georgetown Cricket Club Ground shortly after 14:00 hours (2pm).

His journey had in fact started around 06:00 hours at Belfield and according to him starting there was no coincidence since it was the home community of Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, a former Executive President.

Burnham was in fact the one who had brought the Constitution into being. “It was not established for that reason for which it is being used today; it is being used for another reason.”

MONDAY EDITION PLAISANCE RESIDENTS HALT BUILDING OF TRANSMITTING TOWER ON COMMUNITY GROUND- CONTRACTOR PACKS UP AND LEAVES

Page 35

Angry Plaisance, East Coast Demerara residents have vowed to staunchly resist the move to deprive them of their community centre ground to facilitate the construction of a transmitting tower.

The villagers Sunday turned out in numbers to halt the current work which is being undertaken by a Chinese contracting firm Huawei, in collaboration with local subcontractors, with the blessing of the government of Guyana.

The proposed tower is part of the E-governance programme that will facilitate the linking of government’s fibre-optic cable that has been laid from Lethem to Linden to the coastline, enabling internet access.

It will be one of 54 towers that will be erected in densely populated areas along the coast.

But the main bone of contention is the lack of proper consultation with stakeholders. This has led to accusations of government’s contemptuousness and insincerity towards the community. The proposed site for the tower is the western side of the community centre ground which is separated by just a fence from the mansion of former President, Bharrat Jagdeo.

Residents lamented that ever since the construction of the homes of Jagdeo and other Government bigwigs, in what is popularly called Pradoville 2, all recreational activities on the ground have been severely curtailed. “They say we are disturbing them…now they want to take away the field completely,” one resident stated.

TUESDAY EDITION MILLIONS BUDGETED FOR SHERIFF STREET UPGRADE, WEST COAST DEMERARAHIGHWAY Several critical

transportation projects on the coastland, including repairs to the Soesdyke/Linden Highway and the Essequibo public road are scheduled for this year. Under the Ministry of Public Works ‘Road Improvement and Rehabilitation Programme’, this year some $735M has been allocated.

The programme is part of a $5.9B project financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Government and which started in 2009.

Already almost $2.7B has been spent. The programme includes the East and West Canje roads, the access road from Bounty Farms to the Terminal Building at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and the rehabilitation of the East Bank Berbice Road.

Also this year, $1.1B has been set aside under the Ministry’s ‘Highway Improvement East Coast Demerara’, which includes studies and designs for the four-lane highway from Better Hope to Golden Grove and preparatory widening works from Better Hope to Annandale.

This project is an almost $4B one being financed by Central Government and Kuwait’s Government is plugging the majority of $3.7B. Before 2013, some $1.1B was spent on the works.

WEDNESDAY EDITION DEBATES UNDERWAY IN NATIONALASSEMBLY… 2013 BUDGET IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL – APNU - SEEKS TO REALISE GUYANESE DREAMS – GOVT. “Sleight of hand” and “little tricks” were phrases used by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament Carl Greenidge to describe the 2013 Budget, which he claims is “unconstitutional and does not cater for the poor”. But,

Government believes that the $208.8B Budget fulfills the dreams of ordinary citizens and seeks to enhance health, education, and transform the economic landscape of Guyana, which has been experiencing positive growth.

These were the arguments that set the stage for the commencement of the 2013 Budget debates in the National Assembly that are expected to continue over the next two weeks.

Already, on the first day of the debates (Tuesday) heckling filled the atmosphere, a power outage interrupted proceedings and the Speaker was forced to call an adjournment for about five minutes.

Apparently, both sides of the House could not agree on the length of time Greenidge was permitted to speak, and to avoid what was turning into an intense row, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings for a decision to be made.

Greenidge was allowed an extra 15 minutes to conclude, giving him 75 minutes speech time. According to Greenidge, APNU would not support the Budget because it is unconstitutional in its current form.

IRISHMAN CHARGED WITH THREATENINGTO ASSASSINATE GUYANA’S PRESIDENT An Irish national who allegedly “fell prey to Guyanese rum”, after consuming a number of alcoholic beverages at the rodeo last weekend, appeared in court Tuesday charged with threatening to assassinate the President of Guyana. Police say that on March 29 last, while at Tabatinga, North Rupununi, Cilian James Crossan used threatening language against the President.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge as he stood before Magistrate Judy Latchman. He was (Continued on page 48)

Page 36

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

A battle for the promise

By Sharmain Grainger Every young girl in her mind envisages a fairy-tale life where her prince charming finds and marries her and they live happily ever after with a few babies as part of the complete package. Perhaps this concept is understandably linked to the many mythical tales that we are fuelled with as young children ranging from the ageold Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to the more recent Shrek and Fiona.

Rarely any hurt or pain is allowed to creep in when a young mind gets to conceptualising the ideal future outcomes.

And indeed the ideal outcome appeared to be the hand that Kim Wilkinson was dealt after patiently waiting for a number of years of course. Not only did her ‘Prince Charming’ find her but their first baby – a girl – had arrived and a second child was on the way. What could be more exhilarating than to learn that the yet to be delivered package was a boy?

Contentment was the sentiment that understandably consumed her. She had always been an easy-going girl with a colossal amount of faith which kept her on track even when things did not appear to be unfolding ideally.

Kim grew up quite comfortably with her parents and siblings in the community of Wales, West Bank Demerara. She attended the primary school there and then Tutorial High School in Georgetown, before seeking meaningful employment. She tried a few places, but it was while employed at the West Demerara Regional Hospital that her Prince – Linden Wilkinson – who was also working there, would set eyes on her.

The two eventually tied the knot and according to Kim who was and still is an ardent believer in God “he (God) promised me two children.”

Upon becoming Mrs Wilkinson she moved to Crane Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara, with her husband and after a few years of perseverance an addition to the family came in the form of Grace, their daughter.

A few years later, on April 18, 2002, to be precise, Isaiah would follow, effectively completing the family equation. But since the day of his arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Kim recounted that it was clear he had a problem with his abdomen. In fact the doctors had early-on indicated that they were not even sure what exactly the problem was, she disclosed during an interview.

“He was a tiny baby and he would vomit constantly and was passing no stool,” she recalled.

A few examinations later would see doctors deducing that there was a partial blockage of little Isaiah’s intestines but according to Kim “they still weren’t sure what was causing the blockage.”

Since he was not passing any stool it was recommended that nothing be fed to him for a period of seven days. A few days later he would start defecating a few drops. This was after a tube was stuck down his throat and excess fluid was pumped out of his stomach.

That was however enough to satisfy the medical professionals who decided to discharge him from the hospital.

At just about one-weekold Isaiah was finally home, but after being closely

…a mother shares an inspiring story of fortitude

A contented Kim Wilkinson and her son Isaiah who is preparing to celebrate his 11th birthday later this month.

examined by his mother a few days later it was discovered that his testicles were noticeably swollen. By the following day his abdomen was also visibly distended, forcing Kim to rush her newborn back to the hospital.

“When I got there I saw some of the same doctors that were attending to him before and they immediately admitted him,” Kim recounted. She revealed that her baby was again required to abstain from feed this time for a period of 14 days as he had completely stopped stooling again.

“He became skin and bones,” Kim said as she disclosed how doctors told her that her son’s intestines had become totally blocked.

“His abdomen started to become distended to a size that it looked, in my opinion, like it was going to burst,” reminisced Kim, who claims she had the unnerving feeling

that the doctors were aware all along what was happening to her son.

“I think they knew what was happening, but they were thinking he was too young to endure a major operation…I believe they were hoping the blockage would remain partial and not complete.”

The medical professionals were making no headway in addressing Isaiah’s condition, a state of affairs which forced the young mother to advise them to “just push a tube down his throat and get out whatever stuff is in his abdomen.” This was however not adhered to.

Kim remembers having to leave her son at nights in the Paediatric Ward at the GPHC while she slept in another ward, a period during which she disclosed that she kept reminding the Almighty “you promised me this child.”

But one night she recalled being summoned by a nurse to take her place next to her baby as he was vomiting uncontrollably, leaving them to think the end was near. The atmosphere became even more petrifying when Kim observed a nurse smelling her son’s vomit, an indication that she was suspicious that faeces had begun travelling up his system. Sure enough there were specks of particles in his vomit, but this prompted Kim to channel some divine intervention with unyielding prayers.

By the following afternoon the situation was no better when two doctors came to attend to him and according to Kim “he was panting for breath and vomiting all the time...they called me and told me they were taking him downstairs and I said I am not going because I don’t see y’all

doing anything to help this child.”

It was at this very moment she recalled literally hearing a voice urging her to ‘contend for this child’s life’.

“I went to my husband and said let us pray for this child.”

So intense were the prayers that Kim did not even realise when her son was returned to the ward.

An x-ray was done but still the doctors seemed unclear as to what was causing the complete blockage.

As her eyes scanned the crib in which her tiny son lay, Kim observed his clothes were soaking and it dawned on her that though so frail he was yet a fighter.

“They were trying to push him down, but he kept trying to raise up because it seemed to me that he was suffocating.”

Eventually the words that she dreaded the most were quietly broken to her “we have done our best…Everybody was pretty much saying this is it.”

Efforts were made to call in a surgeon to attend to the child, but that too appeared to be futile.

Unwilling to give up on her son, who was evidently fighting in his own right, Kim calmly requested of the doctors to pick up her child.

Cushioned against her breast, Kim cuddled her baby and earnestly prayed for his complete recovery.

“The situation looked bad and as I prayed the doctors were just looking at me…I was walking up and down just praying,” Kim reflected.

Soon after the surgeon arrived and immediately did exactly what she had earlier advised. “He pushed down a tube through his throat and stuff immediately came up…”

Kim recalled as she explained how the tube was attached to a glove into which the stomach particles would be deposited. However, she believed that since there was no airway in the system used, the stuff would descend back to her son’s stomach causing him to vomit.

“I tried to explain to a nurse what I had seen done before but she wouldn’t listen, and so I tried to be a doctor myself…I took a pin and bore the glove, but the place that I bored was so wrong that the stuff started to wet up his skin...the nurse realised that I tampered with it and she changed it and this time she placed it in his clothes...I asked God to give me wisdom and I was able to bore another hole and everything seemed fine.”

However, a doctor would soon bluntly inform her that “we can’t go on like this.”

According to Kim it was as if death was patiently waiting to accept her son, who she was not in the least willing to give up at that point.

She remembers one morning her prayer for Isaiah was for God to take death away from him, an appeal which was mirrored by a strange woman who came to give her support.

“I didn’t want this woman to touch my child, but when she started praying she was saying the exact things I had prayed earlier and I said to myself God must have sent this woman.”

Later the same day doctors were down to their last resort and were considering a surgical procedure. However it was an idea that Kim wrestled with throughout the night as she feared the worst would be the outcome.

“I said God I believe in you to heal this child, but then a voice said ‘you are afraid. Are you trusting in me or yourself? I know what this child can go through and if this is the way I am taking him let go’.”

The next day Kim was only too eager to grant permission to the attending surgeon to do whatever must be done. She remembers standing at the entrance of the operating theatre as the medical professionals behind closed doors attended to her child. But it was a serene moment for her as it was as if she knew exactly what they were doing, even though she was not seeing their actions.

By the end of the operation the surgeon had discovered that the blockage of the child’s intestines was due to them being entangled.

Moreover, it required that they be snapped and then carefully reattached.

(Continued on page 48)

Sunday April 07, 2013

Book Review:

By Dr Glenville Ashby Guyanese native, Albert Cumberbatch, hoists readers on his literary wagon, traversing time in this nostalgic novel.

The road is a not always smooth, but through the prism of Rudy, a twelve-yearold, trials never seem adversely impactful.

Rudy is a typical teen adventurous, resourceful with an enviable ability to adapt.

Boogie Days wastes little time in sowing Rudy’s experiences in Mackenzie, a suburban mining town in the South American country of Guyana.

It is removed culturally from the capital, Georgetown, where Rudy lived with his aunt Vannie before being taking away by his mother.

Cumberbatch captures the rich passage of teenage life, baiting the imagination of readers. A sojourn in Berbice for Rudy is culturally awakening.

He learns of the Queh Queh, a traditional African dance performed at weddings, and is imbued with country living natural, unpretentious and earthy. Boogie Days is poignantly spirited, colourful and whimsical.

Rudy’s character slowly

Kaieteur News

Page 37

Guyanese dance through time hits mark develops and he is endearing to readers. But from the opening salvo this is Boogie’s show, his stage, and he plays the part almost flawlessly. He is brash, with a swash bucking style that is arguably unsavory.

His swagger and air of arrogance are attributes that rile many of the older folks.

He is loud, impulsive, quick to anger, and the centre of prohibitive sexual exploits that startle. Yet, there is a magnetic element - the knight that will defend the defenseless, and protect the faint at heart.

Boogie is a teen hardened by the challenges of life.

Admirably, though, he commandeers his group of friends, teaching the sometimes naive Rudy, the rudiments of bucolic life.

He is politically and socially astute, critical of Amerindian passivity. “Look how they just gradually clear down that hill at Wismar, right from under them, and the people just up and left....A Buck Man told me they had been living on that hill for hundreds of years.”

Later, though, Rudy, well schooled and the paragon of brilliance, seemingly in every endeavour, emerges as the center pole of Cumberbatch’s work. His capabilities are unfathomable.

Quite precocious, he excels in gardening, boxing, swimming, singing, and academics. It is his scholastic prowess that opens doors, shut to others. He assumes the confidence, the bravado of Boogie, with a marked

difference. He is well rounded, accomplished, and moreover, ambitious, and educationally heeled.

Cumberbatch’s work is deceptively light, a seeming casual romanticising of bygone years. It’s narrated

with ease and fluidity that belie its social message.

The setting in colonial Guyana, circa, 1950s is rooted in political struggles, driven by racial and religious partisanship. There is an air of social change, a thirst for independence. Mackenzie feels the impact of infrastructural growth, and Rudy and friends are fast becoming young men.

Boogie Days explores individual and social transformation. It highlights the perennial problem of race and class consciousness.

In one exchange between Rudy and his close friend, he prays that future generations will be colour blind.

It reflects a time when life was rugged, but richly colourful, and somehow gratifying. And school days is always exhilarating - the taunts, the bullying, the after school fights. But for the most part, it’s a narrative steeped in existentialism, the will to survive and realise one’s potential. Its thematic underpinnings are lucidly articulated. Battling life’s obstacles, through sheer grit and the pursuit of education, seep through every page.

Indelible is Rudy’s encounter with racism when he ventured through

Watooka, home to the affluent. It is a potentially perilous confrontation, loaded with racial slurs and murderous threats.

Throughout, moments of levity are never void, vacuous. Aunt Vannie’s obsession with her Chinese spirit guide, and her obsessive cleaning, at the counsel of that spirit, is hilarious on the surface, but carries a warning against spiritualism.

The reader gleans the best and worst of Guyanese life.

It is an era of simplicity, authenticity - a time when disciplining recalcitrant teens is exacted with a crudeness that is denounced today. There are innuendos of social significance, for example, suggestions of sacerdotal improprieties after choir practice at the vestry.

And Boogie’s passionate foray into that nation’s muddled political world is sociologically telling.

Boogie Days is bold, unapologetic, written with carefree abandon. It is played out with a compelling joie de vivre.

Yes, Cumberbatch has produced a wondrous chronicle that massages the emotions of its readers. Its (Continued on page 49)

Page 38

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Hinterland too rich for its people to be so poor (Extract from the presentation made by Eula Marcello MP during the 2013 Budget debate) Mr. Speaker, I rise to lend my support to the Alliance for Change members who have spoken before me on the 2013 National Budget themed by the government, “Overcoming Challenges Together, Accelerating Gains For Guyana”. I am left to wonder just how serious the government is about its theme.

Is there real commitment to a unified approach to the challenges we face?

I have my doubts because, prior to the release of the estimates, the Alliance For Change made repeated calls urging that together, the government and the opposition work to develop a national budget that truly reflects the needs and aspirations of the people of Guyana.

However, these calls mostly fell on deaf ears as there were just some half-

hearted attempts to engage the AFC. So the government did its duty and prepared the estimates for 2013.

Now, the AFC must do its duty and that duty is to the people of Guyana, to ensure that their dreams are realized, that the needs of the people are met and that our children’s future is secure.

And as we do our duty as the opposition, I call on my colleagues on the other side of the House, to let good sense prevail and to work with

us to deliver to the people of Guyana, all the people not just a select few.

If the government wants to honour its own budget theme, then it must accept that somewhere over the years, it lost focus and started failing to provide for the needs of the people.

This is clear when we take note of the number of protest actions taking place all over the country. Protest at Linden, sugar workers protest, Plaisance residents protest, University of

Guyana protest, the media protest, nurses protest,… it is protest and more protest… plenty, plenty protest.

Clearly, if people are satisfied with what the government is doing, there would be no need for them to protest. So somewhere along the line, the government and the people started drifting apart. Such a state of affairs is unhealthy.

There is no togetherness.

Mr. Speaker, I will be addressing matters that are specially related to Region Eight, but first allow me to address mining in a more broad manner.

Mr. Speaker, Declared gold production of 438,645 ounces was the highest recorded in the entire history of the gold industry excluding Omai production, and was 20.8 percent higher than 2011.

In the Guyana Chronicle of Monday, December 3, 2012, Chairman of the Guyana Gold Board Dr. Gobind Ganga is reported to have said that earnings from gold were estimated to be in excess of US$600 million.

Mr. Speaker, the Finance Minister himself has lauded the performance of the gold mining industry and I wish to join him by stating that gold continues to be critical to the survival of our country’s economy.

The thing is Mr. Speaker, while gold continues to be a success story for Guyana, we do not see the rewards of the success filtering down to the people in the areas where the gold is coming from.

While gold continues to prop up the national economy, the people living in the gold-rich areas still have to use pit latrines. The people in the gold-rich areas do not have simple, basic services like potable water coming to their bathrooms and in their kitchens. Mr. Speaker, the situation is so bad, so dangerous to health, that in Region One, as a result of an e-coli outbreak, over 500 persons were reportedly infected and three innocent children lost their lives.

The late Dr. Cheddi Jagan often said, “This country is too rich to be so poor”. Mr. Speaker, the hinterland is too rich for its people to be so poor.

Mr. Speaker, while mining continues to be a major economic activity in the hinterland, there are many challenges which are increasing alongside mining; prostitution is on the increase, crime is on the

Eula Marcello MP increase, drug abuse is on the increase, school drop-out is on the increase, unemployment is on the increase.

The police, instead of providing security, they are the ones brutalising citizens.

Mr. Speaker, the incident along the Marudi trail where a corporal of police was caught on camera flogging civilians showed the worst in Guyana. The images of the man in police uniform taking a limb from a tree and unleashing brute force on a woman with her child is an image we will never recover from. That officer of the state did more to damage the reputation of Guyana than any media house ever did by posting a negative story on Guyana.

Mr. Speaker, how can this government expect to be taken seriously when they say they are going to implement police reform when the very government refuses to take simple measures to clean up the Police Force? What evidence can the government provide to prove they are serious about reform? I address this matter because it is of critical importance to Amerindian residents.

Mr. Speaker, how can Amerindians trust the police to protect us when they cut branches from trees and flog us like slaves were flogged centuries ago? Who gave the right to that policeman to flog civilians? Mr. Speaker, where are we heading with this type of behaviour from the government-run, state security apparatus? Are we to sit in this honourable House and say it is okay, and to approve increased funding to a police force that treats civilians like cattle?

What exactly is the government’s policy on physical abuse of its citizens?

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 39

== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==

Descent into masochism then suicide This world holds many global secrets, some big, some small, depending on who is inside the conspiracy.

Once humans remain curious creatures, the world will forever be tantalized by the desire to know what’s inside the cupboard.

One of the largest international curiosities was born in 1974 when two Washington Post journalists (Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward) wrote a book titled, All the President’s Men, about the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon The centrepiece of the journalists’ investigation into Nixon’s role was an authoritative, unidentified source given the pseudonym, “Deep Throat.” Most Americans, researchers around the world and the average citizen who were familiar with that aspect of American history would have liked to know who this resourceful person that went by the call name, Deep Throat, was.

The guessing game went on non-stop in American academic and journalistic circles.

For thirty years the secret was locked up until 2005 when Mark Felt (in the seventies, the deputy director of the FBI) stricken by dementia at age 91 told a Vanity Fair writer that he was Deep Throat, which Bernstein and Woodward confirmed.

Not as fascinating as the Deep Throat secret was a lady named Elizabeth Mc Neil. She was the author of a memoir that hit the world stage in 1978 with the title, Nine and a Half weeks.

The movie made the book popular because the film was a huge hit. Elizabeth Mc Neil was a pen name.

Most people who read the book and saw the film would have liked to know who this woman was.

Her memoir centred on a macabre sexual relationship she had with a man she met at random who worked in the corporate world like her.

For nine and a half weeks, Elizabeth Mc Neil voluntarily submitted to being a sex slave with her partner who enjoyed sadism with her while she reveled in her own masochism.

The secret of Deep Throat lasted thirty years. Thirty-five years after Mc Neil wrote her story, her identity was revealed. It happened in November last year when Mc Neil’s literary agent confessed to a New Yorker magazine journalistic investigator that Mc Neil was Mrs. Ingeborg Day, a woman who wrote her memoirs Ghost Waltz in 1980, two years after she published her sexual adventure.

Ingeborg took her identity to her grave. In late 2011, she committed suicide. I guess she died believing that her real name would never be known as the person who wrote Nine and a Half Weeks.

She remains an enigma.

Why would she write two memoirs of her life but for the next thirty-five years remain mum on huge gaps in her life?

In Ghost Waltz there is hardly any material on her daughter.

It is a pity that Ingeborg’s death was not reported globally. Her two memoirs are brutally frank and her honesty caused her to be shunned by American society.

Day was a socialite editor at the prestigious, liberal, feminist magazine ”Ms” when she wrote her two memoirs.

But when the magazine celebrated its fortieth anniversary last year, there

Blood and bones...

From page 34 between the eyes, with the bullet exiting the back of his head.

The skeleton was found in the bushes about 200 feet from where Narine’s car was discovered.

“He had his ways…He used to do the taxi thing for fun,” Narine’s brother, Sham recalled.

“All de time we did searchin’, we never gave up hope that he was alive,” he added.

His brother believes that particular gang was behind the kidnappings and killings.

He also believes that the people would kidnap the taxi drivers, kill them and then use

their cars to commit robberies.

According to Narine’s father, Bob, investigators went to Suriname to question the prime suspect, who denied knowledge of the murders. The suspect was eventually jailed for 30 years in Suriname over a shooting incident.

At the end of his sentence he will be handed over to Guyanese police.

The question the Narines ask is what was the motive for those brutal killings?

No one was ever charged with Davo Narine’s murder.

Meanwhile, the body of Leroy Mentis was never found

was no mention of her.

Maybe the magazine didn’t like what she was or maybe it had to do with her admission that as the d a u g h t e r of an Austrian Nazi, she had some antiSemitism in her.

That was a terrible truth to admit about yourself in the US, where Jewish power can make or break any citizen.

I guess we will never know who her lover was in Nine and a Half Weeks. I suppose there will be a movie on her life.

Her publisher, Harper

Collins, will reissue Nine and a Half Weeks under her real name. Please see the movie or read the book. It gives you a graphic description of how impossible it is to understand the human being known biologically as Homo sapiens.

Here in Guyana, there is a mountain of secrets that will never be revealed because Guyanese do not have in their culture the European tradition, handed down to the Americans, of revealing who they are, and that great desire

to make history richer and to open it up to subsequent civilization. We in Guyana are contemptuous of history.

I am eagerly awaiting the memoirs of Yesu Persaud and Robert Corbin.

Later this month, one hopes Rupert Roopnaraine will not disappoint with his book.

In the not too distant future, I will reveal the name of one of the men who tried to kill Peter Taylor, the crusading anti-PPP editor in the sixties.

Frederick Kissoon There are some fascinating secrets about some enduring Guyanese that may never ever be revealed.

Laurie Lewis took many to his grave.

Page 40

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 41

Page 42

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 43

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 45

Page 46

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 47

Ravi Dev Column

PASSING OF THE OLD GUARD

Last week, my wife’s Ajee, Etwaroo, passed away. She had been born in 1911 and was 102. Now that is quite a feat - to make it through all that transpired over the last century in Guyana.

She was born before the end of indentureship - which came in 1917. She was therefore very familiar with individuals who had just arrived from India and spoke Hindi (in its Bhojpuri dialect).

As a child, she would have survived the flu epidemic of 1918 when Indians died like flies as the death rate skyrocketed almost seven times the average rate.

So too the malaria that festered in the logees of ‘Nigger Yard’ at Uitvlugt.

The living conditions there were not much different from the days of slavery when it had gotten its name.

The workers were all removed from around the sugar estates in the 1950s, by which time she had married and given birth to her four sons and two daughters.

Uitvlugt’s housing stock by then was divided into several distinct sections.

The oldest, Casbah, had been formed after the abolition

It was a rainy morning and some late nighters were heading home. Three of them were under the overhang of a shop when a group of prowlers with only one thing on their minds would attempt to make the late nighters their victims.

People would later talk about seeing some people running away from the overhang when one of them would collapse.

When the police turn up they would not have a clue because everyone would have disappeared but they are going to suspect that it

of slavery and grew out of the houses the newly-freed slaves had built along the Public Road.

Even as it expanded in the next century, it remained overwhelmingly African. But this is where she and her husband built their home and raised their children.

Her husband, Puran Persaud, had been the first Indian to become an ‘engineer’ in the sugar factory, joining the elite ranks of skilled artisans/tradesmen who were either Mulatto or African.

I grew up with my Nana and Nanee, on the street adjoining south Casbah and closer to the sugar factory, in the section called (most inspiringly) Uitvlugt Pasture, from its old function. As a boy attending the Primary School on the Uitvlugt Public Road, I had to pass by her very large (for those days) two-storeyed house. The yard was always filled with fruit trees, flower plants, and at the back, pens for cows and goats.

She always proudly spoke of herself as being an “Ahir”, that is, a member of the cowrearing, agricultural caste.

Even though she did not

have to work any longer on the sugar estate, she laboured even harder on her animals.

Her sons, two of whom were soon sent off to England by the early sixties, were allocated the task of cutting grass for the animals.

I would not doubt that she provided a source of income to her family as great as her husband, who would have been one of the higher paid employees then.

In 1964, when Uitvlugt became an epicentre of the racial violence that swept the country as Jagan tried to extricate his party from the implications of “PR”, the grand house was burnt to the ground, on April 24.

This was ironically the date of her wedding anniversary - and the birthday of one of her sons.

I remember as a boy, looking on from my boarded (actually ‘zinc-ed’) up home, as the flames reached for the skies.

For over a year, Casbah was to become off-limits to me, by which time new schools had sprouted in the other sections.

She remembered being warned of the imminent arson

was a robbery gone bad. ** There seems no end to the carnage on the roads. Just as is the case with the rest of society there is no regard for the law. We have seen the careless overtaking but this

one will literally take the cake. One simply does not overtake on a turn. This is going to be the case on the East Bank. The driver would attempt to flee the scene but in his panic he is going to run from one mistake to another. ** A new scandal is brewing. This one is going to centre on the recruitment of the influx of foreigners to boost the ballot. A lot of pressure is going to be put on the Elections Commission. Guyana’s voting laws are pretty fluid.

by her neighbours, so the family had left by the time of the conflagration.

Within a couple of years, she and her husband built another house in a newlyopened section of Uitvlugt and this is where she spent the rest of her life.

She continued rearing cows until she was well into her nineties and was invariably in her yard among her beloved flowers.

As my daughter remarked at the ceremony before the cremation, when her body itself would become an offering to her gods, her strongest point - apart from her refusal to stop working was her observation of Hindu practices. She performed her

oblations daily, did her pujas regularly and in her younger days, sponsored yagnas.

She loved singing bhajans (in the old traditional ‘airs’) as well as the almost all but forgotten ‘sohars’, ‘biraha’s” and other songs suitable for the various life cycle occasions of the Hindu.

One could tell that as a young woman, she was full of life: at her 100th birthday celebrations, she insisted on singing and got up and danced.

The reminiscences at the farewell ceremony were telling. One neighbour from across the Public Road, observed her every morning - even into her late 90’s pulling at the ‘bush’ always

Ravi Dev

attempting to encroach on the order she had created in her yard. She refused to be ‘bent with age’ and in fact compensated by tilting her body slightly backwards when walking.

Her iron will was her trademark characteristic, and even on her deathbed, refused to go ‘easily into the night’.

They don’t make ‘em like they used to, any more.

Page 48

From page 35 represented by Attorney-atLaw Glenn Hanoman. The lawyer told the court that his client is just 17 years old – having been born on June 26, 1995, in Ireland. Atthisstatement, the Magistrate requested a copy of the defendant’s birth certificate which was produced to the court.

The lawyer further claimed his client’s outburst against the President was simply because he was under the influence of alcohol. “The defendant had been very, very intoxicated after consuming alcohol beverages to which he was not accustomed, and I think fell prey to Guyanese rum,” Hanoman stated.

At this remark, the Magistrate inquired whether the defendant had been drinking piwari.

Hanoman told the court that the teenager is attached to the British charity, Project Trust, as a volunteer teacher at Shulinab, South Central Rupununi, since last August.

A project, he says, which is actively involved in educating young Guyanese in remote areas of the country.

THURSDAY EDITION EX-COP, BARBER SHOT IN EXECUTIONATTEMPT In what is believed to be an execution attempt, a gunman Wednesday opened fire on an expoliceman at a City’s barbershop leaving him in a critical condition and another nursing a single gunshot wound at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

The ex-policeman, Nandram Persaud, 34, of Lot 78 La Grange, West Bank Demerara was listed as critical.

According to sources, he was shot about seven times in his chest, neck and feet.

The second victim, a barber, Kintia Gobin, 30, of Lot 94 Meadow Brook Gardens, Georgetown was shot to his

Kaieteur News

right thigh. His condition was listed as stable.

According to reports, around 17:00 hours Wednesday, two men pulled up on a CG motorcycle at “Professional Cuts” Barber shop located at Lot 3 Railway Street, Kitty, Georgetown. One of the gunmen entered the barbershop and opened fire on the ex-cop. It is believed that the barber was hit by a stray bullet.

FRIDAY SPEAKER CHIDES GOVT. MEDIAOVER ‘FALSE STORY’ ON OPPOSITION MP- THREATENS APPROPRIATE SANCTIONS Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman has threatened to consider allegations of contempt against two governmentaffiliated media houses over what he described as the deliberate alteration of the comments of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament Keith Scott during his budget debate presentation last Tuesday. The news items had to do with Scott’s comments during the debate on the National Budget 2013, regarding the impacts of mining in the interior of Guyana. Scott had complained to the speaker about a violation of privilege, accusing the media outlets – I-News Guyana (an online news outfit) and the Guyana Chronicle – of disrespecting him by the falsity of the articles they carried, which caused him to be seen in a negative light.

Speaker Trotman described the news items as offensive to both Scott and the National Assembly. He said that following Scott’s complaint, which was made minutes after I-News’ hasty publication, he has since been

able to peruse the relevant sections of the verbatim transcript of the MP’s presentation and is satisfied that what was stated by him is “an extremely far cry” from that which was stated in the news items of the media in question.

TWO DEAD, ONE INJURED AS CAR SLAMS INTO UTILITY POLE - DRIVER, BROTHER DETAINED Two young men were killed and a teenage girl injured at around 02:45 hrs Thursday when the car in which they were traveling slammed into a utility pole after swerving off the roadway near New Hope, East Bank Demerara.

The lifeless bodies of Denzil Thomas, 24, of Coverden, East Bank Demerara and Quincy David, 21, of Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara, were retrieved from the rear seat of the vehicle, PFF 204, which had ended up in a yard after hitting the pole and ploughing through a concrete and metal fence.

Quincy David was employed at the Bounty Supermarket outlet at Grove, East Bank Demerara, while Thomas operated a shop at Coverden.

A third passenger, 16year-old Amanda Lloyd, of Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara, sustained minor injuries and was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

A relative said that she was expected to be discharged shortly. Kaieteur News understands that the driver of the vehicle, as well as a brother who was sitting next to him, in the front passenger seat, escaped with minor injuries.

According to reports, one of the siblings accompanied the injured Amanda Thomas

to the GPHC, but subsequently disappeared.

He reportedly only turned up at the Grove Station after police had detained his brother. Both men are now in custody, though there are reports that the siblings have both denied being at the wheel at the time of the crash.

SATURDAY EDITION GOVT. VOWS TO BUILD TOWER AT PLAISANCE The government is now bent on returning to the very spot in Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, where protests by residents forced workers to abandon the setting up of a telecommunications tower.

Protests by the residents had forced the Chinese company Huawei off the community’s playground.

The hole which was dug by the workers to set up the tower has been refilled by the residents, but yesterday the government said it intends to dig another hole at that very spot.

“Government will not allow this project to be hijacked and to be treated so irresponsibly,” the government’s main spokesperson, Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon said yesterday.

Senior officials of the government had earlier indicated that after protests by residents of Plaisance, the setting up of the e-governance tower would be shifted to another location. This was

Sunday April 07, 2013

indicated by the head of the project, Alexei Ramotar. His comments came after a protest by residents.

However, Luncheon, speaking at a news conference, indicated that the government wants to resolve the problem, but resolving the problem does not mean shifting locations.

“The e-governance team would be seeking to resolve the matter…I don’t believe I could contemplate another site identified as resolving the matter. Our intention in having the matter resolved is to have the matter resolved as planned,” Luncheon stated.

“If this matter is resolved to our mutual satisfaction, we’ll have a new hole dug,” he added.

That decision was taken Thursday when President Donald Ramotar met with his government ministers during the weekly Cabinet meeting.

Through the e-governance project, towers have to be set up from Moleson Creek to Charity.

One of the locations was Plaisance, and in the area used as a community centre and playfield.

MARUDI BEATING INCIDENT… COP CHARGED WITH FOUR COUNTS OF ASSAULT Police Corporal Nafaste Morris, of 7 Ogle Front, East Coast Demerara, appeared yesterday before Sueanna Lovell at the Georgetown

Magistrate’s court where he pleaded not guilty to four counts of assault when charges were read to him.

According to the facts of the prosecution revealed to the court by Alexis DavidHossanah, when police ranks accompanied officials from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) on February 27, to clear a number of illegal miners from the Marudi mining district, the 31year-old defendant, with a piece of branch removed from a tree, inflicted several blows on Varona Prince, and her two sons, Errol Prince and Lorenzo Prince.

The victims were civilians who were lying on a trail to protest their removal from a particular area, along with others.

Further, it was alleged that on the same day in question, the defendant assaulted Otillo Perriera.

Appearing in Morris’ defence was Counsel Patrice Henry who requested reasonable bail for his client based on the fact that the allegations were never made when the defendant was acting in the execution of his duties.

The corporal was subsequently granted bail to the tune of $20,000 for each assault against the four complainants, which amounted to a total of $80,000.

Morris is scheduled to make his next court appearance on May 20.

A BATTLE FOR THE...

From page 36 However the surgeon did warn that although the operation was successful, it was now left to be seen if the child could recover from such a major operation. “I said doctor you have done your part, God will do the rest,” Kim confidently asserted.

Isaiah was placed in the Intensive Care Unit to recover and Kim recalled that when she saw him for the first time after the surgery “it was as if nothing was ever wrong with him.”

She remembers experiencing many daunting challenges as he recovered, but noted that it was her faith in God that helped her to remain steadfast and unwilling to accept defeat.

One of the challenges would surface one week after the operation when the bandages to Isaiah’s surgical wounds were opened for the first time revealing that half of the incision to his abdomen was still open.

“I don’t know if the doctor was too hurry to stitch him up back after the surgery or what, but it was like half of

his abdomen was just open.”

A possible infection was the evident fear of the attending doctors who were by then contemplating another surgical operation to close the wound. He had also developed a hernia, but was by this time stooling normally, and therefore Kim was unwilling to allow him to undergo another operation.

“I didn’t get the feeling to let them operate on him again…I think God allowed me to be there with him every step of the way,” said Kim who recalled that it was six weeks after being hospitalised that Isaiah was ready to be taken home again.

A subsequent visit to the hospital for a regular checkup would leave doctors amazed as to how well he had recovered.

Kim remembers fondly how “one doctor told me to continue doing whatever it is that I was doing because it was working.”

But the battle for Isaiah’s life was not yet over, as according to Kim, when he was four years old he was rushed to the hospital with

severe abdominal pains and again unable to defecate.

Doctors had in fact insisted that the intestinal knot had recurred and suggested that it may warrant another operation.

But according to Kim, she certainly was not accepting such a pronouncement as she was holding fast to the biblical scriptures of Ecclesiastes 3:14 which states that: “…whatever God does endures forever” and “what can you imagine against God he will bring it to an utter end, affliction will not rise again” of Nahum 1:9.

Kim recalls how her whole family spent the night in hospital with Isaiah who was merely kept for observation and by morning was back to normal again.

“I am amazed at how God works and I give him alone the praise for all he has done for me,” said an elated Kim who continues to be contented with all that has unfolded in her life over the years.

And by the way, in 11 days, Isaiah will be celebrating his 11th birthday.

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 49

MY COLUMN

Dr Luncheon and the politics of confrontation Confrontation is something that I have always tried to avoid but try as I might there is always someone who would insist on some confrontation with me.

There was a time when I felt that it had to do with my puny size as a youngster and the desire of people to beat up on me. I would be sitting in class and someone would simply hit me.

I learnt to fight and in the end I gave as good as I got.

People stopped seeking confrontation with me, but that only lasted until I got married. To this day I cannot understand why women would for no reason seek a quarrel.

One day I walked into my home and there I was greeted with a sulking face.

Obviously, I asked what was the matter. That was a big mistake. But then again, had I ignored the situation only heaven knows what might have resulted.

As fate would have it, I rarely respond to the person who seeks to quarrel. Many years ago I learnt to tune out so that most of the things I simply do not hear. There was the time when a situation arose and I simply sat while the woman ranted and raved.

Then she said, “You ain’t gun answer me? If you ain’t answer me I ain’t gun stop.” I knew if I had fallen for that she wouldn’t have stopped anyway.

Confrontation seems to be the controlling factor in life in Guyana. I still remember the late Troy Dick, who was one of the February 23, 2002 escapees from the Camp Street jail. He was one of the patrons at the Library, a nightclub on Camp Street, when he stepped on someone’s toes.

He apologized, but that was not enough for the man who proceeded to hit Dick. It is said that Dick in anger went home for a gun and shot his assailant dead.

There are many similar incidences. And people have been seriously injured.

Motorists have run into others accidentally and despite apologies and promises to effect the necessary repairs, have been seriously hurt by the other aggrieved driver. There was a case in Brooklyn a few years ago. This fellow was driving his BMW, obviously his pride and joy. He must have secured his car before he even thought about a place to live.

Whatever the case, someone

hit his BMW. This fellow came out of his car, shot the errant driver dead and walked away. I am not sure whatever came out of that incident.

We are witnessing similar scenes in our political life; we are not prepared to grant compromises. There was the case of Lawrence Fanfair who is in hospital. Reports on the event leading up to his hospitalisation are confusing but again, from what little has been forthcoming, a simple discussion could have averted the situation.

And so we come to this new development that is bound to produce another confrontation.

The government as part of its e-governance programme will be establishing 55 towers across the country.

Some of these towers are being set up in locations where at least the people of Plaisance believe that they would encroach on their playing area.

I know the Plaisance Community Centre Ground; I played cricket there and I watched many a schoolchild run his or her heart out at school sports.

Recently I saw the ground and it was nothing to shout about. The surface had been

scourged and it would take some time before that ground could be used for anything except the tower.

After three days of protest, the government’s Chief Engineer decided that it would not be in the best interest of anyone to continue with the tower at that location.

Even the head of the project, Alexei Ramotar, agreed that a new location may be needed. But Dr. Roger Luncheon steps in to indicate that there is not going to be any compromise here. It may be a rush of testosterone or simply a case of braggadocio on the case of Dr. Luncheon.

I know that he is the man who would stand up to the world for the People’s Progressive Party.

On one occasion he said quite openly that his job is to defend the party and if the party is wrong then he would do his utmost to make that wrong right.

So here he is telling the contractor, the Chief Engineer and the architect of the project that whatever decision they might have taken is not worth the paper it is written on.

He has said that the tower will be constructed on the playground and that is going to be the end of the matter.

Such a statement smacks of raw power. Dr. Luncheon has long been known as the powerhouse inside the PPP. People will now see how powerful. But there is another side to this. Some believe that this attempt at provoking a confrontation is merely to divert from the real issue.

The society has learnt that the radio frequencies were allocated in a manner that was far from democratic; one that was discriminatory and one that smacked of cronyism and nepotism. If Dr Luncheon succeeds in provoking a war over the tower then the attention of the nation would be focused on that war and not on the allocation of the radio frequencies.

Many years ago the

Adam Harris Government Information Services-GIS-made a documentary entitled ‘This is Guyana’. It was a beauty.

What we are witnessing this time around can be entitled ‘This is Guyana’ but it is a far cry from that documentary made some forty years ago.

Guyanese dance through...

From page 37 characters are unique with definitive, complementary qualities. From the austere and taciturn Uncle Benji, to the prattle of Rudy and friends, readers ride an ever undulating sea of life’s vicissitudes, with an open invitation to reflect on the past, and what might have been.

F e e d b a c k :

glenvilleashby@gmail.com/ Follow me on Twitter@glenvilleashby Info on submissions: glenvilleashby@writeme.com Boogie Days by ARC Cumberbatch Outskirts Press, 2012 www.outskirtspress.com ISBN: 978-4327-9840-6 Available: amazon.com Rating: Recommended

Page 50

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

The Abigail Column Pregnancy gives clearer perspective on relationship

DEARABIGAIL, I have been divorced from “Brian” for more than a year and separated for almost two.

I am currently expecting his baby. Obviously, we were still sleeping together, but this pregnancy was a total accident.

I’ve always wanted a child, and this should be a happy time for me, but I am miserable. I’ve tried many

times to get back together with Brian, and until recently, we actually “dated” off and on. The divorce was his idea, and he’s the one who initiated the possibility of getting back together. I always went along because I thought I loved him and would never get over him.

The problem is, now that we are bringing a child into the mix, I’ve realised after much soul searching that I don’t love him anymore. Brian still treats me with the same amount of disrespect and hostility he always has. I put up with it out of low selfesteem and a fear of being

alone.

Should I end things between us and raise the child on my own?

Pregnant Dear Pregnant, Pregnancy seems to have given you a much-needed backbone and a clearer perspective on what behaviour to model for your child. If Brian treats you terribly and getting back together depresses you, please don’t do it. He is legally obligated to provide financial support for the baby whether you reconcile or not.

Sunday April 07, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19): Your world is abuzz with excitement today, yet you may not notice if there’s trouble on the way. It’s not that you are in denial; it’s just that your attention is fully dedicated to the present moment.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20): You still may have a secret that you’re keeping to yourself, yet you also could get an opportunity to use some of what you know to gain the confidence of others.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20): Be careful what you say today because others may take your words at face value.

This is complicated by your current tendency to embellish the facts with added little pieces of your own information, which aren’t necessarily factual.

CANCER (June 21–July 22): Although your relationships are important to you, today they must take a temporary back seat to something that’s happening in your professional life.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22): Although it’s a highenergy day, you still might have to go back over some territory you already covered.

If you bump into resistance, don’t just push it out of the way.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22): Running willy-nilly into the day by doing one thing after another may not be the best use of your vivid imagination today. You are in the midst of a busy time, and the more structure you give to your calendar, the more time you have for fun and relaxation.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22): Today you may face a recurring dilemma in your life as you struggle to find room for your own needs within the context of making your partner happy.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21): It could be nearly impossible to keep your needs quiet now, but expressing them won’t get you what you want, either. Unfortunately, attempts to keep your feelings tightly wrapped while you wait for a more opportune moment probably won’t work.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21): Although you may be quite confident now, don’t try to push too hard yet. You might not even realize how much energy you have behind your actions. Without any ill intent, you could inadvertently offend someone you want on your side.

CAPRICORN(Dec.22–Jan.19): Although the universe is reminding you to loosen up, this is no simple task for you.

You have too much at stake to just go along with the flow now, especially since you don’t even know where it’s taking you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18): You are not bored today; in fact, you’re probably much busier than you prefer.

Fortunately, you have enough energy to handle nearly anything that is thrown at you now.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20): This is a very interesting day, for you are able to be in the world and not in it at the same time. You Fish often swim within a context of a rich imaginative life.

Page 51

MTV CHANNEL 14/ CABLE 65 Sign on 06:30hrs - Prayag Vanie 07:00hrs - Toolsie Persaud Ltd. Bhajan Hour 07:30hrs - CNN News 08:00hrs - Christ for the Nation 08:30hrs - Puran Brothers: Shiva Bhajans 09:00hrs - Muslim Melodies with Al Madina Exclusive 09:30hrs - Teleview Kutbah 10:00hrs - DJ Stress Indian Movie 13:00hrs - Garam Geet

14:00hrs - The Variety Show with WR Reaz 15:00hrs - Sitcom 15:37hrs - CNN News 16:00hrs - Bollywood Sensation with Kavita 17:00hrs - Birthdays & Other greetings 17:15hrs - Death Announcements/In memoriam 17:30hrs - CNN News 18:00hrs - Sitcom 18:30hrs - DNA TV Show 19:00hrs - JKS TV Show 19:30hrs - Wrestlemania Sign Off

Guides are subjected to change without notice

Page 52

Mayor’s Cup Football Championships finals...

By Michael Benjamin Tonight is championship night and several weeks of competitive football will climax to a delectable finale when Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United FC and Slingerz FC square off in what is touted to be an action packed ‘don’t you dare miss it’ football affair when the finals of the Mayor’s Cup Football Championships kick off at the Georgetown Football Club ground tonight.

The pundits are divided over who will capture the spoils but the consensus seems to suggest an Alpha victory. However, both teams have inspired the confidence of their supporters and it seems as though the hungrier team will cart off the spoils.

Slingerz has been the team known for its many upsets of the more established teams and Alpha will be very circumspect and watchful.

Dwain Jacobs need no introduction to football fans

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Slingerz FC goes after Alpha United in highly anticipated thriller and seems to be at his peak after clinching the coveted MVP award in last year’s edition of the Kashif and Shanghai football extravaganza; he was then the Captain of the Buxton team.

The dapper striker has since joined with Slingerz and has already made his presence felt when he netted the first two goals for his team in its quarter final match against Sunburst Camptown.

He was ably supported by Deon Alfred and Quasey McAulay who netted one goal each. Should these players work in tandem tonight Alpha will have to work doubly hard to get a hold of the coveted prize.

Slingerz’ Coach, Gordon ‘Ultimate Warrior’ Braithwaite is extremely confident of winning tonight’s game but is leaving nothing to chance.

Les Charles Critchlow, another player from the winning K&S team last year, will be another useful player that could aid in an Alpha upset while Braithwaite will

also depend on the likes of Kester Jacobs, Andre Hector and Joshua Browne to take him over the final hurdle.

There really is not much that could be said about Alpha that is not already known; that unit has proven beyond doubt that it has the resources and grit necessary for the bright lights and championship appetite.

“Awo’ Abrams is in fine form and has been a thorn in the side of many teams during the early stages of the competition. A dexterous striker, Abrams has proven beyond doubt that he can turn the tide for his team.

But he is not the only player that can turn the game in Alpha’s favour. Dwight Peters, a useful striker, has demonstrated his worth and is a joy to behold on the left flank. He has the appetite for goals but has not really been at the top of his game during earlier matches. Tonight might just be his night.

Of all the teams, Alpha has the most threatening line up

with such power houses as Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant, Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson, Philbert Moffat, Manasseh Primo, Andrew Murray and a host of others. However, football is played on the field and those players will have to demonstrate their skill there. Earlier, Alpha’s Coach, Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover, in a pre-tournament analysis, had hinted that his team will cart off the spoils. However, he was quick to point out that his boys will be required to be at the top of their game on competition night.

Braithwaite exuded confidence saying that his boys are going all out for the victory. It is not the type of prognosis that should be taken lightly. What is certain is that whichever way the wind blows and whichever team wins, a ferocious battle awaits the thousands that are expected to grace the venue for what is undoubtedly a heated, action packed, no holds barred, affair where the winner will leave the field one million dollars richer and the runners up getting half that amount.

The Guyana Defense Force is already guaranteed the $300,000 after Den Amstel forfeited their chance to compete after their semi final game with Alpha ended controversially. The promoter has decided to fill the breach and the GDF will play Riddim Squad in an exhibition affair while New Amsterdam United will match skills with the

Gregory Richardson

Dwayne Jacobs

Anthony Abrams

Tichand Joseph

Georgetown Football Club.

These two matches are expected to be action packed and will put fans in the right mood for the grand finale.

Meanwhile, Giftland Office Max has put up a special prize for the Most Valuable Player while Ricks and Sari has donated hampers for each member of the winning team.

The player scoring the most goals will receive a microwave oven from Keishars and a mattress from A H&L Kissoons Ltd. Several other corporate

entities have teamed up to make the tournament a success including Two Brothers Gas Station, General Equipment Ltd, MACORP, Guyana Beverages Inc, CIDI, Mohammad’s Enterprise (Nazar Mohammad), Bakewell, M. Beepat & Sons, CBR Mining, Guyana Lottery, Digicel, GT&T and Ansa McAl. The promoter has also decided to reduce the admission price from $1,500 to $1,000 so that more fans could witness the games. The first game starts at 18:00hrs sharp.

Cameron pays courtesy call on Jamaican PM

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller (2nd left), WICB President Mr. Dave Cameron (centre), WIPA President Mr. Wavell Hinds (left) and WICB Director and JCA Vice President (right) listen to a point being made by Minister Natalie Neita Headley during a courtesy call.

Newly elected President of the West Indies Cricket Board Mr. Whycliffe ‘Dave’ Cameron, on Wednesday last paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister of Jamaica, The Honourable Portia Simpson-Miller who was joined by Minister Natalie Neita Headley.

Mr. Cameron was joined by WICB Director and Jamaica Cricket Association Vice President Mr. Milton Henry and West Indies Players Association President Mr. Wavell Hinds.

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 53

“T-20 CRICKET IS SO EXCITING, BUT IS IT THE NEW TEST CRICKET?” Colin E. H. Croft E-mail: c.e.h.croft@gmail.com Oh, how the scenario in international cricket has changed. T-20 cricket is not only here to stay, which is pleasant, most times anyway, but it is leading the way some tours are being planned!

No longer does Test cricket dominate the façade.

Now, it is about making time for T-20’s!

In the seemingly ancient past, but as recently as twenty years ago, young cricketers world-wide would have been thinking that the only level and games that they would want to get to, in the future, would have been Test cricket for their respective countries.

Test cricket was always the pinnacle!

Nowadays, that is not so true or obvious anymore.

Yes, every young player continues to say the obvious caveat: “I would like to play Test cricket, since that is still the highest form of the game”.

But going practices do

not always match rhetoric. In the real sense of the game these days, Test cricket is not really needed at all by many players. Even some cricket authorities too are shunning the format!

Case in point is Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies and Mumbai Indians T-20 superstar Kieron Pollard.

At 25, he has the one-day cricket world fully at his feet, having taken the short forms by powerful storm, lashing deliveries around the world with great aplomb! Man, is he big, strong and dynamic!

Since making his 1st Class debut in 2007, a scant six years ago, he has already played 220 T-20’s, for clubs, country and region, and 75 ODI’s, but, surprise, no Tests yet.

Indeed, one would have thought that Pollard may have even gotten a look-in in Tests recently against Zimbabwe.

Nothing doing!

While “Polly” always says that he wants to prove himself in Tests, to try to emulate what he has done in shorter games, the truth is that he does not, at all, need to play Test cricket to continue

to make his name internationally, and along the way, to ensure a very positive relationship with his bank manager!

That may be just an individual situation, but not so entirely isolated at all!

What is much more interesting is that the world’s premier T-20 cricket competition, Indian Premier League 2013, has, unwittingly, discombobulated ICC’s Future Tours Program by having that set envelope – April and May 2013 – in which to operate. That has already caused all sorts of potential confusions.

Get this straight. I like all forms of cricket, including T20’s, and I really do like IPL. I think that this season, IPL has become more organized, slick and very streamlined, with better planning and viewing.

But fitting IPL 2013 in this specific envelope has also already seriously compromised the cricket that West Indies will play this year, especially Test cricket.

There simply is not enough time left to fit in Test matches, especially with West

GT Bannas beat Flood Light to take Trophy Stall title

US based Ms. Dolly Sangster handing over the winning trophy to GT Bannas Captain, Mark Khan in the presence of elated teammates.

The touring GT Bannas cricket team of Canada defeated Flood Light XI by 68 runs in a feature softball game played on Friday evening at the Everest Cricket Club in honour of the birth anniversary of Ramesh Sunich, owner of The Trophy Stall of Bourda Market.

GT Bannas batted first and posted 258-8 with S. Ramnauth scoring 58, N. Khan 36 and B. Doodnauth 20; R. Budraj snared 3-50 and

R. Ramchand 3-54.

Flood Light XI in response were toppled for 190. I. Mohamed made 69, Ricky Deonarine 25 and Ramesh Sunich 15 not out.

N. Khan was named man-of-the-match, while both teams received trophies. Prizes were also given to the best batsman, bowler and fielder. The game was sponsored by Sunich.

Indies itself staging its own primary, initial T-20 tournament – Caribbean Premier League – in August!

Last week, I was having a serious conversation with one of my former West Indian fast bowling team-mates, whose last name is still “Death”, about the merits and demerits of all formats of the game, including T-20 cricket, a format that one gets the impression he does not at all like very much.

I suggested that good cricketers, especially batsmen, be it Test, ODI or T20, should be able to adjust his cricket sufficiently well to be successful, ala Jamaica, West Indies and Pune Warriors Marlon Samuels.

While grudgingly agreeing, “Death” made a great point too; that very few good cricketers who started their careers initially as T-20 stars have become really good Test cricketers; but it does work vice-verse!

He even argued that no emerging batsman wants to be patient anymore and to try

to build innings.

Most of them simply try to be flashy, endeavoring to always score at 100 or more, percentile, hoping desperately to catch someone’s eye, and checkbook, to secure his future.

What worries most is what happens to players like Kieran Powell.

The young; 23; talented Nevis, Leeward Islands and West Indies opener has shown that he has goods to be successful, at least in Test cricket. He has a fair Test record – 15 games, 819 runs, 30.33 avg., and three centuries.

But, if things go as recently published, he will have already played his last Test for West Indies in 2013, v Zimbabwe, since it is very possible that Pakistan will not, now, be touring West Indies later in 2013.

What is Powell to do if he wants to continue his positive international cricket? Play more T-20’s? Really!

One of the immediate concerns of the new West

Colin E. H. Croft Indies administration must be that West Indies, as a cricket nation, regardless of what is suggested in places, has become ‘small fry” in the run of cricket things internationally. We must simply understand reality and not be sycophantic!

For time allocated, Pakistan has already suggested that they will probably defer to India touring their country, making monies, then play against Zimbabwe rather than West Indies, which makes no sense.

So, overall, T-20’s have already affected schedules and output of our cricket.

Enjoy!

Page 54

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

ULSC completes successful cricket academy

This is how you do it! Former national wicketkeeper/batsman, Sheik Mohamed, guides a young batsman through a proper batting stance, while other participants of the Academy pay rapt attention.

Approximately 30 young aspiring cricketers from Unity and neighbouring villages on the East Coast of Demerara yesterday completed a threeday beginners’ cricket academy at the Unity Lancaster Sports Club (ULSC).

The academy, which started on Thursday last, catered for youngsters between ages 12-16 in a bid to establish under-15 and under-19 cricket teams, which will represent the club in the future.

While the fundamental aim of the academy was to edify the youths on the basics of cricket, they were also given lectures on several pertinent life skills, including health and nutrition, focusing the minds and achieving

targets, time management, strategising, ethics and morality.

Sessions were conducted

by President of the ULSC, cricket commentator and popular television personality, Naim Chan, former national cricketers Sheik Mohamed, Lalchand Persaud and Hemraj Garbarran, Dr. Errol Bassoo, Dr. Parbudyal Singh, Dr. Gangaram Singh and Secretary of the ULSC, Ronald Goolghar.

Speaking at the end of the activity, Chan described the Academy as “a grand success”, adding that the club has been able to unearth exciting, young talent which could potentially serve the County of Demerara, the country and the West Indies

in years to come.

“From what I’ve seen over the past three days, I believe we have a great amount of talent at the Under-15 level, which we will nurture to become the country’s best at the Under-19 level,” Chan said.

The ULSC head further stated that development of the youths would be an ongoing process, and in this regard, training sessions will be held every Saturday at the ULSC ground under the guidance of Mohamed, Persaud, Garbarran and other volunteers.

Chan also used the opportunity to thank his ULSC members and all those who contributed to making the academy an overwhelming success.

DCB Inter Association U-19 tourney...

Persaud, Chanderpaul star as West Dem, Georgetown register wins Chandrika Persaud and Tagenarine Chanderpaul stroked half centuries as West Demerara and Georgetown registered recorded wins when the 2nd round of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) Inter Association Under-19 50 over competition concluded yesterday.

At Wales, West Demerara defeated the East Coast by 2 wickets. East Coast batted first and posted 182-5 off their allotted 50 overs. Kamesh Yadram was their leading batsman with 54 (4x4 1x6) while Brian Sattaur made 44 (7x4) and Rudolph Singh 35 (4x4).

Akshaya Persaud and

Tagenarine Chanderpaul Rajiv Balgobin grabbed 2 wickets each. West Demerara then responded with 183-8 in

49.3 overs. Chandrika Persaud led with 57 (3x4), Navindra Persaud 45 (3x4) and Ricky Hinds 19 not out. Yadram had 3-33 for East Coast.

At Demerara Cricket Club, Georgetown overcame East Bank by 5 wickets. East Bank were skittled out for 97, batting first. Steven Sankar captured 4 wickets while Dexter George had 3 and Vishal Narayan 2.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul then slammed an unbeaten 55 as Georgetown won the game in 27.5 overs losing 5 wickets in the process. Stephen Brown and Asif Ilahi picked up 2 wickets apiece for East Bank.

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

All to play for on Super50 Sunday - Guyana host Jamaica from 2pm at Providence Stadium St John’s, Antigua – Guyana will face visitors Jamaica at Guyana National Stadium, Providence in a day/ night contest under lights from 14:00hrs or 2pm (1 pm Jamaica Time) when competition in the WICB Regional Super50 tournament continues today with three matches around the Region.

Red-hot Trinidad & Tobago will look to maintain their unbeaten record having earned a hard-fought victory over Jamaica on Thursday that gave them five wins a row.

They beat the home side by three wickets at Sabina Park in the top-of-the-table clash. The win took the Red Force to 21 points while the defeat left Jamaica on 19 points from five matches. The two teams have so far qualified for the Final Four phase of the tournament.

The other teams all have a chance of qualifying going into Sunday’s final preliminary round. Barbados have 10 points from five

matches followed by Combined Campuses and Colleges on 10 points from six matches. Next in line are Guyana and Windward Islands, who both have eight points from five matches; while Leeward Islands have four points from five matches.

Sunday’s matches will determine which teams join T&T and Jamaica in the Final Four (Semi-finals and Grand Final). Leeward Islands and Windward Islands will meet at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, while Trinidad and Tobago will face Barbados at Queen’s Park Oval. Both these matches are day games and start at 09:30hrs (08:30hrs Jamaica Time).

The Final Four of the tournament will be played under lights at Kensington Oval, Barbados. The Semifinals will be played on Thursday, April 18 and Friday, April 19. The Grand Final will be played on Sunday, April 21.

Gaza Boys beat Legends to take Cheddi Jagan Memorial softball title Enterprise Gaza Boys defeated Enterprise Legends by 6 wickets to win the final of the Cheddi Jagan Memorial softball competition played recently at Enterprise.

Legends took first strike and posted 112-2 off their allotted 8 overs with Seenarine Narine top scoring with 46 while Vishal Gobin supported with 43. Gaza Boys responded with 115-4 in 7 overs. Bishram Samaroo led with 45 and Ravindra Beepat made 30. Samaroo was given the man of the match award.

In the schools final, Non Pariel Youths beat Non Pariel Readers by 11 runs. Youths made 110-3 in 8 overs, batting first. Avin Roopnarine scored 52 not out and Carl Seenarine 28. Readers in reply managed 99-6 in 8 overs. Pradesh Balkisoon made 35.

In the female final, Enterprise Warriors went down to Enterprise Stars by 6 wickets. Warriors took first strike and rattled up 80-4 in 8 overs. Bibi Ulla stroked 44. Stars replied with 82-4 in 7 overs with Bibi Shafron Ali scoring 28 not out.

Ali received the player of the match award.

The winning and runner teams received trophies.

GTU departs for Les Harris tourney The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) Les Harris cricket team departed for St. Luica on Thursday morning to take part in the Regional Les Harris Teachers’ Twenty20 tournament.

Guyana will be playing Jamaica in the opening game.

The team reads; Balram Samaroo, Wayne Osborne, Albert Sinclair,

Andrew Williams, K w e s i M a l t a y, Zaheer Mokhan, I m r a n M o k h a n , Nazeer Mohamed, Rocky Hutson, Rawle Munroe, Ameer Rahaman, Festus Benn, Kevin George, Randy Jackson. Seon Bristol (Coach), Coleen Liddell (Assistant Coach), Julian Cambridge (Manager).

Page 55

Scotiabank/Pepsi Schools Football Academy - School of the Nations & Mackenzie High record big wins

The School of the Nations goal scorers from left, Wallereson Menz, Carlos Oviendo, Tarlee Taitum and Lyndon Darway.

Debutants to the Scotiabank/Pepsi Schools Football Academy, School of the Nations made a lasting impression when they hammered New Campbellville Secondary by 9-0 at the Ministry of Education Ground yesterday when competition continued.

Goal scorers School of the Nations were Wallereson Menz, 14 seconds into the match and also in the 11th minute; Tarlee Taitum in the 12th, 21st and 53rd minute, Lyndon Darway 20th, 24th (penalty) and 36th minute and Carlos Oviendo in the 44th minute.

Matches are set to continue today at the same venue from 09:00hrs when

Christ Church Secondary takes on St. Georges High in a male match-up.

From 10:30hrs Campbellville Secondary will oppose Charlestown Secondary in a female game while Central High and Tutorial High will face off at 12:00hrs in another male clash.

Up in the Bauxite Mining Town of Linden, Mackenzie High School installed themselves as favourities to win the Linden leg which continued at the Wisburg School ground.

Playing like seasoned campaigners, Mackenzie High mixed speed along with team work to swamp Harmony Secondary 12-0.

Hitting the network for the winners were Jesse Marshall (6), Taffon Alexander (55), Douguon Wilson (44), Ockocho Peters (53), Denelsion Rose (35) and Vondell Nelson (22).

Shaquille Campbell blasted a hat trick (9,14, 26), Quailon Andries also netted three (15,48, 56).

The second match of the double header ended in an exciting 2-2 draw between Christianburg Wismar

Secondary School (CWSC) and New Silver City Secondary School (NSCS).

The action was end to end with the future players giving it their all. NSCS’Jermaine Campbell opened the scoring from penalty spot after a handled ball in the area, 28 minute into the match he completed his double in 54th minute.

CWSS responded in the 43rd and 58 minutes to cap an excellent day of football.

Page 56

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

BAYERN CLAIM BUNDESLIGA TITLE

Bayern Munich wrapped up their 23rd Bundesliga title with six games to go thanks to a 1-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt today (Saturday).

It has been a matter of when and not if Bayern regained the title from Borussia Dortmund for some weeks and Bastian Schweinsteiger’s 53rd-minute effort gave the visitors the win they needed.

The afternoon could have been more comfortable for Bayern, with David Alaba sending a first-half penalty against a post, but they moved 20 points clear of Dortmund with only 18 left to play for.

The victory also ended a mini title drought as they won their first crown in three seasons.

It was not quite on the same level as the 9-2 thumping of Hamburg in their last league clash, but the Bavarian giants can now turn their attention to completing the treble.

They are well-placed in their UEFA Champions League quarter-final with Juventus and in the last four of the DFBPokal.

It was the earliest Bundesliga title win in history, beating Bayern’s own record of four games to go in the 1972/73 and 2002/03 seasons.

Dortmund strengthened their position in second, moving six points clear of secondplaced Bayer Leverkusen thanks to a 4-2 win at home to struggling Augsburg. The hosts took the lead through Julian Schieber after 22 minutes, but trailed at the break as Augsburg hit back through Daniel Baier and Kevin Vogt.

Schieber got his second to level in the

52nd minute before goals from Neven Subotic and Robert Lewandowski sealed the win for Dortmund. Defeat left Augsburg just a point above second-bottom Hoffenheim.

Bayer Leverkusen were held 1-1 by Wolfsburg, allowing Schalke to close the gap on the final automatic Champions League place to four points with a 2-0 win at Werder Bremen.

Andre Schurrle put Leverkusen in front after 13 minutes, but Simon Kjaer earned a point for the Wolves. Schalke’s win came courtesy of goals from Julian Draxler and Ciprian Marica.

At the other end of the table, basement boys Greuther Furth slipped a step closer to an immediate return to the second tier as they went down 1-0 at Borussia Monchengladbach. Luuk de Jong got the winner against 10-man Furth, who had Matthias Zimmermann sent off, to leave the visitors nine points behind Augsburg in the relegation play-off place.

Hamburg were unable to bounce back from a humiliating 9-2 defeat to Bayern Munich last weekend as they were beaten 1-0 at home by Freiburg, effectively putting their European hopes to bed.

Jonathan Schmid’s second-half goal was enough for Christian Streich’s men to take all three points away from the HSV-Arena and move up to fifth in the table, above Eintracht Frankfurt on goal difference.

Hamburg are now four points adrift of the top six after their third consecutive defeat, and looking unlikely to challenge for a place in the UEFA Europa League.

Bayern Munich players celebrating their title win

ACT COURAGEOUSLY TO...

From page 59 ever before to retain its old representation by any means necessary, a trait that could prove costly in five days time.

It is expected that during any election period, the frame of mind of candidates is geared to outdo each other via what is contained in their respective manifestos, so those nominated to act on behalf of their constitutiences should be guided by the release of those policy disclosures.

The restoration of voting rights must be taken advantage of so that the demons that still linger menacingly over the sport’s landscape could be exorcised once and for all.

The candidate that is willing to initiate constitutional reform, protect and respect the rights of clubs and players, displays a willingness to account to stakeholders (players, clubs, government and corporate community) and govern impartially, should be the one to enjoy the next term of office.

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 57

::: Letter to the Sports Editor :::

Do the financial records for the GFA in 2002 still exist?

DEAR EDITOR, “Bring me giants, but definitely not those moulded in the realm of Polyphemus, who with his one eye sees everything for himself and definitely no one else”!

As a consequence reference is hereby made to the above caption as it relates to a letter appearing in K.N. publication of: 31.03.13 captioned “Matthias responds to Letters” by Christopher Matthias. The individual, who is the Hon. Secretary, GFA and definitely not the General Secretary, he purports to be, is also a Presidential nominee for the GFF, at the upcoming AGM. However, while Matthias would have completely avoided the substantive issues raised in my previous letter” Distortions, HalfTruths and Plagiarism Has Unfolded in Matthias Manifesto”. He skillfully navigates turbulent waters and emerges clearly with his personal agenda aloft; they alleged that it was I who had stolen the gate receipts at the opening of the 2002 League.

Editor, I would be obliged to undergo a “Lie detector or

Polygraph test” to ascertain if at any given time, I the undersigned had ever alluded to the afore-mentioned!

Meanwhile with the poor state of local football from an administrative and financial perspective, the relevant minutes of meetings and financial statements from 11 years ago, (2002) a considerable period of time would be virtually impossible to retrieve, Likewise in the absence of former Hon. Treasurer, Miss Dawn Campbell.

Chris, my friend, not brethren! Why try to insult my intelligence? You were never the gateman, so how could I ever allege you stole gate receipts, and the 2002 season had not yet commenced?

But nevertheless circumstantial and supportive evidence would clearly outline the following: 1.) As the former President, with financial irregularities occurring under your stewardship, paved the way for the “vote of no confidence” in the entire executive.

2.) As the C.E.O weren’t you the Chairman of the

Finance Committee?

3.) Weren’t you one of the three signatories at the Bank, and was your signature compulsory for withdrawals?

For argument sake even if there was collusion unknown to you, it couldn’t have lasted too long, since financial statements to the GFF, for General Council Meetings, were submitted on a monthly basis. Could the submission with falsified figures, escape your perusal, given your previous background as a former Customs Officer, in a Multi Billion Dollar Corporation? Meanwhile, “outrageous and downright dishonest” is how best I can describe your utterance of “fighting you tooth and nail” since you came into football!

By the way Chris, are you still Christian–minded that during the period of Lent, falsification and half-truths, which are contrary to the Spirit, says the Lord, is obscuring your mindset? Or is it amnesia?

Can you recall when I loaned you a copy of the out dated GFL Constitution, when you assumed the mantle as Hon. Secretary, a

GCA\Noble House Sea Foods 2nd division semi finals

Knight, Nicholson hit centuries on day one

From left Parnell London, Randolph Knight, Sheldon Agard and Troy Benn

Marc Nicholson Centuries by Randolph Knight and Marc Nicholson highlighted the opening day

of the of the Georgetown Cricket Association/Noble House Sea Foods Second Division 2-day semi finals yesterday.

At Gandhi Youth Organization, Police batted first against Guyana Defense Force (GDF) and piled up 3809 declared in 70 overs. Knight slammed nine fours and four sixes in a top score of 111, while Parnell London chipped in with 81 (13x4 1x6), Sheldon Agard made 73 (11x4) and Troy Benn 65 (8x4).

Niketo Nestor grabbed 477 and Paul Castello 3-115.

GDF in response were 37-0 at stumps; Castello will resume

on 23 and Isiah Bijadder 09.

At GNIC, the host took first strike in their match against Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) and reached 258 all out in 51.2 overs.

Nicholson stroked 114 decorated with 19 fours and two sixes while Ronole Bourne supported with 79 (14x4); Devon Lord snared 460 and Kevin Plants 2-30.

GCC closed the day on 994 in 27 overs. Martin Pestano Belle made 29 and Almando Doman 21. Premchand Sookdeo and Orlando Kirton are the wicket takers so for GNIC. Both matches continue today.

few years ago? Additionally, a copy of the chart on parliamentary motions and a c.c. of a Letter to former Hon. Minister of Labour, Manzoor Nadir that nullified the convening of the GFF’s AGM, in the first instance prior to the injunction? Since the public notification contravened the Friendly Societies Act of which the GFF, was/is a registered member! Also when you contacted me in less than 24 hours, to compile and deliver a paper, “A brief history of football in Georgetown” years ago at GFC! Didn’t I comply?

Well, if in all that I have done, or failed to do, can be construed as fighting you “tooth and nail”, Then it’s for the public and the electorate to judge, if you are best suited for the Presidency, based on your assertions.

And by the way are you assured of Burnett’s vote?

Since word is out that he is to be replaced as the other GFA delegate/representative!

“Rasputin wasn’t the czar

of Russia, but yet still he exerted significant control and influence over the state!

Is it the same with you on clubs, affiliated to the GFA, that some of them blindly followed you in supporting a female over the incumbent for the Presidency of the GFA? Based on my points being placed on the “front burner” are you willing to facilitate payments on Sportsmax, via CMC, for public viewing of a programme moderated by the

knowledgeable “Ras Abdalla” (Alan La Rose)?

Just a reminder anyhow Klass’ suspension by FIFA, could it not be construed that as a former member of CFU’s Finance Committee, he would have had in-depth knowledge of Bin Hamamm’s bribery, in the cash for votes scandal?

Is this not the same equation with your previous association with the Finance Committee, of the GFA? Lester Sealey

Page 58

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 07, 2013

Sunday April 07, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 59

Sehwag, Harbhajan, and Zaheer not ACT COURAGEOUSLY TO among Champions Trophy probables BREAK STRANGLEHOLD

Each has played 200 or more ODIs, but won't play the Champions Trophy © Getty Images India have left out three senior players from their list of probables for the Champions Trophy in June this year, opting for several uncapped youngsters in the 30-man squad which will eventually be pruned down to 15. Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, and Harbhajan Singh have been excluded, and the decision is likely to prompt questions over their ODI future.

Sehwag was dropped from India’s most recent ODI series, against England at home in January. He was also dropped for the final two Tests against Australia, following poor returns in Chennai and Hyderabad.

Harbhajan hasn’t played an ODI since June 2011 and also missed the last two Tests against Australia, though he was part of the squad.

Zaheer suffered a calf injury during the Ranji Trophy, but had been

dropped during the home Test series against England late last year and the subsequent ODIs against Pakistan.

Cheteshwar Pujara, who had an excellent Test series against Australia, during which he also showed his ability to accelerate and score freely in a tricky chase in the fourth Test in Delhi, has not been named. Pujara will be leading the India A side to South Africa, the itinerary for which has not yet been finalised. Should the dates not clash, Pujara could be considered for the Champions Trophy, said a BCCI source, since it’s not mandatory for teams to pick their final 15 from the preliminary squad.

Pragyan Ojha, the left-arm spinner, who picked up seven wickets in two Tests against Australia and has not been included among the 30 probables, could also be part of that India A squad.

That aside, the focus on

youth is evident with the inclusion of uncapped players who’ve made a mark in recent times. India’s Under19 captain Unmukt Chand, who plays for Delhi, has been named, so has allrounder Parvez Rasool from Jammu and Kashmir, who picked up seven wickets against the Australians in a tour game this year.

Batsmen Ambati Rayudu and Kedar Jadhav, known for their attacking approach, are part of the 30-man list, so are wicketkeepers Wriddhiman Saha and Dinesh Karthik. Irfan Pathan, who last played an ODI in August 2012, and Amit Mishra, the legspinner, have also been named. Seamers Ishwar Pandey from Madhya Pradesh, who topped the wicket charts in the Ranji Trophy, and Punjab’s Siddarth Kaul, who was next on that list, are the fresh additions in the bowling department. Pandey is joined by his state team-mate, allrounder Jalaj Saxena, who bowls off-spin.

Probables: M Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Gautam Gambhir, Unmukt Chand, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni, Wriddhiman Saha, Dinesh Karthik, R Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Ravindra Jadeja, Jalaj Saxena, Parvez Rasool, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashok Dinda, Umesh Yadav, Shami Ahmed, Irfan Pathan, Vinay Kumar, Praveen Kumar, Ishwar Pandey, Siddarth Kaul.

New WICB visits Guyana today - main aim is to resolve ongoing cricket dispute New President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Dave Cameron, has announced plans to visit Guyana to try and resolve a protracted dispute between the government and the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).

Cameron, who defeated incumbent Dr. Julian Hunte 7-5 in WICB elections last week, will be in the Land of Many Waters today to hold discussions with the major players involved in the dispute.

He is expected to host a press conference at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence at18:00hrs today.

The Government and GCB have been locked in an impasse over the establishment of a Government backed Interim Management Committee (IMC) following disputed elections in 2011.

“I know there are issues in Guyana and we plan to address them in the best way possible,” Cameron said.

“I will be in Guyana next week and top of the agenda is the discussion on going

forward”.

The WICB has endorsed the GCB while refusing to recognize the IMC which was setup by government and headed by former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd to oversee the administration of the game.

Cameron said he also plans to tackle a number of concerns raised by territorial boards during his campaign including public perception of WICB as an ‘old boys club’, the governance issue, as well as West Indies failure to be successful in all formats of the game.

The 42-year-old said mending the fractured relationship between WICB and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) is also a top priority of his administration in the months ahead.

“I have met with the WIPA president [Wavell Hinds] informally and we’ve discussed a number of issues which I would now take to my board and management before any announcement is made,” the new president said.

By Rawle Welch As we head towards the landmark day of April 12, the date chosen for the staging of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Electoral Congress, participants, administrators of the sport, and relevant stakeholders must take full advantage of the opportunity provided by the FIFA / CONCACAF team that mandated the local governing body to restore voting rights to previously denied affiliates.

They must act courageously to break the stranglehold that the current executive of the GFF has applied to the management of the sport for over two decades, a period that is perceived to be governed by fear and unaccountability.

The ‘cash for votes’ scandal in which at least three members of the GFF were implicated and subsequently punished by FIFA, served as a blessing in disguise since it gave aggrieved members, mainly the Georgetown Football Association (GFA), an opportunity to test the legality of the GFF’s decision to deny its largest affiliate the right to vote in its Electoral Congress.

The Vernon Burnett-led GFA decided it was time to challenge the GFF on the longstanding crisis by taking the matter to Court. Previous administrations felt too intimidated to confront the issue.

The move was met with much consternation by the GFF whose covert attempts to apply pressure and the issuance of warnings of harsh penalties being instituted

on the petitioner by them and FIFA / CONCACAF failed miserably. It never happened.

The difference this time was that Colin Klass was serving a 26-month suspension imposed by FIFA for his role in the scandal, while the resignation of FIFA / CONCACAF ‘strongman’ Jack Warner, who many felt had sheltered Klass previously, left the Federation, perhaps for the first time, defenseless against a GFA that did not cower to their actions and kept the matter in Court.

The threats of suspension to clubs, players and match officials, though, shameful, was met with courage by the GFA that had argued that it was in its right to organise football within Georgetown as mandated by its constitution, and was not prepared to cave in to any act of intimidation by the GFF that had operated unconstitutionally in denying them the right to vote.

FiFA /CONCACAF came earlier this year and not only did they restore the voting rights of the GFA, but made it clear that no penalties would be inflicted on any party, while the staging of elections was also urged to establish normalcy and trust.

What has occurred since is anything but, as the atmosphere has been saturated with rancor, whilst the determined stance to remain silent on the financial proceeds derived from switching the Mexico World Cup encounter are all unhelpful developments.

The Body seems more entrenched than (Continued on page 56)

t r o Sp

Managing Director of Bakewell, Rajin Ganga (fourth left), Managing Director of NAMILCO, Bert Sukhai (fourth right), RTHY&SC CEO, Hilbert Foster (second left) and Ansa McAl Trading’s PRO Darshanie Yussuf (third left) pose with other officials of the various companies at Friday’s launch.

Bakewell, NAMILCO partner for Champion of Champions T20 - proceeds to purchase bus In an excellent demonstration of publicprivate sector partnership, the National Milling Company of Guyana (NAMILCO) and Bakewell have collaborated with the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) to stage the inaugural Champion of Champions Twenty20 competition, set to start on April 21 and climax on May 26.

At the launch of the competition on Friday at Bakewell’s head office at Triumph, East Coast Demerara, CEO of the RHTY&SC, Hilbert Foster, said proceeds from the competition will go towards the purchase of a mini-bus to assist in the transportation needs of the club.

Ansa McAl Trading is also on board with the RHTY&SC for this tournament, having earned the bar rights.

The tournament will feature eight teams competing in a knockout format with the champion receiving $200,000 - the biggest prize for a champion team in a tournament organised by a club in Berbice.

The runner-up will collect $100,000, while the third and fourth place finishers will pocket $50,000 and $25,000 respectively. The Manof-the-Match in the final will be $10,000 richer.

Battling for supremacy will be West Berbice, Blairmont, Bermine, Young Warriors, Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets, Port Mourant, Skeldon and Albion.

Matches will be played at the Skeldon, Port Mourant and Albion grounds, with the final fixed for the Albion venue. On April 21, four matches will be played with the winners moving forward to the semi-finals on May 5.

The third place and final will take place on

May 26, a national holiday.

Foster, speaking at the launch, said the RHTY&SC is pleased to welcome NAMILCO, Bakewell and Ansa McAl Trading on board for the tournament, noting that they are supporting a worthy cause.

“This tournament, as is always the case with the RHTY&SC, would be wellorganised, while a massive public relations campaign would be launched to promote the tournament across the entire country. The sponsors would also be providing hampers of their products to lucky patrons at the final, while teams in the final would also benefit from peer talk on drug abuse and the importance of education,” Foster related.

NAMILCO has injected $400,000 in the tournament, while Bakewell has invested $300,000, and representatives of both entities said they are happy to partner with the RHTY&SC. Managing Director of NAMILCO, Bert Sukhai, said, “We have been told that the objective is to raise funds to purchase a bus to be used for transportation. I urge all the people in the numerous villages in the Corentyne to come out in their numbers and witness some exciting matches and in turn cause this objective to be realised.”

Rajin Ganga, the Managing Director of Bakewell, echoed similar sentiments, adding that his company has always been an avid supporter of sport across the board.

Public Relations Officer of Ansa McAl Trading, Darshanie Yussuf, wished Foster and his team well at the upcoming tournament, while urging cricket fans to support the event, as it is for a worthy cause.

Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210