Kaieteur News

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Health Minister avoids key questions on specialty hospital Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran and his Permanent Secretary Leslie Cadogan last evening refused to answer key questions regarding the conditions under which Surendra Engineering Corporation Limited was recommended for the US$18.2 million specialty hospital.

Unable to answer a pertinent question regarding bid security, Minister Ramsaran attempted to close the press conference, when the Kaieteur News reporter interjected to say that he had further questions. Dr. Ramsaran stated emphatically that it was his Ministry’s press conference.

When he was reminded that it was his Ministry that called the press conference to answer questions regarding the bidding process, and that Kaieteur News was not going to listen to his statements if he would not take the questions, the Minister told this publication’s reporter to “shut up!”

At this point, the Kaieteur News reporter opted to walk out of the press conference, with Minister Ramsaran declaring that he would not be bullied and scared by the reporter. The reporter replied that he would not be bullied or scared by the Minister either.

The question that caused the stumbling block for the Minister and his Permanent Secretary was whether Surendra Engineering had complied with the stipulations in the bid documents regarding bid security.

Surendra Engineering has two major contracts with the government, namely the controversial US$12.5 Enmore Packaging Plant and a US$4 million contract to deliver pumps for the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority.

Mr. Cadogan disclosed that at a pre-bid meeting on April 23, 2012, it was stated that the bid security (the equivalent of 2% of US$20 million) would have to come from a bank in India.

However, Clause 13:2 under Bid Security on the bid documents, states that the banking institution in India must have “correspondent financial institution located

- tells KN reporter to “shut up!”

Health Minister Dr. Bheri Ramsaran (left) and Permanent Secretary Leslie Cadogan at yesterday’s press conference.

in the employer’s country (namely Guyana) to make it enforceable.”

If the bidder does not satisfy this requirement, Clause 13:3 of the said bid documents states that if the bid security requirements are not met, it “shall be rejected…as being nonresponsive.”

Neither the Minister nor the Permanent Secretary would say which local bank endorsed the bid security by Surendra Engineering.

Repeated questions for clarification on this issue yielded no clear answer.

Instead, the Permanent Secretary resorted to stating the reason why another bidder, Fedders Lloyd Corporation, was not awarded the bid.

It was Fedders Lloyd, upon learning that it had not secured the contract, which declared publicly that it would contest the award of the contract.

On Wednesday, it was reported that Fedders Lloyd Corporation Ltd of India, the lowest bidder for the contract to build the country’s specialty hospital, was skipped over in favour of Surendra Engineering.

Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon made the announcement that Cabinet has offered its “no objection” to the award of the contract to the value of $18.1 million.

He did not announce the name of the bidder, but that amount was put in by Surendra Engineering Corporation Limited.

However, yesterday Cadogan, who chaired the evaluation committee, said that was not officially communicated to him.

The lowest bid to construct the specialty hospital on Lower East Coast Demerara was put in by Fedders Lloyd, a US$500 million group in India. The company put in a bid of US$23.2 million with a 23 per cent discount. That put its final bid cost at US$17.6 million.

Mr. Cadogan at first stated that Fedders Lloyd put in the second highest bid, but when it was pointed out to him that at the bid opening, the discount was announced, he did not pursue that statement further.

Cadogan said the contracts are awarded on two bases – technical and administrative. As for Fedders Lloyd, he said that company

did not meet one (1) qualification under the administrative assessment.

He added that it is the job of the National Procurement and Tender Board Administration to inform the winning bidder.

In addition, he said the other bidders would be informed about why their bid was not successful and they would have an opportunity to make their case.

Fedders Lloyd put in its bid in association with Nous Hospital Consultants, an Indian company which specializes in health care projects.

When Mr. Cadogan was asked about Surendra Engineering’s lack of experience in building hospitals, he said that the evaluation committee regarded what was put before them.

According to the Permanent Secretary, since the hospital is being funded with a line of credit of US$18 million from India, only Indian companies were allowed to bid for the project.

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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 Our labour conundrum The region and CXC are still wrestling with the results of the last CSEC exam results. Ultimately, these concerns centre on our (in) ability to produce qualified professionals in the core vocations that determine the success or failure of countries in our globalised world. In most of the more developed countries, their worry is that they are not producing enough graduates in the STEM subjects: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

The gap between our handwringing over graduates at the high school level and that of other countries over college graduates in those specific fields, suggests the road has not yet been taken by the Caribbean in general and Guyana in particular. We do not even offer an engineering degree at UG – and more than half of our applicants enter the faculties of humanities and social sciences. At the high school level, the less than 25% of our students that matriculated with five subjects including Mathematics and English, were dominated by the new ‘popular’ ‘business’ subjects.

If we are ever to become an ‘emerging economy’ we will have to simultaneously work in the high schools to improve their profiles in the Science and IT areas and retool UG to accommodate the new graduates into the STEM areas.

However, we have to be aware that unless we have immediate employment for these new professionals, we will simply be exporting them to develop other economies. We all know (or should know) that even as we bemoan the poor facilities at UG, almost 90% of its graduates end up emigrating. This is our labour conundrum: how will we ever develop if we cannot retain our trained manpower?

Human capital has replaced financial capital as the engine of economic prosperity, according to Hans-Paul Bürkner, CEO of industry leader, Boston Consulting Group. The roots of the global talent hunt include the widely uneven quality of educational systems, erratic employability of the workers in the Southern Hemisphere and demographic changes in the Northern Hemisphere, where retirement of the baby boomers will result with an unprecedented talent deficit. In the United States, Germany, Canada and the United Kingdom, expected immigration and birth rates will not offset the workforce losses caused by aging populations.

Up to this point, most of our graduates have ended up in the US and Canada, but recent developments in the global economy indicate that while these two economies will still be magnets for our graduates, other magnets – perhaps more powerful ones, are in the making. Only last week there were reports in the local media that the government of next door Brazil, now the sixth largest economy will be taking proactive steps to attract newly qualified professionals.

Brazil’s government is exploring ways to ease immigration rules in order to attract up to ten times more foreign professionals and help spur economic growth, a senior official told Reuters.

A lack of skilled workers is one of many bottlenecks that have lately brought the Brazilian economy to a near standstill.

From construction sites to oil rigs and technology operations, companies are struggling to find qualified workers to ramp up their operations in Brazil. Internet giant Google, for instance, currently has thirty-nine open positions in Brazil.

It would be rather ironic that while it is predicted our ongoing census will show a large number of Brazilians within our borders, these generally unskilled workers may be offset by professional Guyanese migrating to Brazil in the near future.

Last year, the World Economic Forum issued a report, Global Talent Risk, which concluded that global demand will be biggest for highly educated professionals, technicians and managers. Professionals will be in particularly high demand in trade, transport and communications industries in developing nations. In response, governments in both origin and destination economies are devising policies, independently, bilaterally and multilaterally, that respond to this shifting global demand for labour.

If we are not to become simply a supplier of professionals to developed and developing economies, and only tout the ‘benefits’ of remittances as our development stagnates, we also must devise a policy response.

Sunday August 26, 2012

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

What is it about Leonora that makes it ideal for this sports facility?

DEAR EDITOR, Sir Ronald Sanders in his contribution to the Kaieteur on August 12, 2012, shared with readers what he feels needs to be done if the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) must sustain and improve its already stunning performance in track and field as was demonstrated recently at Olympic Games.

Essentially he argues that it would be in the region’s interest if we pool our meager resources into the creation of a modern facility, staffed by competent coaches designed to offer the region’s athletes our maximum support as they prepare themselves to do battle, on our behalf against the rest of the world.

His suggestion is

sensible, laudable and attractive. But it is his observation that “all countries that want their sports people to do well because of the pride it brings to their people and the joy of seeing them win, have to invest in the facilities they need to become world champions,” that I want to focus on as it relates to what is going on in Guyana.

The presence of a modern facility for track and field is not enough. If such facility is to be meaningful, then where it is located is even more important. A seemingly obvious observation, so obvious that Sir Ronald did not feel it needed to be said.

However, we who have been living in Guyana over the last sixteen years have come to

recognize that our government; for some strange reason; many times seem to struggle with grasping the obvious.

The presence of an allweather facility is both expensive and extremely essential. Thus if Guyana must “catch up” with our Caribbean relatives who are taking the world by storm in the area of track and field, we had no alternative but to seek to acquire same.

There are at least three reasons why people take part in sporting activities and why governments promote sports.

These are (a) sports for recreation and health, (b) sports for bonding and (c) sports for medals. While this facility will allow for activities falling in each of these

categories, its cost, its importance to athletes would suggest its major purpose is to create minimum appropriate training facility for athletes’ use, as they prepare themselves for bringing glory to Guyana – sports for medals.

So why locate this track at Lenora? What is it about Lenora that makes it ideal for this facility?

What advantages does it bring to our leading athletes?

In the Stabroek News of 8th April 2011, a number of our leading athletes expressed their joy that at last they will be having a facility worthy of helping them in their preparation for international competition.

However here is a sample Continued on page 6

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

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I never signed my name as supporting the Region 7 Toshaos statement

How can government lay claim to lands owned and occupied by the natives for over a hundred years?

DEAR SIR, Your Newspaper article of Wednesday August 15, 2012 under the caption “ Region Seven’s Toshaos blast treatment at Amerindian conference” has taken me by surprise since I never signed my name as supporting the Region Seven Toshaos statement to the media relating to the recently held National Toshao council (NTC) conference, neither was I aware of any statement to the press on behalf of the region 7 Toshaos.

The author or authors

of the Region Seven Toshaos statement to the media in relation to the NTC conference never sought my consent and as such I wish to disassociate myself and the Dogg Point Amerindian community from that statement which clearly contravenes the UN declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples which not only Governments must uphold but also the Toshaos and village councils of Amerindian communities.

In this regard the Region

Seven Toshaos failed to do so with the exception of the Leader of the Dogg Point Amerindian Community.

Mr Editor, kindly publish my disassociation from the Region Seven Toshao statement to the media in relation to the recently held NTC conference since it has caused me lots of embarrassment and questioning from the residents of my community.

Helen Thomas Leader, Dogg Point Amerindian Community

Towards a Heightened Consciousness of Healing Herbs in Guyana DEAR EDITOR, In these times, many are called upon to create innovative responses to challenges whether manmade or natural. Over all seasons and times man has propounded solutions that have resulted in the development of various solutions to issues facing us, none more poignant than that which is explored in detail in this book, “Uses of Medicinal Plants in Guyana”.

In this well put together edition, the author and contributors have again shown their versatility and repertoire of relevant knowledge to create a publication that touches and concerns all of us: How to live

An apology to Ms. Vanessa Kissoon DEAR EDITOR, I called Member of Parliament, Vanessa Kissoon and offered my apology to her for a terrible lapse in my Friday column.

There was no excuse for this glaring omission. I wrote that two persons in the Linden crisis were seen as the persons the Lindeners wanted to be in the leadership, Sharma Soloman and Aubrey Norton. Vanessa Kissoon is definitely one of them and I should not have left her name out.

Then another terrible sin was committed. I wrote that after the signing of the Linden pact, Sharma Soloman joined the vigil at the People’s Parliament on High Street opposite the National Assembly.

In fact, Ms. Kissoon accompanied Mr. Soloman. I can truly say that Ms. Kissoon has joined an illustrious band of dedicated women fighters. One again, my apologies Frederick Kissoon

harmoniously with nature. It shows dedication to detail, meticulous research and hardened tenacity to make this available for our consumption.

Needless to say, the publication is timely since, as we seek to craft a Low Carbon Development Strategy, it is imperative that that we live in harmony with nature, accept her gifts and save ourselves.

The solutions propounded here are both preventative and remedial and should find pride of place on every book shelf in the country.

I commend the proponents of the Evergreen

Nature Study Club for their forthright thinking and cutting edge editorial content in bringing yet again another excellent book.

Roberto Luiz

DEAR SIR, I recently visited the mining villages of Kamarang and Jawalla and after a lengthy discussion with the Toshao (village captain) of Jawalla I feel that their story ought to be known.

Firstly: The ownership of the land in these villages is in dispute. There is an on going court battle to determine whether the area is owned by the Government or the Amerindians. My view is how in tarnation can the government lay claim to lands owned and occupied by the natives for well over one hundred years? But, this government is capable of anything.

Secondly: Any contract to mine (dredge) in the village of Jawalla has to have the blessings of the Village

Council. How then, or why are contractors going into that village with permits from whoever (Geology and Mines or the Ministry of Natural Resources) when the ownership of the land is in dispute.

Thirdly: Dredging was confined to land only because it is no secret that the people of the upper Mazaruni depend on the water of the Mazaruni for everything...cooking, washing , drinking, etc. And water dredging will pollute the water.

Let me now ask the

Honourable Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, why is it that persons are allowed to dredge in the village of Jawalla and also why are they allowed to do water dredging.

How can the tiny village be so sold out to the bully tactic of this Government?? It is also know that the village Toshaos have great a difficulty getting the attention of Government in the area of water dredging in the Upper Mazaruni. I hope that from here on proper action will be taken.

Charrandass Persaud

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Kaieteur M@ilbox SECURITY GUARDS SHORT-changed DEAR EDITOR, Kindly publish this letter in your letter Column so that the relevant authorities can make the necessary intervention so that we the Security Guards employed by a certain private service and working at the various Government locations can get what is really deserving to us.

It was stated that Government has agreed to by an amendment to the Private Security Guards Act that Private Security Guard should be paid the sum of one hundred and forty dollars ( $ 140. ) per hour effective of June1st, 2012 as provided for

by Act of Parliament Act # 23 of 2)12.

On 5th of August all the different categories of workers so affected by the various amendments to the Labour laws were published including that of the Private Security Guards which we are sure all the Private Security Service were informed about.

As a security guard working with a service we are

still being paid the sum of one hundred and twenty dollars per hour instead of one hundred and forty dollars as provided for by Act of Parliament Act # 23 of 2312 made on the 4th May 2012.

As security guards we are risking our lives not only to protect government and state property and assets but also the lives of the maids, labours and messengers who are all receiving much more than us.

We sincerely hope that you will grant us the necessary space in your letter column for the publication of this letter so that the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Regional Development will see and take the necessary steps arid to ensure that we receive what is legally due to us as security guards as specified and provided for by Act of Parliament, Act # 23 of 2012 dated 4th of May 2012 of the Laws of Guyana.

S. Singh

Responding to Mr. Majeed

DEAR EDITOR, I have noted a letter in your publication of 8/26/ 2012 by an individual assuming the name of M.S. Majeed, captioned “Stay out Mr. Burke.”

The writer stated, among other things, that “Mr. Rickford Burke (KN–08/23/2012), an overseas resident, demanded that Mr. Cecil Kennard be removed from the Linden Commission of Inquiry. It is my view that as an overseas resident, Mr. Burke has absolutely no authority to dictate or to meddle into the affairs of the government of Guyana.” The penman seems intoxicated by the fool’s pottage.

I therefore wish to put it to this writer that unlike Mr. Janet Jagan who was born in Chicago, USA, I am a born Guyanese with an inalienable right to freedom of expression, political views and civic participation in the polity of my country. I shall continue to exercise these rights without fear and free of fear.

I shall close with the renowned Arabian proverb ”Arrogance diminishes wisdom.”

Rickford Burke

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur M@ilbox

What is it about Leonora that makes it ideal for...

From page 4 of the comments they went on to make (a) “Well what I think is that it’s good for us to be getting a track. My only concern is where it is.” (b) “I honestly think they should have found a more centralized area where most athletes come from to put the track. It also is going to cause financial problems for us since we don’t get paid to participate in this sport.

What I think the government or AAG should have done was to do a survey with the athletes to see what we want ultimately, as much as it’s benefitting the country, at the end of the day it’s us who it really affects………” (c) “I just hope they put some sort of transportation means in place for us because training on the track is essential for our development.” (d) “Basically I would have preferred it being close by in Georgetown where it’s more accessible to us, but my two problems are how close it is to the sea walls which could possibly affect timings and the finance for people travelling…..”

Then, Stabroek News of 15th April 2012 informed us that on the 14th April 2012, the Director of Sports and a group/contingent made up of coaches, athletes and Mr. Colin Boyce – the President of the Athletics Association of Guyana visited the site for the synthetic track at Lenora.

The AAG president is quoted as having said, “What I would also like to say is this; while it is nice to have our national Stadium here where we will be holding championships it is absolutely necessary that we have another track, maybe somewhere in Georgetown … like the National Park because we will need a track of the similar surface so that the athletes can train meaningfully.” What! We are already speaking of a “similar

track” for Georgetown, even before this one is completed?

So again what was the reasoning behind placing this facility at Leonora? Whose decision was this since the athletes do not approve of its location?

But Mr. Editor, the comedy that Guyana has become does not end here.

During 2011 the cattle farmers of Region Three came out in protest against the government’s decision to use land that they (the farmers) used for grazing purposes, for the construction of this synthetic athletic track. After the farmers protested, the Minister of Agriculture; at that time - Mr. Robert Persaud; informed the nation that cabinet was meeting with an aim of providing these farmers with alternative grazing land.

The voices raised against the location of this track did not end there. In the Stabroek News of 18th November 2011, under caption “No wisdom in PPP decisions concerning the Leonora Park Cricked ground” (where the synthetic track is being laid), we had a community member talking about the land having religious significance to the village and that they do not want it converted into an athletic track.

In fact, the writer, one Mr. Vaidram Persaud, went on to say that the taking away of this land from the Hindus of the area; on which they burn Holika; “warrants therefore, that this matter be thoroughly investigated by none other than the Human Rights Committee of the UN.” So, Mr. Editor, we are going to have a fairly modern track and field facility at Leonora which led to the dislocation of our farmers, the resentment of the community and which brings little satisfaction to our athletes.

So, again we are left with the question, what considerations guided the government’s choice of venue for this all-weather track?

Perhaps we can gleam some understanding of what guided the authorities thinking in this matter by referring to two bits of correspondence.

First, Mr. Freddie Kissoon’s observation in his article of 4th July 2012 that all of the sporting facilities that are of a high standard, built or are in the process of being built by this PPP government are all located in East Indian areas. Secondly; and perhaps more for those of us who were inclined to take Kissoon’s observation lightly; we read in the Stabroek News of 23rd January 2012 under caption “The synthetic track at Leonora will be a boost for Region Three,” a letter written by one T. Pemberton, telling us that when the track at Leonora is completed he visualizes “all track meets will be hosted there.

Eventually the Linden meet will be phased out and shifted to Region Three……..” Pemberton then proceeds to conclude with what might be a bit of cynicism “I say to all the track and field athletes of Guyana who aspire to stardom – start saving towards transportation and gasoline.”

In Guyana one cannot doubt that there has been some effort at creating adequate facilities that access to which, would to some extent, offer our sportsmen and women a modicum of a chance of becoming competitive.

H o w e v e r, l i k e m o s t things initiated by the PPP government these efforts seem to have been informed by reasons that have nothing to do with what is in the best interest of the specific sport.

If I am correct when the modern history of this country is written the Athletic track being constructed at Lenora will stand with the Berbice River Bridge, as visible symbols of the disastrous effects of our period of race based politics.

Mr. Editor if the “single sports academy” of which Mr. Saunders speaks, comes into being, Guyanese athletes will be at a disadvantage in the fight to secure space at this facility. Remember, the facility will be “for the region’s elite athletes.”

This means that the process for gaining a place there will be competitive.

With this modern track being located in a community that does not want it and posing our national athletes; who traditionally come from poor families of Georgetown, East Coast Demerara and Linden; with tremendous challenges; example: a) Acquiring finance for travelling to and from training on the West Bank of Demerara each day; b) Being able to train before darkness steps in: Generally our leading athletes start their training either around 530 am; before they go to work; and or at afternoons commencing around 530 pm.

The facility at Leonora rules out morning training.

The possibility for afternoon training does not hold out much encouragement. We all are aware that persons living on the West Bank of Demerara and working in Georgetown, struggle to secure transportation to get home before 7pm each working day; what chances do our athletes have at making themselves competitive so as to secure places at an “elite” training facility?

With the PPP government’s approach to track and field being what it is, is it any wonder that St Kitts and Grenada can win medals at Olympic Games, while Guyana can’t even make the semi-finals? This is all so sad. Sometimes it is so hard to believe that our political leaders and all their advisors are all persons over twelve years old.

Claudius Prince

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Indian PM to meet Iranian leaders this week Neil Armstrong, 1st man India’s prime minister will meet Iranian leaders when he travels to Tehran to attend the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit this week, a government official said yesterday.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, whose country is a longtime ally of Iran, will meet President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday.

“During the meeting, the prime minister will review the state of bilateral ties,” foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai told reporters in New Delhi.

That will be followed by the summit on Thursday and Friday.

On the sidelines there will also be a trilateral meeting between India, Afghanistan and Iran that will focus on the

Manmohan Singh future of the region, added Mathai.

“This is what the Iranians have suggested and this would be a meeting at the level of foreign secretaries and deputy foreign ministers,” he said.

India shares historical and cultural links with Iran and in recent times the relationship has expanded to include cooperation in diverse fields such as hydro carbon and trade and economic matters.

Energy-hungry India has been buying billions of dollars’ worth of oil from Iran a year but sells Tehran just $2.5 billion in goods.

India has been walking a diplomatic tightrope as it seeks to drum up more exports from Iran while managing its growing relations with Washington — which says Iran’s nuclear drive is aimed at making an atomic bomb.

Iran says it is for civilian energy.

India also views Iran as an important counterweight to arch-rival Pakistan in the

region.

Iranian officials say the summit of non-aligned nations, created at the height of the Cold War, shows the Islamic republic is not as isolated as the United States and other Western nations portray.

Up to 7,000 participants are expected for the summit, an INSA news agency report said.

The Indian official reiterated that NAM “has been the bedrock of India’s foreign policy since it was enunciated by India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru”.

“In the post-Cold War era, when the world is not divided in two milit ary blocks, the NAM has a renewed role to play in the emerging world order,” Mathai added. (AFP)

Egypt PM says new constitution by late September CAIRO (AP) — Egypt will have a new constitution drafted by the end of September and ready to be submitted to a nationwide referendum, the country’s prime minister said yesterday.

Hisham Kandil did not specify a date for the referendum, though, a c c o r d i n g t o E g y p t ’s MENA state news agency.

The drafting of a new constitution has been a highly divisive issue in Egypt since last year’s uprising that ousted longtime authoritarian ruler Hosni Mubarak. The new charter is expected to define limits on the president’s powers and the role of Islamic law.

Liberals walked out twice from the panel tasked

Hisham Kandil with writing the constitution in the past, complaining that the Muslim Brotherhood, E g y p t ’s m o s t p o w e r f u l political group, was trying to monopolize its drafting.

The panel was appointed by members of the Brotherhood-led parliament. After the legislature was dissolved, t h e c o u n t r y ’s m i l i t a r y generals gave themselves the right to oversee the drafting process. However, in a bold political move, President Mohammed Morsi, who is a member of the Brotherhood, forced the top generals into early retirement this month and seized back control of the constitution writing process.

Morsi has said that if the 100-member panel currently drafting the document does not finish its work for whatever reason, he will appoint a new one within 15 days

Last rebel group signs deal with Central African Republic BANGUI (Reuters) Central African Republic’s last armed rebel group signed a peace deal with the government yesterday that was designed to end years of violence in the country.

“We picked up guns to fight the bad governance, corruption, nepotism and exclusion that characterized this regime, and we think that our message has been heard,” Abdoulaye Issene Ramadan, leader of the CPJP rebel group, said in

the capital Bangui. “Today we bury the hatchet.”

Central African Republic has been plagued by years of misrule since independence from France in 1960 and President Francois Bozize, who came to power in a 2003 coup, had faced lowlevel insurgencies from 2005 to last year.

The four other main rebel groups signed peace deals with the government in 2008.

CPJP fighters, concentrated in the country’s northwest, clashed with

government troops until the middle of last year when a temporary ceasefire was agreed.

Central African Republic is rich in minerals but is among the world’s least developed and most isolated countries.

Investment in its mineral wealth has been hindered by the decades of instability.

Bozize won a new term last year in an election that was dismissed as fraudulent by the opposition.

and give it three weeks to finish its work. The draft will then be put to a vote in a national referendum within 30 days.

Separately, Morsi’s spokesman announced yesterday a number of presidential advisors from the around 15 that will be appointed by the president.

The president has yet to name a vice president, but has promised to be inclusive.

on the moon, dies at 82

CINCINNATI (AP) — Neil Armstrong was a softspoken engineer who became a global hero when as a steely-nerved pilot he made “one giant leap for mankind” with a small step onto the moon.

The modest man, who had people on Earth entranced and awed from almost a quarter-million miles away, but credited others for the feat, died Saturday. He was 82.

Armstrong died following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures, his family said in a statement.

Armstrong had had a bypass operation this month, according to NASA. His family didn’t say where he died; he had lived in suburban Cincinnati.

Armstrong commanded the Apollo 11 spacecraft that landed on the moon July 20, 1969, capping the most daring of the 20th c e n t u r y ’s scientific expeditions. His first words after becoming the first person to set foot on the surface are etched in history books and the memories of those who heard them in a live broadcast.

Neil Armstrong “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” Armstrong said.

(Armstrong insisted later that he had said “a’’ before man, but said he too couldn’t hear it in the version that went to the world.)

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Sunday August 26, 2012

Isaac drenches Haiti, Explosion kills 24 at Cuba, heads toward Florida Venezuela’s biggest refinery HAVANA (AP) — Tropical Storm Isaac pushed into Cuba yesterday after sweeping across Haiti’s southern peninsula, where it caused flooding and at least four deaths, adding to the misery of a poor nation still trying to recover from the terrible 2010 earthquake.

Isaac’s centre made landfall just before midday near the far-eastern tip of Cuba, downing trees and power lines. In the picturesque city

of Baracoa, the storm surge flooded the seaside Malecon and a block inland, destroying two homes.

Forecasters said Isaac poses a threat to Florida tomorrow and Tuesday, just as the Republican Party gathers for its national convention in Tampa. It could eventually hit the Florida Panhandle as a Category 2 hurricane with winds of nearly 100 mph (160 kph).Florida

Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency, officials urged vacationers to leave the Florida Keys and the U.S. National Hurricane Center said a hurricane warning was in effect there, as well as for the west coast of Florida from Bonita Beach south to Ocean Reef and for Florida Bay. At least four people were reported dead and many as 5,000 people were evacuated because of flooding.

The Grive River overflowed north of Port-auPrince, sending chocolatebrown water spilling through the sprawling shantytown of Cite Soleil, where many people grabbed what possessions they could and carried them on their heads, wading through waist-deep water.

Scores of tents in quake settlements collapsed, including more than 50 in Cite Soleil, forcing people to scramble through the mud to try to save their belongings.

About 300 homes in Cite Soleil lost their roofs or were flooded three feet (one meter) deep, according to Rachel Brumbaugh, operation manager for the U.S. nonprofit group World Vision.

Doctors Without Borders said it anticipated a spike in cholera cases due to flooding and it was preparing to receive more patients. Forecasters said the storm was likely to march up the Gulf of Mexico, offshore of Florida’s west coast, as a hurricane tomorrow, just as the Republican National Convention is scheduled to start.

PARAGUANA, Venezuela (Reuters) - An explosion tore through Venezuela’s biggest oil refinery yesterday, killing at least 26 people, wounding more than 80 and halting operations at the huge facility in the OPEC nation’s worst industrial accident in recent memory.

State TV showed footage of flames and billowing clouds of smoke coming from storage tanks at the Amuay refinery. Nearby homes were damaged by the blast at 1:15 a.m. (0645 GMT), and officials said a 10-year-old child was among the dead.

“Unfortunately, 24 people have died, the majority of them members of our National Guard,” Vice President Elias Jaua told reporters in local Falcon state.

“Four people are in hospital right now, two were

transferred to Zulia state and 50 people, thank God, were sent home after treatment because their injuries were not serious.”

Most of those killed in the blast, which was caused by a gas leak, were National Guard troops providing security at the sprawling Amuay facilities, officials said.

Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez said the fire was under control, but that some fuel residue left in the tanks still needed to burn off.

Ramirez said he expected operations at the 645,000barrel-per-day (bpd) Amuay facility to resume within two days at most.

He said the blaze hit nine storage tanks holding mostly crude oil and some processed fuels including naphtha.

Located on a peninsula overlooking the Caribbean

sea in the west of Venezuela, Amuay is part of the Paraguana Refining Center, the second-biggest refinery complex in the world with an overall capacity of 955,000 bpd.

Amuay accounts for half of Venezuela’s total domestic output — about 1.3 million bpd — of refined fuels.

Ramirez told reporters that PDVSA crews working through the night managed to reduce the intensity of the blaze by 80 percent, and that the company would not suffer any shortages.

The deadly blast followed repeated minor accidents and unplanned stoppages that have afflicted state oil company PDVSA over the last decade, prompting critics to accuse President Hugo Chavez’s government of mismanagement.

Jamaica signs $423-million economic agreement with China Jamaica Observer JAMAICA and China, last week, signed a new economic technical grant agreement valued at $423 million. The signing followed a bilateral meeting at Jamaica House between Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and visiting Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Li Jinzao.

The agreement, which was signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator AJ Nicholson on

behalf of the Government, will provide grant funding for projects that will be agreed between both governments.

Noting China’s growing investments in Jamaica, the prime minister thanked the Chinese vice minister for his government’s commitment to social responsibility and job creation, adding that she was looking forward to the diversifying of Chinese interests in Jamaica.

According to a Jamaica

House release, Vice Minister Li said the operators of Chinese business interests in Jamaica had given him positive feedback on the local industrial environment. He said that the Montego Bay Convention Centre, which was constructed by a Chinese company, is a modern facility that ranked with buildings in China.

The bilateral meeting also saw the official handing over of documents for new mobile X-ray container scanning equipment for use by the Port Authority of Jamaica. The equipment, which is valued at $296 million, is a gift from China, which will provide a free one-year maintenance of the equipment. Minister of Transport, Works and Housing Dr Omar Davies received the documents on behalf of the Government.

The high-level delegation from the People’s Republic of China, which was on a threeday visit to the island, departed on Thursday evening.

The delegation included executives from the Chinese Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, the Global China Development Bank, and the Chinese EXIM Bank.

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 9

Police promotions list reveals four new Assistant Commissioners Senior Superintendents, Eric Bassant, Winston Cosbert, Christopher Griffith and Brian Joseph head the list of the long overdue Guyana Police Force promotions.

The promotions were due since the beginning of the year but for unforeseen reasons, it took eight months to come into force.

It was widely expected that Cosbert, who holds the position as Deputy Crime Chief would have been among the promotions. So too were Griffith, who is currently the Commander of the West Coast Demerara Division, and Brian Joseph who is the country’s Traffic Chief.

Assistant Commissioner

TO SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT i) Superintendent W. R. Bacchus ii) Superintendent L. Kissoon iii) Superintendent M. Chapman iv) Superintendent E. Thomas v) Superintendent P. Williams vi) Superintendent L. James vii) W/Superintendent M. Graham viii) Superintendent I. Amsterdam TO SUPERINTENDENT i) Deputy Superintendent P. Azore ii) Deputy Superintendent R. Budhram iii) Deputy Superintendent K. Mandall iv) Deputy Superintendent B. Eastman v) Deputy Superintendent A. Simon vi) Deputy Superintendent W. Blanhum vii) Deputy Superintendent C. Brutus viii) Deputy Superintendent R. Das ix) Deputy Superintendent F. Karimbaksh x) Assistant Superintendent H. Jessamy xi) Assistant Superintendent R. Tyndall xii) Assistant Superintendent D. Moore xiii) Assistant Superintendent M. Singh TO DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT i) Assistant Superintendent S. Booker ii) Assistant Superintendent C. Castello iii) Assistant Superintendent I. Trotz iv) Assistant Superintendent N. Timmerman v) Assistant Superintendent W. De Haarte vi) Assistant Superintendent C. Boyce vii) Assistant Superintendent D. Fowler-Goodman viii) Assistant Superintendent T. Paul ix) Assistant Superintendent M. Kingston x) Assistant Superintendent E. Cooper xi) Assistant Superintendent L. Lord CONFIRMATION AS ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT i) Assistant Superintendent F. Trim

Dem boys seh

Uncle Donald get headache Uncle Donald just start fuh breathe easy because Parliament shut down when he get news that set he heart beating more fast. Dem in de opposition intend fuh question every deal he government mek wid GPC. Dem boys seh that dem hear a long suck teeth when dem pass by he office and think that he had a chicken bone in he mouth. Is when dem hear de cussing that dem realize that something wrang. One man hear Uncle Donald start fuh wonder wha Bharrat lef he in.

Since he tek office he refuse to meet with de man who own GPC and who don’t own de Hard Times newspaper. He seh that he smell something wrang and he always want fuh know how Leslie does get money fuh sport all dem woman.

One man seh is de same reason mek he move Leslie from Health but like de thing get wuss because is de same complaint. De Auditor General write nuff thing and Bharrat always get Leslie to promise to change but nutten ever happen.

Dem boys seh that dem does see nuff smoke in de Georgetown Public Hospital compound since de opposition promise to ask questions and dem only hoping that is not records dem burning.

Uncle Donald did seh that he train he party people not to thief but now it look like if de party people deh in one corner and de government people who is not party people thiefing like mad.

Papa Cheddi daughter see de thiefing and she talk, but de same party that she praise only de other day ignore she.

But de party supporters listening and dem telling Uncle Donald don’t mek mistake and call elections.

Talk half and deal wid dem thieves.

Bassant is presently the acting Divisional Commander in Berbice.

Notably absent from the Assistant Commissioner’s list is current East Coast Demerara Divisional Commander, Senior Superintendent Owen Trotz and the Force’s Finance Officer, Senior Superintendent Nigel Hoppie.

Also noteworthy is the non-

ii) Assistant Superintendent W. Stanton iii) W/Assistant Superintendent A. Scipio TO ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT i) Inspector J. Harvey-John ii) W/Inspector V. De Florimonte iii) Inspector L. Scotland iv) W/Inspector B. Grant v) W/Inspector C. Robinson vi) Inspector R. Rose vii) Inspector J. David viii) Inspector E. Baird ix) Inspector H. Wintz x) Inspector L. La Rose xi) Inspector C. Lutchman xii) Inspector D. A. Ruplall xiii) Inspector B. Persaud xiv) Inspector J. Jaikarran xv) Inspector K. King xvi) W/Inspector A. Moore xvii) Cadet Officer R. Alli xviii) Inspector R. Ashram xix) Inspector J. Ramlakhan xx) Inspector S. Reid xxi) Inspector D. Maindranauth TO CADET OFFICER i) Constable 21664 K. Cole TO CHIEF INSPECTOR

promotion of the Cadet Officers who graduated from the Guyana Defence Force training programme, most of them over three years ago.

Strangely though, the only Cadet Officer who was promoted is a direct intake who is performing as a specialist in the police crime laboratory and who was on probation for less than

two years.

The army-trained Cadet Officers will now be on probation for four years come the next round of promotions.

This apart, there were few surprises, and the usual disappointments.

Below is the remainder of the list of promotions:

i) Inspector F. Adams ii) W/Inspector C. Henry iii) Inspector G. Trotman iv) W/Inspector A. Beresford v) Inspector C. Williams vi) Inspector W. Henry TO INSPECTOR i) Sergeant 10800 S. Jhagroo ii) Sergeant 10895 W. Murray iii) Sergeant 14078 C. Carmichael iv) Sergeant 0774 J. Inniss v) Sergeant 12089 C. Chopperfield vi) Sergeant 14502 N. Smith vii) Sergeant W.11306 J. Elcock viii) Sergeant W.11110 P. King ix) Sergeant W.18712 C. Evans x) Sergeant W.13641 T. Smith xi) Sergeant 13336 M. Grant xii) Sergeant W.14603 M. Davis xiii) Sergeant 15940 S. Ramkissoon xiv) Sergeant W.15378 B. Peters xv) Sergeant 10146 O. Hazel xvi) Sergeant 13266 G. Thomas xvii) Sergeant 13766 M. Vigilance xviii) Sergeant 15606 M. Caesar xix) Sergeant 14420 R. Liverpool xx) Sergeant 15802 D. Lyken xxi) Sergeant 13109 F. Browne Continued on page 11

Page 10

Kaieteur News

Sunday August 26, 2012

Cervical cancer suppression ‘The Radiant Touch’ now hinges on HPV vaccination dabbles in Shirodhara Premised on the notion that ‘prevention is better than cure’, the Ministry of Health earlier this year introduced a pilot vaccination campaign against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which is known to cause cervical cancer.

This strategic move, according to Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, was certainly not impulsive but rather was based on the fact that the level of cervical cancers has been creeping up slowly. Detection, he said, was made possible through the Visual Inspection Acid (VIA) screening programme which has been introduced by the Ministry to Health facilities across the country.

“We are able to capture a lot more lesions early and respond to them earlier, rather than wait for signs and symptoms to develop, but the reality is that the situation is threatening to become a bigger problem and we need to do something about that,” Dr. Persaud asserted during an interview with this publication.

He revealed that the risk of children, young girls in particular, contracting HPV and its development into cancer later in their lives, was a glaring issue that was observed and was recognised as one that needed to be addressed with much urgency.

“HPV stood out because for the first time we were able to identify a virus that is linked to a cancer directly. We

- CMO know that if you are exposed to it at some point in time you do develop cells that are cancerous that can mutate into full cancer cells, so that started a global effort to deal with this virus.”

Against this background, the CMO disclosed that the Government, through the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Health Authorities, the World Health Organisation, the Pan American Health Organisation, has been looking at various ways in which to protect people’s health.

The local health sector, according to Dr. Persaud, has been mirroring moves by the Western Hemisphere to accept and utilise well tested drugs required to play a role in reducing cervical cancer.

In fact, he revealed that some countries have implemented programmes to immunise both girls and boys.

However, the local Ministry has only been targeting girls who are between the ages of 11 and 13.

“We are only vaccinating our girls right now because this is an expensive endeavour...the cost is like four times the cost of a polio vaccine and vaccines are new on the market and they are now being developed...”

The Ministry of Health was able to procure and has thus far distributed in excess of 6,000 doses of the Gardasil vaccine to facilitate the vaccination programme.

According to Dr. Persaud, Gardasil was used based on a decision to look at all the statistics that were available to select the right type of HPV. As such, some preliminary work on the different types

of vaccines was done, with Gardasil being deemed the best fit for the circulating HPVs in Guyana.

There has, however, been public outcry that the vaccine could have negative side effects that have been experienced in some parts of the world.

“All countries have to make that decision as to what is the best fit and we have made that decision. Like everything else, vaccines as a prophylaxis have areas of concern, possible side effects, and we have alerted people to this, but none of them has emerged to bar a parent from ensuring that their child gets this crucial, life-saving vaccine.”

We have to weigh the pros and cons and we see it as a worthwhile venture for us.”

Persaud pointed out that the Ministry of Health has commenced wide-reaching educational work, adding that “once you speak to persons as we are doing with the mothers, the girls and the teachers, we can improve the quality and depth at which we educate.”

Dr. Persaud also spoke of the need to educate more males, as well pointing out that “we are not doing so much with them, but we should let them understand, because they can have an impact on our young people.”

It is the expectation of the Chief Medical Officer that the status of HPV could become as that of polio and measles which are currently not impacting the health sector.

Among the facilities that have been tasked with administering the vaccine are health centres in Regions Three, Four, Five and Six. According to information received from the Ministry’s vaccination department, a total of 1,428 first doses and 942 second doses have been administered. Dr. Persaud asserted that the real impact of the HPV vaccine would be known within the next 10 or 20 years.

Ok, so maybe you would scoff at her promises that the treatment would make you look 10 years younger, but at least hear Honey Sehgal out.

Better, yet, lie on the table and let her pour of pot of oil on your forehead! The treatment is called Shirodhara – an attempt to relax the mind and body.

The calmness that results is translated into a more beautiful you, why an even younger-looking you, Sehgal says.

The treatment is offered in a newly opened outlet called “Aura” located just next to “The Radiant Touch” on New Market Street in Georgetown.

Sehgal, an Indian national, set up “The Radiant Touch” a few years ago, using herbal products to clear up acne, blemishes, dark circles, and so on. Now, she has decided to take things up a bit. A beautifully re-modeled wooden house is home to Aura, where Sehgal offers Shirodhara, a drugless therapy in Ayurveda used to control the mind, body and, yes, beauty.

So let’s break it down for you so you can get why we are talking about oil dripping from a pot on to your forehead for half an hour or so.

“Shiro” means head and “dhara” means flow. Hence, oil flowing onto your head.

Using the Shirodhara technique, Sehgal puts you to lie on your back, and then positions a pot of oil a little (maybe about a feet or so) above your forehead. Then, she releases the oil, and it flows slowly on the forehead.

The movement is very slow, from one side to the other.

Oil used in the treatment is made with special herbs that Sehgal says deeply relaxes the nervous system, lowers metabolism and improves brain function.

When the brain is under stress, cerebral circulation is compromised, she says, and therefore the need for Shirodhara.

“The result is better brain

- Come for the pot of oil and be rejuvenated

Honey Sehgal administers Shirodhara function, mood stability and improved stress handling ability,” she declares.

“With each treatment, the mind systematically achieves an even deeper state of silence and more healing takes place. Regular treatments are said to increase blood circulation to the brain, improve memory, nourish hair and scalp, encourage sound sleep and calm the body and mind,” We are not going to bet on the looking 10 years younger part, but maybe we can agree that you leave feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

Sehgal says that Shirodhara caters for a range of people, from homemaker to those in corporate life – or

basically everyone who lives in a stressful environment.

“Shirodhara helps you to have a positive approach towards life. It helps in the treatment of mood swings and depression as well.

“In the end, when we are relaxed and positive, the calmness shows on our face and that in c r e a s e s o u r beauty and the stability of our mind.”

“The Radiant Touch” and now “Aura” believe in natural healing by using products which are carefully designed and scientifically developed using precious herbs and botanicals to help cure and remove pigmentation, blemishes, acne, wrinkles, bulgy face structure, such as double-chin, etc.

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 11

Police promotions list reveals four new Assistant Commissioners From page 9 xxii) Sergeant W.15467 C. Anthony xxiii) Sergeant 13381 W. Bayley xxiv) Sergeant 18120 T. Griffith xxv) Sergeant 18349 P. Persaud xxvi) Sergeant 14954 B. Cox xxvii) Sergeant W.14899 H. Hooper xxviii) Sergeant 15817 L. Mickle xxix) Sergeant 18888 B. Persaud xxx) Sergeant 15515 C. Singh xxxi) Sergeant W.20078 P. Harris xxxii) Sergeant 14518 G. Anthony xxxiii) Sergeant W. 15488 C. Marshall xxxiv) Sergeant 18631 R. Stanley xxxv) Sergeant 15843 M. Anthon xxxvi) Sergeant 11704 M. Beaton xxxvii) Sergeant 13606 P. Kowlessar xxxviii) Sergeant 15162 R. Singh xxxix) Sergeant 16303 M. Ali xxxx) Sergeant 12081 C. Gravesande The acting Commissioner of Police has made the following promotions within the Guyana Police Force at the rank of Corporal to Sergeant, Lance Corporal and Constable to Corporal and Constable to Lance Corporal with effect from August 24, 2012.

TO SERGEANT i) 14671 W/Corporal Schwiers ii)14760 W/Corporal Joseph-Maison iii) 13883 W/Corporal Lewis iv) 16421 Corporal Jackson v) 18720 W/Corporal Griffith-Warde vi) 15184 W/Corporal Ali vii) 15456 W/Corporal Hinds viii) 16789 Corporal Heyliger ix) 15687 Corporal Reynolds x) 14316 Corporal Madray xi) 18076 Corporal Sookhoo xii) 16714 Corporal Dodson xiii) 15300 W/Corporal Scott xiv) 15485 W/Corporal Mitchell xv) 17025 W/Corporal Scotland xvi) 17694 W/Corporal Handy xvii) 17708 W/Corporal Williams xviii) 14578 W/Corporal Persaud xix) 16308 W/Corporal Fraser xx) 16427 W/Corporal Phoenix xxi) 16886 Corporal Archer xxii) 17867 Corporal Duncan xxiii) 11747 Corporal Harper xxiv) 14390 W/Corporal Grosvenor xxv) 16918 W/Corporal Warde xxvi) 16989 Corporal Small xxvii) 17318 Corporal Ross xxviii) 17127 Corporal Newton xxix) 10772 Corporal Carmichael xxx) 18281 Corporal Thomas xxxi) 18571 Corporal Lyte xxxii) 13876 W/Corporal Glasgow xxxiii) 15537 Corporal Layne xxxiv) 18370 Corporal Noel xxxv) 17677 Corporal Gravesande xxxvi) 19226 Corporal Harisayack xxxvii) 17315 W/Corporal Glen xxxviii) 16066 Corporal Harripersaud xxxix) 18212 Corporal Beaton xl) 18283 Corporal Subhan xli) 20103 W/Corporal Isaacs xlii) 15846 Corporal Chaitram xliii) 17684 W/Corporal Austin xliv) 16923 Corporal Moses xlv) 17086 Corporal Campbell xlvi) 19503 Corporal Clarke xlvii) 19783 Corporal Dial TO CORPORAL i) 11626 L/Corporal Richards ii) 15533 L/Corporal Edoo iii) 18095 L/Corporal Denny iv) 17045 L/Corporal Peters v) 16595 W/L/Corporal Trotz vi) 16959 L/Corporal Mc Pherson vii) 16736 L/Corporal Black viii) 18039 L/Corporal Ramdas ix) 17685 W/L/Corporal Booker x) 15458 W/L/Corporal Leitch-Victor xi) 18229 L/Corporal Sawh xii) 17014 W/L/Corporal Folkard xiii) 17193 W/L/Corporal Mantoos

xiv) 17257 L/Corporal Fraser xv) 18792 L/Corporal Alfred xvi) 18883 L/Corporal Mohamed xvii) 20230 W/L/Corporal Scarce xviii) 17750 L/Corporal Jordan xix) 17763 L/Corporal Harry xx) 19471 W/L/Corporal Wright xxi) 19610 L/Corporal Harry xxii) 18662 L/Corporal Lawrence xxiii) 20135 W/L/Corporal Fortune xxiv) 15291 L/Corporal Johnson xxv) 19029 W/L/Corporal Edwards xxvi) 14286 Constable Sobers xxvii) 14832 W/Constable Quimbie xxviii) 14996 Constable Elias xxix) 15583 W/Constable Huntley xxx) 16734 Constable Xavier xxxi) 17051 W/Constable Robertson xxxii) 17210 W/Constable Cordis xxxiii) 17703 Constable Ross xxxiv) 18069 W/Constable Arno xxxv) 18760 Constable Ashby xxxvi) 18770 Constable Lawrence xxxvii) 18908 Constable Ramdat xxxviii) 19115 Constable Nicholson xxxix) 19289 Constable Dhanraj xl) 19321 Constable Cummings xli) 19601 Constable Seetaram xlii) 19756 Constable Benjamin xliii) 20008 W/Constable Collins xliv) 20009 W/Constable De Lima xlv) 20085 Constable Nicholas xlvi) 20137 W/Constable Poole xlvii) 20220 W/Constable Clarke xlviii) 20225 W/Constable King-Brown xlix) 20305 Constable Tyndall l) 20353 Constable Fields li) 20532 Constable Bhowan lii) 20642 W/Constable Bobb TO LANCE CORPORAL i) 11506 Constable Lewis ii) 13560 Constable Layne iii) 13685 W/Constable Forde iv) 14184 Constable Shultz v) 14936 Constable Cameron vi) 14984 W/Constable Wilson vii) 15057 W/Constable Richmond viii) 15545 Constable Profitt ix) 16336 Constable Massiah x) 17011 W/Constable Bourne xi) 17211 W/Constable David xii) 17408 Constable Downer xiii)17641 Constable Henry xiv)18110 Constable Persaud xv) 18315 Constable Harper xvi) 18477 Constable Forde xvii) 18620 W/Constable Gomanie xviii) 18694 Constable John xix) 19109 Constable Chunia xx) 19111 W/Constable Harry xxi) 19211 Constable Jagasar xxii) 19244 Constable Raghubir xxiii) 19469 W/Constable Mc Lean xxiv) 19472 W/Constable Sutton xxv) 19560 Constable Nagassar xxvi) 19606 Constable Wellington xxvii) 19687 Constable Williams xxviii) 19983 W/Constable Halley xxix) 20098 W/Constable Hercules xxx) 20393 Constable Lynch xxxi) 20403 W/Constable Allison xxxii) 20422 Constable Joseph The acting Commissioner of Police has made the following promotions at the rank of Sergeant, Corporal and Lance Corporal within the Special Constabulary (Regular): TO SERGEANT i) 7748 Corporal Trotz ii) 8925 W/Corporal Miller iii) 9213 W/Corporal Henderson iv) 9343 Corporal Joseph v) 9462 W/Corporal Blake vi) 9592 W/Corporal Mc Andrew vii) 10688 Corporal Yougeash viii) 12494 Corporal Lewis TO CORPORAL i) 4403 L/Corporal Jackman

ii) 6495 L/Corporal Chetram iii) 8277 W/L/Corporal Garraway iv) 9091 W/L/Corporal Roach v) 10975 W/L/Corporal Fraser vi) 12225 L/Corporal Dyall vii) 12731 L/Corporal Inniss viii) 13370 W/L/Corporal Smith ix) 13650 W/L/Corporal Moore x) 6098 W/Constable Codogan xi) 13559 W/Constable Holder TO LANCE CORPORAL i) 7766 W/Constable Watts ii) 7845 W/Constable Matheison iii) 7894 W/Constable Milo iv) 7906 W/Constable Sulker v) 8743 W/Constable Benjamin vi) 9335 W/Constable Bidder vii) 9697 W/Constable Hosannah viii) 9865 W/Constable Livan ix) 10155 Constable Austin x) 11359 Constable Paul xi) 11622 Constable Benjamin xii) 12217 Constable Thom xiii) 13349 Constable Kilkenny xiv) 13869 Constable Zamett

Page 12

Kaieteur News

Sunday August 26, 2012

AFC, PNCR call on Ramotar to launch investigation into $$$B drug purchases The country’s two main opposition parties are stepping up calls for a full investigation into the country’s drug purchasing system, yesterday demanding the intervention of President Donald Ramotar.

The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) said that failure to address this particular issue is continuing to rob the treasury of badly needed, scarce resources.

Meanwhile, the Alliance For Change (AFC) also said

questions.

Billions of dollars are being spent every year by the government to buy drugs and other medical supplies.

However, there have been concerns expressed that only one company was getting the bulk of the contracts.

There were questions asked earlier this year about the price being paid by government for the drugs. In some cases, the prices quoted were way above what it was retailing for from the

“With a large percentage of the national health budget dedicated to the procurement of drugs and health supplies and with one company holding such an unfair monopoly, the PNCR is calling for an independent investigation so that the people of Guyana can get a full understanding and a full accounting of how and where their health dollars are spent.” that it is awaiting the reconvening of the National Assembly in October, at which time top executives in the Health Ministry and other related agencies will be called before a special investigative committee to answer

manufacturers.

According to the PNCR, on June 21, the party had called for the immediate formulation of an independent Commission of Inquiry into the procurement practices of all companies that supply the

government of Guyana with pharmaceuticals. PNCR said that it had made specific mention of the role of the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (New GPC).

The party, which forms a significant part of the coalition body, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) the main opposition in the National Assembly - at that time also called for the special commission to be given investigatory and subpoena powers and to be able to make recommendations to the Director of Public Prosecutions to pursue criminal charges, if necessary.

SHAM INVESTIGATIONS “The result of the PNCR call was a sham investigation launched by the Ministry of Health and the New GPC calling on the Auditor General of Guyana to do a ‘value for money’ audit.

The PNCR demands new investigations, convinced that earlier attempts were unsatisfactory. Today, the problems in the procurement systems still persist.”

The PNCR said that the Opposition Leader and new Leader of the party, Brigadier (rtd), David Granger, described corruption in Guyana as being on an industrial scale. He had urged

President Donald Ramotar

PNCR Leader, Brigadier (rtd), David Granger

for a purge of corruption at all levels of government.

The party noted that former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran, recently admitted that corruption had become a monstrosity under the PPP/C government.

“If we are looking for corruption, look at the mother of all scandals…we must look at the executive branch.

Today, because the investigation the PNCR called for back in June was not done, corrupt practices associated with this critical area of our health delivery system continue to put patients at risk and rob the national treasury of scarce financial resources,” Granger said.

PNCR made reference to highlighted incidents where

drugs were sold to government at seemingly exorbitant prices. Following the publications of these earlier this year, Kaieteur News was sued by New GPC. The party insisted that a probe in June by Minister o f H e a l t h , D r. B h e r i Ramsarran, into drug procurement will not be enough to calm the anxiety of Guyanese, especially given the PPP’s track record of corruption.

“With a large percentage of the national health budget dedicated to the procurement of drugs and health supplies and with one company holding such an unfair monopoly, the PNCR is calling for an independent investigation so that the people of Guyana can get a full understanding and a full accounti n g o f h o w a n d

AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan where their health dollars are spent.”

Meanwhile, Leader of the AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan, disclosed that his party, which together with APNU forms the combined opposition in the National Assembly, will be utilizing the Economic Services Sector Committee in Parliament to investigation the drug purchases.

“This is the committee in which we can bring these matters up for discussions…and demand that the Minister of Health and the Chief Executive Officer of the Georgetown Hospital come before us so we can investigate why one company is getting all the contracts.”

He also called for government to do its own investigations in the processes of drug purchases and make it known to not only the National Assembly for scrutiny, but to the Guyanese taxpayers whose monies are being spent.

‘This is for the purpose of transparency. It is on the onus of government to clear the misconceptions, if there are misconceptions.”

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 13

More than 275,000 machine readable passports issued over five years

By Latoya Giles The economic effects of the Linden protests have negatively impacted on the gold, diamond, bauxite and other mineral industries of the local economy, directly and indirectly, as mine workers, their support services and their families suffered the loss of income.

This was according to Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud. Persaud told Kaieteur News yesterday that due to the denial of access to vehicles requiring transit to Linden en route to the mining districts in Regions Seven, Eight, Nine and 10, the operators had to find alternative routes, which increased the transportation cost for mining operations.

He said that some of the miners had to resort to renting barges to move their trucks and have been using alternative routes to take fuel and food into their locations. Moreover, Persaud said that other miners were forced to air-dash their produce, and incur the high cost associated with such form of transportation.

The minister explained that in the gold mining sector,

– Minister Persaud three mining districts were affected - close to 200 dredges - and about 2000 miners were forced to stop quarrying and close their operations.

For bauxite in particular, Persaud said that Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Inc. had to shut down its operations for a number of days. Consequently it suffered significant financial losses in production and the shutdown had affected approximately 600 employees.

The minister said that during this period, the company was reviewing its future investment plans which is in the vicinity of US$200M and can create another 1000 jobs. He noted that BOSAI reported US$1M in losses, as its plant had been shutdown and mining operations had been inactive for the period of unrest.

Further, the minister said that the consequences to the mining-related services sectors, the well-being of the mines workers and their families were felt by all levels of the extractive industries, particularly for Regions seven, eight, nine and 10.

“Miners and operators in the Regions of Guyana have stated that the Linden protest situation had caused some levels of their operations to be at a standstill as they are unable to transport food and fuel into mining camps” the minister said.

In addition, for the forestry sector, the minister said that almost all of the operations within the Region 10 area, which account for 46% of community forestry, large TSAs (Timber Sales Agreements), state forest permit holders and also community forest organizations, had to stop operations.

According to Persaud, they had products that could not be taken to the point of export. “Buyers were cancelling orders, not only external buyers, but also local buyers along with a number of sawmillers, specifically along the East Bank, had to close operations.”

He opined that the unrest in Linden had not only affected many of the arteries of the town, but also many other Guyanese, socially, economically and otherwise.

The Central Immigration and Passport Office has issued a total of 275,273 machine readable passports in the first five years since they were introduced on July 17, 2007. This is according to figures this newspaper managed to obtain from the passport office.

The amount translates into a little over 55,000 books per year or slightly over 1000 per week. And when renewals and replacement passports are taken into account, it is no wonder the office is crowded with persons every day.

Kaieteur News understands that during the period, the office received 276, 702 applications for the new machine readable document, which became mandatory to facilitate the region’s hosting of Cricket World Cup 2007. However, up to July 31, last, there were still 1,429 of the documents lying uncollected.

Presently, it only takes four days from the time of application for an individual to receive a new machine

readable passport.

The process involves filling out an application form which is available online and personally taking it, along with a passport size photograph and $4000 to the Camp Street office for processing.

And adequate systems are in place to ensure that there is no need for persons to queue up from as early as 04:00 hours at the Central Immigration and Passport Office.

This assurance was given by police Public Relations Officer Ivelaw Whittaker last week when invited to comment on the sometimes chaotic situation at the Camp Road location.

Addressing the concerns of applicants about long delays at the passport office, the police spokesman said that there is adequate staff at the location, and the working hours have been extended.

The Central Immigration and Passport Office now operates between the hours of 7am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

According to Whittaker, the previous numbering

system, where a person could be turned away once the quota has been exhausted, no longer exists.

There has been a constant cry for the decentralization of the issuing of passports. This was recently addressed by Deputy Chief Immigration Officer, Assistant Commissioner Carol Primo, during a television interview.

She had informed that the initiative is being vigorously considered by the police administration.

This will eliminate the need for persons from far flung areas to travel to the city to obtain a passport.

But in the meantime the passport office has put measures in place to assist persons coming from out of town.

“Priority could be given to senior citizens, pregnant women, persons from out-oftown and those who have urgent visa appointments.

We can try our best to facilitate these persons because we are flexible,” a Guyana Police Force official told this newspaper.

Test run successfully completed Two nurses under investigation as at Supenaam Stelling

morphine disappears from GPHC A significant amount of morphine has reportedly gone missing from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and two nurses are now under investigation. A senior official at the hospital admitted that a quantity of the drug was indeed moved from where it had been stored, and the police have since confirmed that a related probe is underway.

Morphine, which falls under the Dangerous Drug Act (DDA), is a narcotic medicine used to relieve pain and is said to be quite expensive.

Although information about the disappearance of the drug is sketchy, this newspaper was told that it

Morphine vanished from a cupboard in the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Unit at the hospital.

Kaieteur News understands that when

senior officials learnt about the suspected theft, on Tuesday, there was a call for an immediate investigation.

Two nurses, a male and female, were taken into police custody and subsequently sent home pending the outcome of the inquiry.

A source close to the investigation said that the female nurse is claiming that she handed over the drug to her male colleague. However, he has denied this.

A hospital staffer, speaking to this publication on condition of anonymity, said “this is nothing new, every time this happens, but the only reason why they called for an investigation is because a lot of the medicine went missing.”

The newly rehabilitated Supenaam Ferry Stelling could be ready for full commercial operation within a month. This assurance was given by Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn following the successful completion of a test run yesterday morning.

The test was to observe the capacity of the stelling in connection with the mooring of the recently acquired roll on/roll off ferries from China.

“The system stood up well,” said Walter Willis, Technical Advisor to the Minister of Works.

Kaieteur News understands that the vessel involved in the testing, Kanawan, departed Parika at 08:00 hours and arrived at Supenaam at around 09:35 hours. Thirty minutes later the

vessel had successfully moored at the stelling.

This newspaper was informed that there were some minor defects that will soon be rectified to enable the facility to be operational in the next three weeks.

Minister Benn told this newspaper yesterday that he was satisfied with the way things had progressed at the stelling. He said that with the facility now almost complete, the training of personnel has become critical at this stage.

This, he emphasised, will be ongoing.

Benn, while on a visit to the Essequibo Coast, in May, tried to reassure Essequibians that the stelling would be fully operational in August. However, the date was pushed back because of a delay in securing critical material, such as logs from

the interior.

According to the Minister, the delay was the result of demonstrations in Linden which hampered the transportation of vital logs for the project. “The situation in Linden resulted in a delay of one month,” the Minister told this newspaper.

Construction of the Good Hope/Supenaam Stelling began about five years ago after a $400million contract was awarded to BK International. But problems developed when the first vehicle tried to use it.

The government intervened and spent another large sum of money to refashion it. The stelling was again put into operation, but from time to time there were problems, the latest being the collapse of the ramp in early July.

Page 14

Kaieteur News

ImmigrationTALK

Male immigrants require registration in Selective Service

By Attorney Gail S. Seeram, www.GailLaw.com Many first-time immigrants to the United States are unaware of the requirement that all males between the ages of 18 and 26 living in the U.S. must register for the Selective Service.

The Selective Service is a system in the United States that maintains information on males that are potentially subject to military duty. As of 2008, the names and addresses of over 14 million men were on file.

In my practice, I see many new male immigrants come to the U.S. and fail to register for Selective Service because no one told them or they didn’t go to school in the U.S. so were not aware of the law.

Unfortunately, ignorance of the law is no excuse for not following the law.

Failure to register for Selective Service between ages 18 and 26 usually leads to ineligibility for U.S. citizenship and federal student loans.

Registration for Selective Service is important, because many federal programmes and benefits, such as student

Gail S. Seeram loans, job training, federal employment and naturalization, require proof of selective service registration before benefits can be received. Men who are not registered with Selective Service cannot obtain Federal student loans or grants. This includes Pell Grants, College Work Study, Guaranteed Student/Plus Loans, and National Direct Student Loans.

More importantly, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) makes registration with Selective Service a condition for U.S. citizenship. When applying for U.S. citizenship, all males are required to show proof of registration in selective service if they were in the U.S. between their 18th and 26th

birthdays.

Failure to register would result in denial of your U.S. citizenship application, because failure to register amounts to lacking good moral character.

However, if you failed to register for Selective Service between ages 18 and 26, you would be eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship after your 31st birthday, according to a memo from USCIS. Note, the requirement states “all males”, which includes U.S. citizens, permanent residents and undocumented immigrants living in the United States. The requirement for selective service registration does not apply to those visiting the U.S. temporarily on tourist visas or other nonimmigrant visas. However, if you are a male living in the U.S., and are between ages 18 and 26, you must register for selective service.

It’s important to know that even though a man is registered, he will not automatically be inducted into the military. In a crisis requiring a draft, men would be called in sequence determined by random lottery number and year of birth.

Then, they would be examined for mental, physical, and moral fitness by the military before being inducted into the Armed Forces, or deferred or exempted from military service.

How do I register or get proof of my registration?

Visit www.sss.gov or call 1888-655-1825.

Sunday August 26, 2012

National Library’s ‘To Sir with Love’ play a huge success – Chief Librarian

Mr. Braithwaite and his companion Ginette Ast (partly hidden), accompanied by Chief Librarian, Gillian Thompson (right), meet staff and patrons at the National Library.

The National Cultural Centre was a hub of activity last Wednesday when hundreds of patrons flocked to see the National Library’s play, To Sir with Love – A Guyanese Version, based on the classic novel written by renowned Guyanese author, E. R. Braithwaite.

Braithwaite’s novel was the inspiration behind the 1967 British drama film, To Sir with Love, starring Sidney Poitier.

Chief Librarian, Gillian Thompson, said the public response was overwhelming and the Library was particularly honoured to have the presence of the author himself at the event.

“We would like to thank Mr. Braithwaite for attending the play. We salute him for his outstanding work and for writing the novel that provided the material for us to create a Guyanese version

of this wonderful story. The writer, director and the entire cast of the play did an exemplary job,” Thompson said.

The Chief Librarian also thanked the sponsors: Banks DIH, D M Enterprise Inc., Bounty Supermarket, Carib Food Distributors, Courts (Guyana) Inc., Didco Trading Company, F & H Supreme and Strikers Sports Club, Guyana Police Consumers Co-op Society, Mattai’s Supermarket, Nigel’s supermarket, Noble House Seafood, R. Bassoo and Sons, T & J Bookstore and General Merchandise, Universal Bookstore, Yam’s Liquor Store, Hazel Chance, and the public for their overwhelming support.

The novel is based on true events concerned with Braithwaite taking up a teaching post in an East London school and the

challenges that unfolded with his students.

The Guyanese version of the play was written by Mosa Telford and directed by Ron Robinson.

The play depicted a teacher who decided to return to Guyana from England to teach what turned out to be a group of unruly students.

The challenges that were experienced mirror those faced today in Guyanese schools and provided an indepth view of a teacher striving to overcome those obstacles.

Thompson said the National Library is aiming to showcase Guyanese talent and promote local authors through initiatives like the play.

“We are always striving to promote our local authors, and we try to do so in a manner that would inspire our young people to aim for the stars and realise their dreams.

The National Library, through all of its initiatives, will continue to forge ahead with promoting literacy and instilling values and morals in our society,” the Chief Librarian said.

Braithwaite, who recently celebrated his birthday, received a moving tribute from Sidney Poitier moments before the play began. Poitier, in a recorded statement, said that he was honoured to depict the character created

by Braithwaite in his novel, and wished the author many more birthdays to come.

The National Library presented the novelist with a portrait of himself done by artist, Rondell Bess, and a plaque was given by the production team and cast in honour of his many achievements and his sterling contributions to Guyana.

Braithwaite was also conferred with Guyana’s third highest National Award, the Cacique Crown of Honour, by President Donald Ramotar last Thursday, August 23.

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 19

THE OPPOSITION MUST UNDERSTAND ITS ROLE There should no longer be any questions as to whether the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) is legally obligated to pay its revenues or surpluses into the Consolidated Fund.

There was never a case for this to happen. NICIL is a body corporate with its own legal personality. As such its revenues are delinked from the use of public funds but this does mean that it should not be accountable for the use of those funds. Indeed there are financial requirements that impose legal disclosure obligations on all corporate bodies. As such NICIL can still be held accountable under the Companies Act and by the parliament.

The opposition AFC wants the funds held by NICIL to be passed through the Consolidated Fund. They want this not because it will make the funds more accountable but in order to be able to dictate to what uses it

should be put.

That responsibility is, however, the sole prerogative of the Executive and it is something that both the AFC and APNU need to understand.

The right of the Executive to have responsibility of government spending and policy goes to the heart of the separation of powers.

It is not for the legislature to dictate government projects and spending priorities. Their role is to pass debate policies, exercise oversight and to pass legislation. It is not to try, as the opposition is attempting to do, to run the Executive from the opposition benches.

This is in breach of the separation of powers and should not be tolerated.

Obviously, the opposition can advocate policies and projects they wish funded.

But they must not get carried away by the idea that because they hold a majority of one in the National Assembly that they have a right to decide which projects the

government will pursue and which they cannot.

During the second corruption debate the seven part series being sponsored by the National Communications Network, the representative for the Alliance for Change, once again indicated that the funds held by NICIL should be paid over to the Consolidated Fund. The reason for this request is simple. The AFC will then utilize the overall parliamentary majority to frustrate government spending.

The AFC does not believe that the proposed Marriottbranded hotel is commercially viable. As such they are not likely to support this project.

They are not as yet publicly opposed to the other controversial project which is the hydroelectric project. And it is not hard to ascertain how it is they are opposed to the construction of the hotel and opposed to what is believed to be another heavily priced project, the hydroelectricity project being pursued by the

government.

The AFC is going to turn out to be the biggest disappointment of all the political parties. They will fade into political insignificance if they continue to attach themselves to the tail of A Partnership for National Unity.

The AFC has to be consistent. It cannot on the one hand oppose the hotel project while supporting the hydroelectric project when the price of electricity when this project is completed is not likely to reduce tariffs by more than 40%. They should have only supported the project if the tariff reduction was between 40%-60%.

Just after the Budget debate a controversy arose about a contract in the public health sector. The AFC asked where were the funds for that contract coming from, not realizing that they had supported the estimates of expenditure under which that contract fell. So on the one hand they claim to be opposed to certain arrangements, but on the

other hand they voted funds to pay for that contract.

All of these problems are arising because the opposition is acting under the delusion that its majority of one vests it with powers to control the Executive. As such, instead of paying greater attention to its core responsibilities of oversight and the passage of laws, the opposition is burdening itself with trying to constrain the executive.

This is not its role. Let the government do its thing and expose them for what they are doing. In this way, the opposition can show the people they are exercising proper stewardship of their mandate.

By now the opposition should have been using its majority in the Public Accounts Committee to be rigorously scrutinizing government spending, including spending by NICIL. But just how many public officials have been summoned to appear in front

of the PAC since the elections of last November?

Instead what we have had are motions upon motions. Motions passed by the legislature are not legally binding on the Executive and if the opposition does not understand this, then they do not understand the separation of powers.

The opposition should also not be frustrating the actions of the government.

Such an approach is bound to backfire because the people will be peeved at what is taking place and will use the next possible opportunity at the polls to reject the opposition.

Then there will be no legislative power and no chance of ever gaining executive power.

Page 20

SUNDAY APNU JOINS CALL FOR FULL-BLOWN PROBE OF NCN As details of a leaked report continue to raise questions about the extent of wrongdoing at the stateowned television and radio stations, there are now more revelations about possible secret deals over placement of ads and a possible conflict of interest regarding family ties.

A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) has joined the call by the Alliance For Change (AFC) for a fullblown probe of the National Communications Network (NCN). According to APNU’s Parliamentarian, Joseph Harmon, the coalition has received information that a close family member of one of the two beleaguered executives works with an advertising company, which may have presented a conflict of interest situation. An investigation by auditor, Harry Parmessar, ordered by the Office of the President, into allegations of financial irregularities at NCN with payments from GT&T’s Jingle and Song Competition, led to Sattaur’s resignation and an eight weeks suspension of his deputy and well known broadcaster, Martin Goolsarran, in late June.

Government had refused to release the report but it was leaked to a parliamentarian who made it available to Kaieteur News. It spoke of shocking breaches of systems and poorly kept records at NCN. RESIDENTS SHUN BUXTON PROTEST It was supposed to be a massive protest, blocking the main thoroughfare at Buxton on the East Coast of Demerara, but it turned out like a damp squib. From as early as 07:00 hours about 15 persons, including Working People’s Alliance executive members Desmond Trotman

Kaieteur News

and Dr. David Hinds, turned out, and with placards proclaiming support for the Linden protest, they lined a small section of the road, soliciting lukewarm responses from passersby.

The protest was conceptualized at a public meeting at Buxton last week when several speakers called on residents to come out in numbers and block the Main East Coast Demerara Highway. However an hour into the protest it was clear that very few persons took the call seriously.

In the end, those who turned out resigned themselves to first lining the roadway before venturing onto the centre of the road snarling traffic for a mere two minutes, amusing motorists.

But at least some of the leaders, who were dared by Acting Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell, turned out and led from the front.

The police on the East Coast of Demerara could take some credit for keeping the thoroughfare clear as they kept up constant surveillance.

After about two hours in the sun the group dispersed.

MONDAY LINDENERS BEGIN RECONSTRUCTION OF BURNT SCHOOL It was an atmosphere of cooperation and camaraderie

at the old One Mile Primary School, which was recently gutted by fire, after arsonist set it alight during the protest action against electricity increases for the mining Town. From the break of dawn, scores of residents from all across the town began converging at the site to clear the rubble and debris.

Trucks made several trips fetching sand to the site, in preparation for the rebuilding of the school. A grader/loader from Bosai was also engaged in helping to clear the debris.

Men, women and children, students and even teachers, joined hands in the arduous tasks of removing some of the rubble with wheel barrows, while others milled around offering words of encouragement.

Two makeshift kitchens were set up where food and ‘swank’ were prepared for those working on the site.

When this newspaper arrived on the scene, the women in one of the camps were busy preparing to cook a pot of cook up rice.

One of the women said that they had already cooked about 50 packs of chowmein and about three gallons of rice for the day. “These people are working hard and we have to ensure that they are fed,” another of the women noted. There was also musical accompaniment as

the people worked, lending a celebratory mood to the atmosphere.

FRIENDSHIP MAN KILLED, OTHERS INJURED A 52-year-old coconut vendor was killed and at least two others injured at around 19:30 hrs Sunday after the car they were travelling in slammed into a pickup near Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara. Rafeek Mohamed, also known as ‘Uncle Baby,’ of Friendship Squatting Area, East Bank Demerara, was pronounced dead on arrival at the East Bank Demerara

Sunday August 26, 2012

Regional Hospital.

His wife and daughter-inlaw were also among the injured. Kaieteur News understands that police have detained the dead man’s son, Richard Mohamed, who was driving the car at the time of the accident.

The victims were heading home from a family outing on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway when the tragedy occurred.

It is unclear whether the occupants of the pickup were injured. According to one report, the victims were in the vicinity of Land of Canaan when Mohamed’s son swerved from another car and slammed into the pickup, which was about to turn into the Barama compound.

As fate would have it, Leonard Mohamed, another son of the deceased, was driving in the area at the time of the accident.

He told Kaieteur News that he stopped after seeing a large crowd and recognizing the mangled car as one belonging to his sibling. He said that he saw his parents lying motionless at the scene and he subsequently rushed them to the East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital.

TUESDAY SIGNING OF LINDEN AGREEMENTABRUPTLY

CALLED OFF Signing of an agreement between the Government of Guyana and Region 10 was abruptly called off Monday evening as Linden stuck doggedly to its position that the Commission of Inquiry into the deaths of three protestors in Linden should look into the shooting, and not who organized the protest. The parties entered the Cabinet meeting with the documents on the table with the cameras set up.

The proposed signatories – Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon and Dr Rupert Roopnaraine from the Region Ten negotiating team and Dr Roger Luncheon for the government – sat at the table with the agreement in front of them. But after some 30 minutes of whispered arguments, Dr Luncheon announced that the signing of the agreement would be put off until this afternoon, because a “minor” issue remains unsettled.

That “minor” issue is the insistence by Linden that a clause in the Terms of Agreement dealing with the organization of the protests in the town is not necessary.

The two sides had two Fridays ago agreed to what they will sign to. But Monday, Region 10 Chairman Sharma (Continued on page 37)

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 21

Ravi Dev Column

(For more than two decades we’ve issued an annual variant of the following call. We do so once again in the wake of the Linden protests.)

Not unreasonably, citizens of every society evaluate the policies and activities of their incumbent government critically.

Governments after all, are elected to run the State on behalf of their citizens.

This scrutiny is most intense by those who voted against the government. It has become common, therefore, for governments in the developed democratic democracies to announce ahead of time what impact their policies will have on specific constituencies.

As in the US, on labour, business, AfricanAmericans, HispanicAmericans, and so on. The

The cycle of destruction is almost at an end. There will be two other fires, unrelated of course. But the timing would simply reduce more people to further despair.

Factors such as poor water supply in some communities are going to lead to the total destruction of one of the houses. ** The weekend is going to have its share of misery. A cyclist is going to be struck down, a child is going to be

more divided and polarized the society is, the more critical will be the evaluation of the government’s policies, since the premise of the government being biased towards “one side” is even more palpable.

In Guyana, the PPP government usually attempts to discuss the impact of their policies on constituencies using Marxist terminology.

They insist their policies help the “working class”. This doesn’t cut any ice with ground constituencies, however, which generally categorize themselves ethnically and evaluate every policy from that perspective.

The PPP has had to defend every single initiative – be it appointments and dismissals to and from the Public Service, downsizing of the bauxite sector, house-lot allocation, contract awards, against claims by the African

Guyanese community, for instance, of discrimination against them and favouring Indians in the sugar industry, rice industry, etc.

In each instance the PPP’s explanation have been too little, too late for African Guyanese.

The fear of governments favouring supporters is exacerbated in ethnically polarized societies.

The perceived or real discrimination becomes the occasion, if not the cause, of many a battle. In 1977 during the “unity talks with the PNC, the PPP pointed out the racial impact of the PNC’s policies and actions on Indians.

Burnham retorted that, “much of the talk about unity is not based on class but on ethnicity regardless of class.

Where is the socialist content of such ‘unity’?” The avowedly socialist Dr. Jagan was nonplussed. The

yet another victim but the problem is going to be concentrated at a holiday resort just before the start of the new school year.

Horseplay and the failure of parents to teach their

children to swim would lead to even more grief. ** Criminal activity is on the decline but there are some young men who believe that they have guns so they can operate with impunity. The parent of one of them is going to say that she was never aware of her son’s activity although the son has been beyond her control for years.

Sadly, the police in their frustration are going to act harshly, regardless of age.

uneasiness about race/ethnic interests has become institutionalised in our politics/discourse.

The PNC since 1992 has, in turn, consistently accused the PPP of practicing racial/ ethnic discrimination against primarily its African supporters – even as it feels necessary to insist that it is not an “African party”. It is caught in the same semantic contradiction as the PPP. The charges of “marginalisation” from the African community have been a primary fuel in the ethnic conflagrations since 1998. The agreement signed by President Jagdeo and Mr. Hoyte in 2001 and the Communiqué of 2003 between the President Jagdeo and Mr. Robert Corbin, were attempts to answer such charges. But we have seen that they simply lead to additional charges and counter-charges over implementation or nonimplementation.

(Let’s see how the present agreements pan out!) The PPP and PNC will have to overcome their ideological reservations and deal with a spade as a spade: the division of the cook-up must not only be ethnically fair, it must be

seen as ethnically fair.

Guyana has now all accepted the need for “Environmental Impact Statements” before we embark on programs affecting our physical environment.

This policy acknowledges the fragility of our environment and the importance towards our own health and survival.

Can’t we acknowledge that our social environment is as important as our physical environment – and certainly more fragile? After all, it has been vividly demonstrated over the past decade that the destruction of our social environment is the direct destruction of “us”.

While we concede that the cause (and solution) of our ethnic problem goes beyond governmental actions, the fact of the matter is that we have to begin there.

It is a simple matter of justice.

No matter which party forms the Government, we accept that Governmental actions have to be conducted on behalf of all the people: the State is our joint venture. Since, based on our history, we know that all governmental actions will be scrutinised by the populace for its ethnic

Ravi Dev

impact, what is the harm of scrutinising the policies ahead of the implementation?

If such “Ethnic Impact Statements” could be crafted and issued before the announcement and implementation of policies and programs, they would precipitate discussion and debate, which could be utilized to modify the policies or programs before they become political mobilisational tools – witness the present (2010) agitation in Berbice Bauxite (now 2012 Linden bauxite). To wait for the inevitable ethnic post mortems is to ensure there will be trouble. Big trouble.

The old cliché still holds: justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done.

An “Ethnic Impact Statement” on Governmental activities would go a long way to introducing the latter happy condition.

Page 22

Kaieteur News

Sunday August 26, 2012

WHO WILL GUARD THE BODYGUARD? - Gary Sinclair was watching his boss’ back…but no one was watching his…

By Michael Jordan Even after 17 years, Gary Sinclair’s relatives are still apprehensive about talking about that night when the gunmen came for him; are still imploring me not to raise up a sleeping murder that can’t be solved; are telling me that they dread that the men who ambushed the bodyguard might now feel a need to come for them.

At the time when this story began, 30-year-old Gary Alan Sinclair was living at Springlands, Upper Corentyne, with his reputed wife, Devi Kowlessar.

You could say that he was a kind of jack-of-all trades….writing a few stories for a small newspaper from Berbice and working as a discjockey at a bar.

He was also the close friend of a wealthy remigrant.

After returning from overseas, the remigrant, along with two other Guyanese, had reportedly invested $250M in a sawmill at Springlands, Corentyne.

But the investment soured. The remigrant, it is alleged, became embroiled with some of his partners over the ownership of the sawmill.

Threats were allegedly made, and it is even alleged that a US-based man was murdered.

Five men were allegedly charged in connection with that case.

Gary Sinclair found himself in the middle of the feud. A loyal employee, Sinclair reportedly became not just the businessman’s employee, but also his bodyguard.

In late January, 1996, Sinclair reportedly wrote a letter to a close associate.

The letter stated: “Amidst the clutches of danger and fear, Corentyne remigrant and businessman (name of his employer given), who returned from America and invested $250M along with two other Guyanese in a small sawmill complex..has disclosed in an exclusive interview with me that he is presently living under extremely dangerous conditions where the safety of his life is concerned.

“——stated that his entire sawmill company is in dispute and is before the High Court in Georgetown. Since 1992, several attempts had been made on his life but none had involved the services of hired gunmen. “ The businessman disclosed that on the evening of October 9, 1995, an armed assailant with an automatic weapon made entry into his yard and tried to kill him. The assailant’s weapon malfunctioned and so the attempt failed.

“The informant disclosed that he (Sinclair’s boss) had

to hire two armed guards from (name of security service given) from Corriverton and two of his own private security who keep vigil 24 hours.

“A frustrated Mr.—— pointed to November 5, 1995, when four gunmen visited his premises and again on November 15 an 17, 1995. The gang…opened fire at the security guards hired by—— “Mr. ——described the movie-style shootout at his Princeton premises as acts to eliminate him so that his lion’ share of the disputed sawmill would be posthumous and uncontested.

Mr.——reiterated that for some time now he cannot leave his home, since he is afraid that they will assassinate him, as they had done with another contesting shareholder, who died under questionable conditions.

Mr.—is appealing to the Police Commissioner and the Home Affairs Minister to help safeguard his life s he could continue with future investments in Guyana…”

But Sinclair then received word that the men who were trying to kill his boss also

wanted him out of the way.

The bodyguard took precautions to protect himself; reportedly buying a 9mm pistol in Suriname. On Old Year’s Night in 1995, he reportedly expressed fear for his life.

On the night of Monday, January 15, 1996, residents of Springlands, Corentyne, where Sinclair resided, were startled by the sound of several gunshots.

On eventually venturing outside, they found Sinclair’s bullet-riddled body outside his apartment. He had been shot at least eight times, apparently ambushed as he was entering his home. A shirt was left at the scene.

Rumours surfaced that hit-men, hired from Suriname, had been paid a million guilders to execute Sinclair.

According to reports, boat allegedly owned by a Suriname-based Guyanese who was said to be associated with the suspects, was spotted in the area earlier in the day. It was claimed that the killers and a woman were ferried illegally into Guyana on the morning of Jan 15, 1996.

And residents claimed to

have heard someone trying to start a boat engine in the area shortly after the shooting.

Sinclair’s boss described his murdered employee as “my manager, my adviser my friend and brother.”

Two men who had lived in an apartment near to the slain bodyguard were detained briefly but eventually released with any charges.

The bodyguard’s boss is said to have returned to the US. He had also alleged to Kaieteur News that he was in danger of former associates.

Gary Sinclair ’s fate reminds one of the old Steel Pulse song.

“Bodyguard I wouldn’t like your job Snakes in the grass say they know not God Polytricksters drinking human blood Concrete heart can hold no love I just can’t sorry for the bodyguard Bullet-proof vest strap to your chest Under your collar is getting hot whoa Who got a gun Who got a bomb Who got a knife Who’s gonna lose their life…”

SEEKING HELP TO LOCATE RELATIVES OF EIGHT CHILDREN KILLED BETWEEN 1969-1970 Michael Jordan is trying to contact relatives of eight children who were murdered between March 20, 1969 and June 1970, by Harrynauth Beharry, also known as Harry Rambarran, Charles Bissoon, Charles Pereira, Anant Persaud and Maka Anan.

Some of the victims are Basmattie, an eight-year-old schoolgirl from Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara. David Bacchus, 15, of Tucville, 11-year-old Mohamed Fazil Nasir, of Number 78 Village, Corentyne, Mohamed Faizal, of Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, Jagdeo Jagroop, Mohamed Nizam Ali; Paulton of Hogg Island, Essequibo; Orlando Guthrie, of Grove Village, East Bank Demerara.

Please contact him via his email address mjdragon@hotmail.com., or on telephone numbers 22-58458, 2258465, or 22-58491. HeI can also be contacted on 645-2447.

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 23

== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==

You can lose yourself to a cause yet never lose your way Strange things are happening to me. But I am not scared. Last Thursday morning, I was jogging in the National Park and ran into attorney, Jailall Kissoon (no relation), Hoyte’s former Minister of Agriculture.

Three times I insisted that we move away from the deserted sections. Then a guy with a bicycle violently ran into us. I moved away but Mr. Kissoon was thrown heavily onto the road where he struck his head and lacerated his left arm.

The cyclist looked at us, whispered that he was sorry and left. Mr. Kissoon turned to him and said. “They sent you?” Was I the intended target?

After the midnight attack on me on August 16 was reported in the press, my inbox was flooded. The advice and warnings were sincere.

After insisting that I be careful, most of them asked the question as to if I should not suspend my social activism. I never thought of it, and will not think of it, because to do so is to surrender to evil forces in my country.

Speaking to Christopher Ram on Thursday, he said something to me that really upset me. I knew I will go on even if death is around the corner. Christopher Ram indicated that he is looking at court action in relation to the prevention of speed boats crossing the Berbice River.

I was enraged when he told me this. I said to him it must be the only waterway in the world where boat services are not allowed. How can I suspend my energies to fight for my country’s freedom when I hear these

things?

One man, Bharrat Jagdeo, who was President at the time, banned anyone in Guyana of plying a boat trade on the Berbice River, and an entire nation accepts this.

Mr. Jagdeo’s successor, Mr. Donald Ramotar, chooses not to lift that unspeakable embargo. When I heard those words from Christopher Ram I know I cannot stop. That boat ban has to go, and I told Ram I will participate in any activities that seek to end that horrible decision of the Jagdeo regime.

So the e-mails came in suggesting that I be careful and I should think of slowing down. But there was the other side. Believe me, because what I am about to write is the truth. Countless persons came up to me and urged that I do not buckle and that I must continue.

I am on that vigil entitled the people’s parliament outside of the National Assembly and I can tell you there is a constant trickle of persons who come up and tell me that they know that Khurshid Sattaur has singled me out, and they know the attack on me was politically motivated and I must go on.

I was the featured speaker at a meeting last Wednesday at the Stabroek Market Square and from the sentiments I received from that crowd, I will go on.

So where do I go from here? The answer is that where I am going now is where I have always been.

I started a life fighting for human rights since I was sixteen and this is the only life I know. I can only be who I am. Who I am is what I always wanted to be - someone who fights for freedom and justice.

I lost myself to that cause a long time ago.

I know apart from the Government and the PPP, there are others who wish I would stop writing because I offend and have offended them too. I am not stupid. I know there are those in Guyana who oppose the Government, but hate an independent voice.

It came as no surprise to me that the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) said nothing about the abrupt termination of my UG contract.

That is because I wrote about permanent domination of the GHRA by one man. It came as no surprise to me when at the first tripartite meeting after the general elections when the AFC raised my UG contract termination with President Ramotar… the three APNU persons- David Granger, Rupert Roopnaraine and Deborah Backer - were silent as a stone statue.

Obviously, the thinking was Freddie Kissoon is not APNU and he criticizes APNU, so why should we fight for him. People come up to me and would ask why my own newspaper from time to time would put little publisher’s and editor’s notes under my articles.

This is what happens to an independent pen. I don’t care how others perceive me.

I believe as an independent thinker I should not only criticize the Government, but those who are also wrong, flawed people that the Guyanese people need to know about.

There is the other side of course. There are those who want me to continue. There are those who think I am

helping my country. In this newspaper a few years back, long before he was President, Donald Ramotar wrote that he knew that business people helped me when I was building my home.

The modest home that the GRA head, Khurshid Sattaur, described in this very newspaper as a mansion. It just goes to show how long Khurshid Sattaur had it in for me. Yes, that is true. I was

given help.

Come and see my home, come into it as so many others have, including Prime News reporter Nazima Ragubir, and see if it is a mansion. The very Ramotar in a published interview with Reuters told the interviewer, Brian Ellsworth, that I am a sick man.

Surely, Mr. Ramotar associates with personalities that are far sicker than I am.

But what sickness do I have?

Frederick Kissoon The only sickness I know is my idealism to fight to right wrongs. If that makes me sick then I am proud and happy to be sick.

Page 24

Kaieteur News

Sunday August 26, 2012

‘To Sir with Love Author’ E.R Braithwaite is a Special Person

By Michael Jordan His life sounds like an implausible Hollywood script: Black youth seeks fortune in foreign land; gets teaching job in tough white neighbourhood… then turns his experiences into a bestselling book and a blockbuster movie.

But as incredible as it seems, that’s the true and fascinating story of Mr. Edward Ricardo Braithwaite teacher, bestselling author, university lecturer, ambassador, and now, in his hundredth year, a National Awardee in his homeland, Guyana. Fact, it seems, is sometimes indeed stranger than fiction, and there was a time when even Mr. Braithwaite, author of the acclaimed semiautobiographical novel ‘To Sir With Love’, sometimes thought that his success was all a pleasant dream.

Relaxing last week at the Pegasus with his companion, Ginette Ast, during a brief but hectic visit to his homeland, Mr. Braithwaite recounted the story of his rise to celebrity status.

He was born on June 22, in Queenstown, Georgetown in the then British Guiana, a colony, to a father who was a gold and diamond miner and a mother who was a homemaker. He had four other siblings.

A studious lad, Braithwaite entered Queen’s College, but on leaving school decided to migrate to

the ‘mother country’, England.

“England was always used as a kind of ‘Mecca’ for us boys…a place where we could develop our own talents and skills,” Mr. Braithwaite says.

His goal was a career in engineering.

“As a kid I studied very hard. My friends wanted to be policemen and things like that, but I wanted to be different. I had no friends or acquaintances who were

he saw poverty-stricken whites.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes. I saw white men, bending and picking up cigarette butts and smoking them. All the whites in British Guiana were in managerial positions. I never associated poverty with white persons.”

But for the young man from British Guiana, it seemed that he himself was on track where his goals were concerned. He studied engineering, then attended

“It sold very well in England because they rushed to a second printing because of the demand. For a long time I had the feeling that it was not real; for a while I would wake up and find I was dreaming. The newspapers were calling me for interviews. And the book seemed to have a life of its own…it seemed to teach all the right points to people who had an interest in the lives of young people.” writers. I never thought of writing as a career.”

He travelled to New York, then boarded a cargo ship headed for England.

“It was a strange kid of voyage,” he says, a far-away look in his eyes. “Luckily, I had walked with several books, because there was no conversation with the sailors… they were too busy, so I spent time reading.”

He’d grown up in British Guiana, where every white man was of the privileged class. England came as a shock to him. For the first time,

Cambridge University where he studied physics.

RACISM Armed with his qualifications, he then applied at various places for a job as an engineer. It was at this point that Braithwaite had his first experience with racism. Time and again, his applications were rejected.

“Again, it was one of those experiences which I suppose I had to go through,” he says, “and it was all linked to my perspective of whites as being

A scene from the movie ‘To Sir With Love’

honest; truth-telling. I wasn’t prepared to see them as ordinary people, so it was my fault. In growing up, I did not understand humanity; I saw people in terms of rich, poor, bright or stupid.”

But good fortune comes in mysterious and unexpected ways. For the frustrated and unemployed Braithwaite, it came one day in the form of an elderly man.

“I was sitting in a park and he came and sat on a bench near to me. I was not in the mood for conversation and I ignored him; and as old men do, he began whispering to himself. Suddenly he turned to me and made a remark. I responded and we fell into conversation, and I suppose being in my present state I told him of my difficulties. He listened and said, “why don’t’ you try teaching?”

“The idea did not commend itself to me. I said that the people would not trust me with inanimate things, why would they trust me with their children?”

Despite his misgivings, he applied for a teaching position. Surprisingly, he was accepted.

“I was not expecting a great deal, but the rest is history.”

The teaching position was at a predominately white school in the tough East End of London.

“The headmaster was kind and gracious. He welcomed me, and then he gave me a run-down of the kind of students I should expect to

Mr. E. R Braithwaite encounter. It was not that he was dissuading me; he was just preparing me for the students.”

And what was that first day like?

“My first day was a rough day; but I was determined.

This was the first (job) opening of any sort that was presented to me, and I was not prepared to let anything or anyone interfere with it.”

But first, he had to gain the respect and acceptance of his white students, who were not enthused with the idea of having a black teacher.

“Upon reflection, they were actually a product of their environment. They were big, they were tough, or at least they saw themselves as being tough, and they wanted me to see them as being tough, but after awhile they were just ‘pussies.’ They weren’t dirty, but they wanted to convey a sense of toughness….if they could present themselves as being tough, that was good enough for them.

“There was no overt disrespect…everything was hinted at.”

NO QUITTING But despite the covert hostility, the young teacher from British Guiana refused to quit.

“Under no circumstances would I quit on them, because to quit would be to quit on teaching, and I liked the idea of being a teacher. I liked the idea of being called ‘Sir’, no matter how reluctantly it came out, and there was reluctance.

“The problem was that the idea of a black teacher did not appeal to them….but after awhile, the ‘blackness’ did not interfere with my teaching. I think they were eventually able to ignore my blackness in favour of my teaching.”

And to his surprise, Braithwaite discovered that he had a knack for teaching.

“The idea of being an engineer began leaching out of my system, because there is something about teaching; it grips you. It grips you

because each night I had to prepare something for the next day, which meant that each night was a period of discovery. I had to read and re-read to make connections.

I had to do things to face the students the next day. There was never a dull moment.”

He stayed there for nine years. When the time eventually came, parting with his students was a heartbreaking moment.

“It was difficult to leave because in spite of myself, I felt a closeness to them, and as the time of my departure drew near, I found that the things that I disliked about them most were not so offensive after all. I saw myself in them. I saw some aspects of their behavior as reflecting things that I had thought and done.”

His students gave him a farewell present.

It was a package, marked ‘To Sir With Love.’ The package contained cigarettes, all bearing his initials.

“I discovered later that they had visited WD&HO Wills (a cigarette manufacturer) and ordered the cigarettes, each initialed ‘E.R.B’.

Because he was a nonsmoker, Mr. Braithwaite kept the cigarettes.

“I wasn’t a smoker in that sense, so I could occasionally look at them and remind myself of the days in that school.”

But Braithwaite could not get those memories out of his head.

“I suppose that all of us at some point in our lives reflect on things past, and at one time in my life I thought of recording those good times and bad times. I was not a writer per se…I wrote about my life up to that point, and when it was done, I was advised to get it published.

So I wrapped the book up and took it to a publishing house in London.

“I wasn’t greeted with any kind of welcoming. The publisher was not there, and one of his minions told me to (continued on page 27)

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 25

My column

Those visa rejections are a reflection It was a small story hidden away in the pages of Kaieteur News. It was about the number of visitors’ visas granted to Guyanese. The story did not tell me about the numbers of people refused because the reporter did not deign to match the figures to the percentage. All the story said was that more than half of the people who applied for US visas were rejected.

This is nothing new. The consular officers have long been wary of Guyanese. They see us as people who are reluctant to pay our taxes and for the American, that is a no no. Certainly, if we have a habit of tax dodging then we will take that to any country where the residents pay their taxes and reap the rewards.

One habit we do have is to offer an incentive to people who do something for us. If a clerk is to provide us with a birth certificate the clerk expects an inducement and we feel duty bound to provide that inducement. Many of us have gone to the United States with that same attitude and have paid for that.

Just this past week the American press released a story of more than 100 Guyanese who devised a scheme to fleece the system.

They made fake credit cards and in the end they milked some $13 million from the system. Some have gone to jail but the administration is not going to forget that the culprits were Guyanese.

They are also going to remember Edul Ahmad who fashioned another scheme that saw many people losing their homes, among them some Guyanese. Ahmad is a Guyanese.

Still fresh in the minds of the Americans are the many petty drug dealers who hail from this country. By force of habit many Guyanese tend to

gain employment at the airport. On quite a few occasions the American authorities have been able to nab dozens of Guyanese airport employees whom they said were engaged in drug smuggling.

At the lower end of the scale there have been the illegal immigrants. Many of them left Guyana because of the lure of big dollars and a better life. The reality is often something else. Many of these are people in pursuit of an honest living but there are always the raids. They are caught up and deported, often landing in their home country worse than when they left.

Fortunately, the vast majority of Guyanese who enter North America are very skilled. They make a name for themselves and in the process make Guyana proud. These are the nurses and doctors and teachers all of whom would have helped Guyana further along.

I have met quite a few and they all say the same thing. “I should have made this move a long time ago.� But for all that they still look back home.

A few nights ago I was with a group of them and I had to keep answering questions about crime in Guyana.

Indeed the likelihood of one of them being affected by a criminal activity is much less than where they now live.

Many of them refuse to believe me because they claim that they all had friends who visited Guyana and ended up being robbed.

But if the truth be told, those who were robbed were those who flaunted their socalled wealth. Some of them had friends who knew of their coming and boasted to all who would listen that Mr X was coming home and that he had so very well in the States.

The major difference is the rate of response to crimes and other disasters. I happened to be frying some bacon. I put the pan on the fire and simply forgot it because I was caught up in some computer issues. When I caught myself I simply dropped the bacon in the pan.

The ensuing smoke set off the alarm which I could not shut off.

Within two minutes I got a call from the alarm company.

I tried to explain but I had to give the password. My sister had changed and had not

told me the new one. Five minutes later two fire tenders were outside the house.

Needless to say, I was embarrassed.

It is the same thing with serious crimes. In less than ten minutes squad cars would be at the scene of the crime.

In Guyana the response time is so much longer and it is this that serves to give the visitor that sense of helplessness. In the United States they are attacked but the police response is quick. In Guyana they feel exposed. We cannot help that.

But I did tell my friends that in recent times the police have actually reached the scene before the criminals could escape; that things are on the improve.

I saw a letter by Leon Suseran talking about the kind of welcome he got from an immigration officer. I can tell him that not every Guyanese got such a welcome, that it depends on the officer and on what is on the files of the Guyanese. I have met Guyanese immigration officers who have been so gracious that they

Adam Harris made me feel good to be a Guyanese.

Their pay is bordering on the ridiculous but they stick to their guns.

Page 26

Kaieteur News

Sunday August 26, 2012

Once Regional exemplars in Education, we now gone dismal!

It was the American President Lyndon B. Johnson who said, “A third place to build a great society is in the classroom.”

From what we are seeing of our students’ performance at CSEC, Guyana is lightning years away from being a great society.

Minister Manickchand’s description of their performance is “dismal”. And she added, “I think we need to be somewhere close to despair when we look at the results in the core areas which tells us that our children are going to have a lot of doors closed to them.”

Though commendably frank and kudos for the Minister, it is a serious indictment on the PPP Government which has been responsible for education in this country for the past 20 years. Young Guyanese will be unable to capitalise on opportunities that may come their way because their government failed to equip them with the education necessary to make the most of these opportunities.

The AFC, in concurring with President Johnson, acknowledges that the work in the classroom must start at the earliest level of formal education and continue through to tertiary. In this regard, we must recognise the critical role of primary education in preparing students for high school and beyond. It is at the primary level that the foundation for higher educational achievements is set.

However, when we look at what is happening in our primary schools we begin to understand why we have this dismal performance at CSEC. We agree with CXC Registrar, Dr. Didacus Jules, that an entire system reform is needed which is aligned to the challenges in a very dynamic global environment. But the AFC emphasizes that not only to meet the global challenges, but on ground of equal opportunity and upward mobility it is required of all of us to revamp our education system from top to bottom, replenish our teaching corps, buckle down on math, science and English instruction, and rescue thousands from illiteracy!

But that will not happen unless and until there is political will to reform. Mouthing platitudes and singing self-praise of how much is being spent on education and how the allocations have tripled and quadrupled over the years will not help our children. This is the selfsame mouthings we get from this Government about our infrastructure. Its spokespersons will extol the hugeness of the expenditures. And literally on inauguration day the infrastructure collapses! It must now dawn on this Government that increased spending has failed to provide correspondingly improved results. In fact, just

the opposite seems to be happening.

Some in our midst believe that the PPP Government would have no genuine interest in educating the citizenry beyond a basic level.

For them an uneducated citizen is easier to control. When the people are educated, they question authority, they rationalize and make informed choices, they cultivate a healthy skepticism of Government and everything else.

This, it is believed, would be a bad thing for the present administration…. to have a population that makes decisions on ground of reason rather than other emotive factors.

In this context, the people of this country, the mothers, fathers, youths and students must realize that it is in their best interest to ensure a reformed education system. The AFC agrees that Government alone cannot bring a halt to this dismal situation or to turn it around.

Firstly, a partnership with parents is the foundation to start from. Our parents have a primary obligation to inculcate an ethic of hard work and educational achievement in our children.

Secondly, there must be a halt to the present system of churning out students, promoting them regardless of whether they have learnt the basics of the present level.

This is monumental dis-service to our young people. It is merely a tinkering around the edges and an acceptance of mediocrity.

Thirdly, meaningful performance-based assessments which will provide a better picture of how our students are doing must be carried out.

Fourthly, training and recruiting headmasters and principals who can transform bad to good; and, training and recruiting of more effective teachers. This means better salaries and other benefits and facilities. This PPP Government, however, only wants other benefits and facilities for its former Presidents!

How much would it cost to give priority houselots to teachers and help in guaranteeing their loans? And why not substantial increments to those who have proven to be master teachers – the experienced and highly qualified, and those highly skilled in say math, science, and language?

On the flip side, too, the AFC would like to see assessments of teachers which can then realize the mandatory exiting from the sector of non-performers. Their presence in our school system, and from all reports it is not insignificant, only handicap children who want to learn.

Fifthly, get hold of the menu of measures adopted by Swami Ashkarananda. He has got to be a genius! Almost 98 % passes in all subjects written by all students…just amazing!

We believe in all of our children. And we must shatter the myth that our children cannot learn. As Dr. Jules stated recently, it is one of the most pernicious concepts that unfortunately exist among educators. He made it clear that there is no such thing in education.

Every student is capable of learning. The problem is not the student. The problem is the approaches which make it possible for the student to learn. With this the AFC wholly concur.

Here in Guyana, where once we were the Regional exemplars in education, we now have gone dismal!

The Alliance For Change believes in and have every confidence in our young people.

We know that given the opportunity and the right tools, this generation of students will rise to the same prominence of the great generations of yesteryears, whose brilliance brought this country regional and international recognition.

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 27

‘To Sir with Love Author’ E.R Braithwaite is a ...

From page 24 leave the package on the desk and eventually somebody would read it. I later learned that though a series of accidental events, the book was taken home that very night and read; because the very next day, I had a phone call inviting me to go and meet the publisher .

“I became very friendly with my publisher. He later told me that it was evident when he read it that I was not a professional (author). But there was something about the book which he found intriguing and he knew that persons would find it interesting.”

PUBLISHED! And when it was finally published in 1959, the response by readers was indeed overwhelming.

“It sold very well in England because they rushed to a second printing because of the demand.

It took some time before the writer could adjust to his new-found fame.

“For a long time I had the feeling that it was not real; for a while I would wake up and find I was dreaming. In addition to that, the newspapers were calling me for interviews. And the book seemed to have a life of its own, particularly among academics.

It seemed to teach all the right points to people who had an interest in the lives of young people.”

In 1967, the now-famous Guyanese author had another pleasant surprise. Hollywood came knocking.

“They came to see me at my home and told me that they wanted to make a movie (based on m book). But that was it.

They didn’t invite me to participate in any way in the production. If they had done that, there were a lot of changes that I would have made.”

The movie, ‘To Sir with Love’ starred renowned actor, Sidney Poitier.

Mr. Braithwaite has been quoted elsewhere a saying

that he wasn’t enthused with Sidney Poitier’s portrayal, since he “seemed to be having too much fun.”

“I wasn’t satisfied (with the movie version) but I’ve learned to live with it,” he admits.

“I met him (Poitier) but we didn’t talk about the movie.”

To date, no Caribbean author has replicated this feat of having one of their works turned into a successful Hollywood movie.

Mr. Braithwaite also wrote the books ‘Paid Servant’ (based on his experiences as a social worker in London), ‘Honorary White’ (from his experiences in apartheid South Africa) ; ‘A Kind of Homecoming’, and ‘House of Straws’.

At least two of these books were made into radio plays by the BBC. Mr. Braithwaite also held numerous international posts; including Guyana’s Ambassador to the United Nations after independence and Ambassador to

Mr. Braithwaite receiving the Cacique Crown of Honour Venezuela. He also taught at the New York University and Florida State University.

Belatedly, the country of Mr. Braithwaite’s birth is

making attempts to honour him.

A play based on ‘To Sir With Love’ was recently produced locally.

Last week he was conferred with the Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH).

And Kaieteur News honours him today.

Page 28

Kaieteur News

Sunday August 26, 2012

Overseas visitors recall their Linden ordeal

By Enid Joaquin It was a rude awakening for Sheila Huggins as she entered Linden on July 18th after journeying from French Guiana.

Little did she know that on that day, there was a total shut down of the mining town, and that by nightfall three of her fellow Lindeners would be shot dead by police, at the Mackenzie /Wismar bridge, and the nearby Linmine secretariat offices would be burnt to the ground.

“I was in shock-total shock to see all these people out on the streets, and even more shock to see all these police out with their big guns at the ready.

“I said to myself what is going on here- because nobody had told me anything of what was brewing or anything, so you can imagine my bewilderment when I arrived at the bridge (Mackenzie/Wismar), that should be a little before the bridge, because I couldn’t even get close, as the police stopped me, and asked me where I was going. I told them I was going to my family across the river, and I only wanted to pass, because I had just come into the country- and of course they could see my suitcases and everything, but they didn’t pay any attention to that, they turned me back.’’

Huggins said that a little after that the police fired tear gas into the crowd, to disperse them.

“Soon after shots rang out, I was right there when the first shot was fired, and I saw this police man that was there taking notes, but I became scared and ducked down behind a car.

I was very very scared

because I had my son and my two nieces with me. So I took them and we ran towards the old hospital to seek refuge, but the gates were locked, and the guards wouldn’t open for us.”

Fortunately, Huggins said a ‘Rastaman’ in the vicinity who was observing all that was happening, took her and the children to Watooka Club.

The woman said that she was forced to spend a few hours at the Club, before she was picked up by her brotherin-law, who took her to his home at Riverside Drive, where she spent the night.

Huggins spent approximately three weeks in Linden, but hardly ventured out except to attend a few meetings at the bridge, and to go to Georgetown to conduct personal business.

In order to get to Georgetown, Huggins later related how she had to walk from Christianburg on the Wismar shore to Bamia, which is several miles away, to catch a bus.

A born Lindener, the woman, however confessed that despite all her travails, she was totally in support of the protest action, as she believed that her hometown, was severely deprived of “lots of things”.

She totally condemned the killing of the three Lindeners, however, noting that the shooting by police was uncalled for.

Several other overseasbased Lindeners also visited their hometown, both during and immediately after the ‘unrest’.

WEDDINGS Some of them had made the trip simply to visit their

families, while others had come for various weddings that were held in the community despite what was happening.

Cynthia Hudson, who currently lives in New York, came into Linden with her four children on the 27th July.

Her youngest sister was getting married the following day, and Cynthia swore she would not miss the big eventprotest or no protest.

“People in New York were asking me whether I was still coming, seeing that they had this disaster- and I told them yes, because I had already purchased my ticket months before, and whatever was happening was not going to stop me from coming home. I said this is the place I born and grow, so why should I turn my back now. When I arrived at Bamia, and we saw everything that was happening with the blockages and so on, I had no fear, me and my children, we just had a lot of faith, and we were just happy to be back in Guyana.”

The only distressing aspect of the trip, Hudson noted, was having to disembark from the bus at the head of Burnham Drive on Wismar, and walking the remainder of the journey, with suitcases in tow, to her sister’s house, more than a mile away.

The woman said that despite all the hardships of getting around, she enjoyed her vacation, and especially her sister’s wedding, which she pointed out was wonderful.

“I mean everything was good despite the fact that we actually had to get out of the cars at the bridge, walk over and then get other transportation, to go to the wedding hall. But I am happy that I came- this is my country, and Linden is my hometown and nothing can stop me from coming here. I mean people have the right to protest-it is for the benefit of everybody, so I don’t blame anyoneexcept the police of course for shooting those people. But I thank God things are coming back to normal, even though it can’t be totally normal because of the deaths, but I am happy to be home, and I went through the struggle like everyone else, even though I don’t live here.”

PADDLE BOAT

Loma Chapman and her 16-year old daughter, Annalee Chapman.

Patricia Castello Parris, who was forced to cross over to Wismar from Mackenzie in a paddle boat on the day she arrived in Linden, currently resides in Canada.

Now on vacation in the mining town for three weeks, Parris said that she had planned her trip to Linden since February, and had bought her ticket since then.

Just happy to be back home, despite the hardship of having to log their suitcases from Mackenzie to Wismar She had contemplated changing her mind about the trip after she received news about the three persons getting killed on July 18th.

“This thing drive a fear in me, I mean I was now at a point where I didn’t even know what to do, because I mean everywhere in Linden was shut down, and then on top of that with the people getting shoot, I was afraid.”

Parris said that her fear was further fueled by the many reports that were put on the internet about what the police were doing, and how the soldiers were, “all over the place”.

“But I kept communicating with my daughter, trying to find out what was taking place, and if when I come whether I would be caught up in any violence.

Meanwhile, my relatives overseas were also calling me and telling me not to make the trip, because of what the police were doing.

But then I sat down and reflected that I had my daughter and my grandkids here, and that this is my home, this is where I belong, so that is when I decided that I would come and see for myself what was going on.”

Parris said that when she arrived in Linden she decided to also become involved in the struggle, as she recognized that the cause of the protest was just. She also pointed out that she had already attended rallies in Canada, where donations were given in support of the Linden struggle.

She also donated monies to rebuild the burnt out One Mile Primary School. She too has no regrets about making

the trip, though she acknowledged that she was still fearful because of the military presence in the streets. She also condemned the police shooting of the three Lindeners.

Loma Chapman and Donna Liverpool-Clarke are two overseas-based nurses, who are qualified midwives and former sisters at the Linden hospital complex, who made the trip to Linden after everything had “gone down”.

The women who are also good friends, made the trip simultaneously. They are currently based in London.

Both women roundly condemned the police shooting of the Linden three, but were in support of their fellow Lindeners, who they said had a right to protest.

Chapman said that she was happy to be home, as she was celebrating with her daughter who was successful at a recent examination that she took in London.

Like Parris, Chapman said that she too, had contemplated cancelling her trip. Chapman eventually arrived in Guyana a few days ago. She noted that the trip was important because she had promised her daughter that they would come, after she would have written her examinations.

BURNT BUILDINGS In reference to the buildings that were burnt down on Casaurina Drive during the protest, Chapman said she was quite saddened by those events.

“Those buildings were like landmarks in the townthey were always there. I

remember passing them every day when I was in nursing school, and later on my way to work. Now they are no longer there, only a lot of debris and rubble, and that is just such a shame. It makes me so sad just to look at it.”

Her friend Donna Clarke said that she was also saddened, and somewhat apprehensive after all that had transpired over the month long protests. She had also considered cancelling her trip.

Clarke however made the trip with her husband Remington, but decided to overnight in Georgetown, as they had come in on a night flight.

“When I called my daughter and she said the road was cleared, I said “Oh my God, God is good”. I was so happy. So we actually came in when everything was done, so we didn’t actually experience all of that stress with the transportation and so on.”

While enjoying her vacation, Clarke would cross the river to Wismar, as much as she could, to tend to her nephew Gavin Liverpool, who has been bedridden for three years. Liverpool had sustained spinal injuries as a result of an accident on the Mackenzie/Wismar bridge. At the time of the accident he was employed by the Courtney Benn Contracting Firm, which was engaged in rehabilitative works on the bridge.

Clarke noted that her only real fear right now, is that her nephew Gavin would become too accustomed to having her around, and her imminent departure, could be heartrending for him.

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 29

Burning of Linden School…

Suspected arsonist ‘Candy Man’ tells his side of story Shan Thomas called “Candy Man”, 33, of 84 First Alley, Wismar, who just a few weeks ago was seen as a progressive and helpful businessman making a significant contribution to Linden, is now a broken man and in desperate need of help and assistance. And his sudden misfortune is none of his fault, he says.

Thomas was the man accused of setting fire to the One Mile Primary that was razed during the recent Linden unrest in the mining town. He was arrested, thrown in the lockups for two days, treated like a criminal and moved from one station to the next. During this time, his house and business place were destroyed and all his belongings and things to conduct his business lost, for something, he says, that he knows nothing about.

During the melee he lost his candy, pop corn and parch nut machines, generator, freezer, glass case, TV, DVD players and over 1000 DVDs. He also lost his gas stove, over 500 packs of chips, his bed and other household items, including money. “What was not taken was burnt or simply broken up.”

Wondering aloud, the distressed man asked, “Why would I want to do something like that? Why would I set the school on fire? I have kids. I am a businessman. I am well known. I have a distinct personality… I would be easily recognized. I am not that type of person. I am a religious man. I am from the Bahai faith.”

He continued, “They said two ‘coolie’ man and a black man burn the school. I am neither. I am mixed. I have long hair. I ride around the village selling candies and my other produces. I cannot see the connection.”

Thomas who hails from Berbice is a father of four with his oldest at 15 and youngest, eight. He has been living in Linden for the past 4-5 years and got the name ‘Candy Man” from the trade that he is involved- a trade he has

been involved in since he lived in Berbice.

In fact, he has been dealing with candies for about 20 years, since he was at school in the ancient county.

He is wondering how his name got caught up in the entire scenario as he is well known and is no politician.

He is now fearful for his life and is concerned for the safety of his family. His children, he says, are in hiding.

He is wondering how they will go to school since he lost everything he owns, including their books and belongings. “I don’t have anything now; everything that I owned has been destroyed. I don’t have any problem with anybody. I love Linden and the Lindeners. I don’t know why I was targeted. I move to Linden because I love the place. In fact I use to contribute tremendously to the upliftment of the area.”

He and his son are into boxing… his son represents the area.

He wants to go back to Linden and especially to have a talk with Regional Chairman, Sharma Solomon and all the relevant authorities including the President, Opposition Leader or anybody who would give an ear. He is appealing to Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand to assist since he needs transfers and supplies for his children.

He claimed that he had made contact with some government officials, including the former Region Five Chairman, but to no avail.

Giving an account of what transpired, Thomas said that on the night of the fire he was at home alone sleeping.

His wife and kids had gone for a holiday. He was awoken around 03:50hrs on Sunday morning by noise coming from outside of his house.

He peeped out and saw a number of persons traversing the streets. He came out on the road and went to Chester Boat Landing and then headed up the road to a spot where people started to

assemble. There he heard that One Mile Primary was being burnt and residents had visited his home, believing he was involved.

He was then accosted by a crowd of about 50-60 persons and taken to the station where he was locked up. He was moved from one station to the next.

Describing the lockup as dungeons, he said that

nobody came to identify him as the alleged arsonist.

During the time he was incarcerated and his house was being destroyed, his wife tried desperately to get assistance from the police, but to no avail. At one time, she was told there were no vehicles. He was released on Tuesday and was threatened.

The police and others advised him to leave the area

Shan “Candy Man” Thomas for now. He did not go back to the house. During the time his wife was also threatened and had to seek shelter in the

Amerindian hostel.

He claimed that at the time of the fire, he was at home, sleeping.

Page 30

Kaieteur News

Sunday August 26, 2012

California’s Black Chamber names Reigning Miss Guyanese as Business Person of the Year Universe to

California, US (www.ocregister.com) - The Black Chamber of Orange County on Thursday honored Gavin HuntleyFenner – an Irvine Unified School District board member and cognitive scientist at the Black Chamber of Orange County’s 21st Annual Award Banquet.

The chamber, which works to support and promote black business and economic development within the public and private sectors, will recognize Huntley-Fenner with the 2012 Business Person of the Year Award along with other leaders who will get recognition for their military and community service works.

Huntley-Fenner, 47, who helps to govern over 26,000 students in Irvine’s 32 schools, is being recognized because of his nearly eight years of involvement with the chamber, and his contribution to local business through his Irvine-based safety and human factors consulting firm, HuntleyFenner Advisors, Inc. Bobby McDonald, President and Executive Director of the Black Chamber

Gavin Huntley-Fenner of Orange County, said that Huntley-Fenner’s safetypromoting firm is beneficial not only to clients, but also to the community and the environment with its focus on child safety involving toys and other products. “[He is] being recognized for his work that he has done in the community, and especially his work he has done in the business community,” McDonald said.

“He has been a member [of the chamber] for several

years. And he is one of those individuals that has a business that benefits the community, the environment and those around him.”

H u n t l e y - F e n n e r ’s involvement with the black chamber includes working with its various committees, its education fund, and its affiliated mentor programs.

For his positive community impact, McDonald said that the Irvine resident and businessman will be presented with a “significant” and enlarged black history stamp that features a prominent black leader that is relevant to his work and studies.

Born in Guyana, South America, Huntley-Fenner came to the United States 33 years ago. He received his education under the British colonial system.

He received his doctorate in brain and cognition sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and began his professional career in 1996 in UC Irvine’s Department of Cognitive Sciences.

He also founded the UCI Infant Cognition Lab and was named the 100 Black Men of

Orange County Rising Star in 2001. He also served as President of the Irvine Unified School District board for the 2008-09 school year.

Huntley-Fenner said he feels grateful to be receiving recognition for his work.

“I am deeply honored, especially being the first person in my family to start a business as I did from scratch,” he said. “It’s been hard work and I feel like the chamber has been supportive throughout, so it’s just icing on the cake for me. I am just so grateful for all the support I have received from people who helped me get rolling.”

Huntley-Fenner said his work has had such a strong focus on the positive growth and development of children because education is what makes success possible.

“I know that education has made a huge difference in my life and in the opportunities that I have had throughout my life,” he said.

“I am the first person in my immediate family to go to college and I want to make sure that other children and young people have that opportunity.”

visit Guyana

Reigning Miss Universe, Miss Leila Lopes of Angola, will pay a five-day visit to Guyana during next month.

She will be involved in several aspects of this year’s Miss Guyana Universe pageant.

Miss Lopes will arrive in Guyana on September 12 as a guest of McNeal Enterprise and the Ministry of Tourism and depart on September 16, one day after the pageant is held.

While here, Miss Lopes is scheduled to meet with President Donald Ramotar.

She will visit the Kaieteur Falls, the Georgetown Public Hospital, University of Guyana, the Palms and other places of interest. Lopes’ visit will mark the second time that a reigning Miss Universe queen was brought to Guyana by McNeal Enterprise following a visit by Amelia Vega in 2003.

Wendy Fitzwilliam (1998) and Mpule Kwelagobe (1999) were present in 2002 at the first Miss Guyana Universe

Leila Lopes pageant organized by McNeal.

Fourteen delegates will, on September 15 at the Princess Hotel and Casino, vie for this year ’s Miss Guyana Universe crown.

Barticians refuse to part with 111-year-old church

By Edward A. Persaud It has stood there for well over a century in Bartica, a gold mining community located up the Essequibo River and long considered as a gateway to Guyana’s interior.

There is no doubt too that it has a colourful history. It would, in its own majestic way, have hosted numerous weddings and quite a few funerals and christenings. It would have overlooked the community and seen the tragedies and triumphs of the residents and the persons that passed through.

Now, 111 years after it was built, Bartica’s St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church, located on 64 First Avenue, is to be removed once again.

And the love story with the building continues.

It is to be taken apart and relocated by descendants of the man who helped to build it. It will now become a museum that will hold treasures chronicling Bartica’s history.

Last Sunday, a final Mass was held at what some residents are considering to be a treasure of Bartica and in Guyana. The building is too rich in its history and too significant to Barticians for it to be torn down.

The Bartica Diocese could no longer maintain the wooden building because of

…historic building to be relocated, converted into museum

The 111 year-old Bartica’s St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church. the maintenance costs.

The Administration has been piloting a project to rebuild a concrete structure.

This project has an estimated value of about $40M with a contract scheduled to be signed on October 1st with Contractor, Orin Hamilton. He is expected to build another church in eight months.

But for Dr. Monica Sagala nee-Odwin, there can be no replacement. Her family has received permission to have it dismantled and relocated, instead of being destroyed, and for it to eventually form part of a museum to preserve Bartica’s history. Her sibling, Llewelyn Odwin, will be undertaking the exercise.

It was in 1901 that the

Great Grandfather (name unknown) of the late Arnold Odwin, who was the grandfather of now Llewelyn Odwin and 10 other siblings, had relocated the church from the Kamahuni Creek area, another area in the Essequibo River, which was the main hub of timber activities in that location at the time, to the current site

on Bartica.

His descendants are refusing to allow it to fade away.

The original structure that was relocated from the Kamahuni location to Bartica stood on 17 columns made of bonded clay bricks. Over the years, there were extensions onto the four sides of the church’s building. It

now rests on 18 smaller, plastered concrete columns.

Access to the original building was on the western or “ school-end “, with the altar situated at the opposite end, next to First Avenue.

This arrangement , however , was subsequently reciprocated with a Choir Loft being included in place above the created main entrance, into the eastern end of the building to leave it standing in the lay-out shape of a cross . There were also extensions, overtime, to the Sacristy area (the back of the altar) and yet later, a Confession Box was added.

A landing on the building at the main eastern entrance of the church from First Avenue , was removed because of financial constraints. Back in 1901, a priest would have visited the area once a month. This all changed in 1906 when the Diocese received its first Resident Priest in Father John Purcell (an Afro-Jamaican) who back then was well known in Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara.

The historic structure will now be preserved in its new locations on a hilltop at the Byderabo area, where it will not only continue to overlook First Avenue, but will have a view of the waterfront on Essequibo River, maybe finally settling into what would be its permanent resting place.

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Rum threat looming larger

By Sir Ronald Sanders In an unfortunate statement, attributed in several news reports to one of its spokespersons, the huge multi-national company, Diageo, has effectively threatened non-US Caribbean governments.

Diageo is reported to have said that it would “reevaluate” its relations with several rum producers in nonUS Caribbean countries if their governments file a dispute against the United States government at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over huge subsidies to rum producers (including Diageo) in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

In other words, what Diageo is saying is that if the huge subsidy it is enjoying in the USVI is legitimately questioned by non-US Caribbean governments, it will retaliate by ceasing to buy bulk rum from producers in countries such as Barbados and Guyana and, maybe, by reviewing investments in Jamaica.

Why Diageo believes that it should rightly be entitled to unfair trade and market advantages that arise from export subsidies prohibited

by WTO rules is a mystery.

This is especially puzzling when it is considered that, in addition to getting back 98 per cent of all taxes on rum they sell in the US (about US$450m per annum), the USVI and Puerto Rico also receive 98 per cent of the US excise taxes paid on non-US Caribbean rum sold in the US (about US$41m per annum).

The fact of the matter is that, on the face of it, the US government is in breach of WTO rules by allowing Puerto Rico and the USVI to make use of a refund of excise taxes on rum to subsidise production and marketing of rum for the US mainland in direct competition with other Caribbean producers.

If Diageo is sure of its case, it should welcome arbitration of the matter at the WTO. One can only assume that it is the uncertainty of its ground that has caused the company’s recent attempt to frighten non-US Caribbean governments into abandoning any notion of

filing a case at the WTO. Surprisingly, none of the governments of the 15-nation Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping has yet responded to the hostile Diageo statement.

It has been left to the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers’ Association (WIRSPA) to point out to Diageo in a public statement that “such an approach threatens Caribbean economic sovereignty”.

Diageo also appears to be taking advantage of its part ownership of Clarendon Distillers in Jamaica to divide responses by Jamaican rum producers and to influence the strength of the general response from WIRSPA as an organisation representing the interests of rum producers in the 15 CARICOM countries and the Dominican Republic.

It is perfectly understandable that Diageo, as a company concerned with its profitability and shareholder value, wants to protect and preserve the significant benefits it is garnering from the subsidies granted to it for production and marketing of rum from the USVI. But that desire does not justify the violation of WTO rules that places small rum producers in the non-US Caribbean countries at a severe disadvantage in the US market.

Diageo may also feel that because it buys bulk rum from producers in several non-US Caribbean countries, those countries would be well advised to accept the situation and be content with negotiating the best sales contracts they can.

But, the effect of accepting the situation would be to harm the rum industry in the non-US Caribbean gravely if not fatally. Very quickly, the already fragile rum industry would be crippled, significantly reducing the US$500m foreign exchange it earns for these economies and shrinking the US$250 million tax revenues to governments.

A further fall out for nonUS Caribbean countries is cultural. Rum production and the use of rum in a variety of ways, including in making Christmas cakes, is ingrained

in the Caribbean culture. It is as Caribbean as sunshine and sea. So too is the rivalry between Caribbean countries over which one produces the best rums. The loyalty to national brands among rum users is renowned. No Caribbean citizen would forgive the disappearance of national brands.

In all of this, it is regrettable that Diageo has taken such a frontal position in this dispute. It is not the only company getting unfair benefits from rum production in Puerto Rico and the USVI, and of all of these companies, Diageo, in the past, has at least sought to do business with producers in CARICOM countries. Any WTO action would not be directed at Diageo; it would be aimed at protecting the rights and

interests of CARICOM countries and the Dominican Republic.

It is important to recall that the rum ‘cover over’ programme under which the US government returns excise tax on rum to Puerto Rico and the USVI was always intended to be used for improving infrastructure such as schools, roads and other public facilities. It was never intended to subsidise privately-owned companies or to finance unfair trade.

No one in CARICOM or the Dominican Republic questions the original intention of the ‘cover over’ programme.

At their meeting last July, the heads of government of CARICOM countries and the Dominican Republic agreed to implement a number of

measures to address this troubling situation, among them was a series of letters to senior officials of the US government including a letter to President Barack Obama from the current Chairman of CARICOM, Dr Kenny Anthony, Prime Minister of St Lucia. The CARICOM Secretariat has not announced whether all these letters have been sent.

In any event, while necessary, the letters will not stop the violation of WTO rules that are now placing non-US Caribbean rums at a disadvantage and gravely threatening their survival and their important place in Caribbean economies and culture.

Governments of CARICOM and the Dominican Republic should move swiftly to protect their

Sir Ronald Sanders countries interest. That’s what the WTO is for – it will open the door for institutional consultation with the US government that cannot be ignored.

(The writer is a Consultant and former Ambassador to the World Trade Organization) Responses and previous c o m m e n t a r i e s : www.sirronaldsanders.com

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Kaieteur News

Sunday August 26, 2012

Book Review: The Brief Against Obama

Author makes convincing case against US President

By Dr Glenville Ashby genvilleashby@gmail.com Huge Hewitt - a savvy attorney and talk show host, uses an artful combination of glib, rhetoric, and legal accoutrements to argue against President Barack Obama’s reelection. That he is compelling is an understatement.

Hewitt is a clean fighter, relentlessly presenting point after point in a fashion devoid of ruthless and personalized partisanship. For sure, he has well earned his credentials.

This in no way suggests a lopsided oratorical victory, but admittedly his case is so well articulated, that it will leave the most consummate of Obama’s apologists second guessing.

Four years after assuming the presidency, Obama has not been able to deliver on a myriad of promises, writes Hewitt.

Throughout, the author uses Obama’s words - as senator and president - to indict him. Unemployment numbers remain high, dependency on foreign oil still bedevils the nation, the deficit has soared, credit has dried up, and Solyndra, a renewable energy venture, backed by the

Interesting Creature ...

The Green Vine Snake, Oxybelis fulgidus, is a l o n g , slender arboreal Colubrid snake that inhabits Central America and northern South America. This snake is slender, about two centimetres thick, and may have a length of about 1.5 to two meters. The tail is long and very delicate, but mostly used to hold on while reaching for prey.

The head is aerodynamically-shaped and very pointy; the mouth is very big and extends almost through the whole head. The tongue is long and green, when in use it is kept outside and moved up and down.

This reptile is diurnal and mildly venomous and normally feeds on frogs and lizards using its binocular vision to hunt.

The diet of snake also consists of birds.

In fact some of them specialize in small hummingbirds, positioning themselves near flowers where the birds feed and striking from close distance.

They are slow moving, relying on camouflaging as a vine in foliage. The coloration

Obama administration, with half a billion of tax payer dollars, simply evaporated.

Big government and taxation as the panacea for an ailing economy is doomed.

What has the nation to show for the president’s Stimulus Package (American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan)?

Where has the money gone?

This is vintage Hewitt.

Add the politically charged Obamacare to the mix, and the president’s detractors teeter on irrationality and obduracy.

But unlike most conservative pundits, Hewitt remains measured, while loyal to his ilk.

Arguably, the author’s economic diagnosis is skewed, but his strongest argument surprisingly rests in his criticism of the president’s foreign policy, despite its many successes against the Al Qaeda network.

Hewitt ignores the hyper risky undertaking to bring down bin Laden where a single error spelled political suicide.

Instead, he concentrates on the withdrawal of US troops in Iraq that shifts the balance of power in favour of Iran.

Touting American exceptionalism, he begs the question: What has the United States gained from

Dr Glenville Ashby sacrificing its blood and resources?

Hewitt ventures even further, assailing the President for more than just Iraq.

Obama’s handling of the Arab Spring, and his “lead from behind” approach are said to be inconsistent with the political realism of a super power.

It is this dithering leadership that infuriates Hewitt. Appeasement is the cornerstone of Obama’s foreign policy, he posits. The author is unforgiving,

hammering the president for not capitalizing on the Green Revolution in Iran; for his placid approach to the belligerent North Koreans; and for his failure to robustly respond to the military advancement and economic reach of China.

But Hewitt’s foreign policy approach, with all its bleeding sincerity and “shoot from the hip” posturing could be anachronistic. Maybe Obama’s constructivism is the modern approach to solving global problems. Perchance, unilateralism and the big stick policy of yesteryear no longer have a place in the contemporary world.

Some may argue that while Obama sees the nuances and vicissitudes of world affairs, the author is mired in a Cold War mentality – an uncompromising display of authoritative selfrighteousness.

One thing is certain, though, and it is a position Hewitt articulates throughout.

Unless the US can shake free from its moribund economic state, its global influence will wane.

The reader is reminded of the president’s words: ”I found the deficit when I showed up. I found this national debt doubled,

wrapped in a big bow waiting for me when I stepped in to the Oval Office.”

Hewitt retorts, deftly using the words of Wall Street Journal’s Michael Boskin: “The president constantly reminds us that he was dealt a difficult hand. But the evidence is overwhelming that he played it poorly.”

And as if that were not enough, Hewitt immediately chimes in: “Regardless of who steps into the Oval Office in 2013, the size of the government’s deficits poses a

greater threat to the US economic stability than it did in 2008. It is vast, staggering, and deeply destructive to the nation’s future.

Dr Glenville Ashby is New York based literary critic The Brief Against Obama: The Rise, Fall and Epic Fail of the Hope and Change President Hachette Book Group, New York, NY, 2012 ISBN: 9781455516308 Available: Amazon.com Ratings: ***: Recommended

The Green Vine Snake (Oxybelis fulgidus) and size of Green Vine Snakes make them perfectly adapted for life in the trees. Their green coloration blends in well with vegetation, and their slender size can give them the illusion of being vines.

The green vine snake stays high on trees and looks down to the ground. When a mouse, lizard or nest is found, the snake follows the prey a short distance and smells it carefully.

If the snake is content with it, it bites into the head and lifts the prey 20–40 cm from the ground. With this the snakes prevents the prey from using its physical strength.

The vine snake has two larger teeth at the back of its mouth; these teeth permit the toxic saliva to penetrate the wounds and to immobilize the prey.

Then it is rapidly swallowed. Once the prey is completely in the snake’s body, the vine snake searches for a resting place, usually in the highest point of a tree, to digest its meal.

The snake can expand its body when disturbed to show a black and white scale marking. Also, it may open its mouth in threat display and

point its head in the direction of the perceived threat. There is a widespread myth in parts of southern India that the species uses its pointed head to blind its human victims.

It has been established that the venom of this snake is mild and may cause some swelling. However, symptoms will usually subside within three days.

This snake species is viviparous, giving birth to young that grow within the body of the mother, enclosed within the egg membrane.

They may be capable of delayed fertilization (parthenogenesis is rare but not unknown in snakes) as a female in the London zoo k e p t i n i s o l ation from August, 1885, gave birth in

August, 1888.

In captivity vine snakes must be kept in large terrariums with a height of at least two meters and a surface of 6-16 square meters. The behaviour towards humans is neutral and the snake usually goes to the other end of the terrarium.

Some adapt very well and even come closer. These are

almost entirely lizard eaters. It is possible but difficult to train them to eat mice.

Because of its distinctive appearance and wide range throughout South and Central America, the Green Vine Snake is a very wellknown representative of rainforest reptiles. (Source: Wikipedia – The Free Online Encyclopaedia)

Sunday August 26, 2012

From page 20 Solomon said there was not a complete agreement that he could take back to the people of Linden.

NEW GPC SUES KAIETEUR NEWS IN NY New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation, using the name New GPC Inc., has filed an action in the New York Supreme Court alleging defamation by Kaieteur News.

The company’s owner, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, is seeking US$1 million in damages.

In the writ filed by Morlan Ty Rogers and Ray Beckerman, Dr. Ramroop states that his company is relying “on its good reputation, goodwill and integrity in its business dealings both in Guyana and internationally.” The writ is rooted in publications by Kaieteur News that New GPC overpriced its goods and pharmaceutical supplies sold to the Guyana Government.

He accuses Kaieteur News of waging a campaign “designed to destroy the Guyana Times newspaper and defame the reputation of Dr Ramroop…” He described as malicious, defamatory, false and libelous, the allegations that the Ministry of Health paid exorbitant costs for drugs it procured through New GPC Inc. He quoted Kaieteur News publications captioned ‘GPHC drugs purchase continues… Govt pays $8,000 for $600 injection’. The drug in question was Depo Provera. In the writ, Dr Ramroop accused Kaieteur News of contending that in the supply and sale of pharmaceuticals, New GPC is guilty of price gouging. He denied selling Depo Provera for the price quoted by Kaieteur News.

WEDNESDAY GUYANA, SURINAME BRIDGE CLOSER Guyana and its neighbouring Dutchspeaking Suriname are one step closer to the realization of a bridge to link the two countries. This is according to Minister of Foreign Affairs of Suriname, Winston Lackin, who along with a delegation met with his Guyanese counterpart, Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and her team at the Grand Coastal Inn, Plantation Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara, Tuesday. According to Lackin, already both countries have written to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for funding the feasibility study.

Lackin told members of the media that several countries have already indicated their interest in the

Kaieteur News

construction of the bridge.

Lackin, in response to questions about regularizing the ‘backtrack’ trade between the two countries said teams from both countries have been meeting on the issue.

“The backtrack is part of the reality of both of our countries and we have to deal with it.

We want to try to regulate the movement of persons and goods, we know that they are some security issues which we intend to look at.” Lackin added that as it relates to the security issues, technical teams from both countries’ law enforcement agencies will soon be meeting to work out the systems to be put in place.

LINDEN KILLINGS…COMMISSION OFINQUIRYAGREEMENT INTO LINDEN KILLINGS SIGNED Government and the Opposition Tuesday finally signed the agreement paving the way for the beginning of a Commission of Inquiry into the unrest at Linden which claimed three lives and resulted in several being injured. But the signing only occurred after Government agreed to remove the contentious aspect of the Terms of Reference (TOR) which called for an investigation into whether any political forces were involved in promoting the protest. “We now have full agreement on the terms of reference for the Commission of Inquiry…I think that all obstacles for moving the Commission of Inquiry forward have been overcome,” APNU Parliamentarian, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine told journalists after the signing at Office of the President.

“We have full agreement on the direction of the Commission of Inquiry and we look forward to it being established as early as is possible and we are anticipating they will complete the work within six to eight weeks.” The Parliamentarian explained that the Commission will be based in Georgetown but will travel to Linden to gather evidence from residents. Signing of the agreement was abruptly called off on Monday after Region 10 officials stuck to their position that the Commission of Inquiry should look into the shooting of the protesters, and not into who organized the protest.

THURSDAY PANIC GRIPS ESSEQUIBO COAST AS… DOZENS BREAKOUT FROM NEW OPPORTUNITY CORPS Panic gripped a section of the Essequibo Coast Wednesday night when

dozens of inmates broke out of the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) at Onderneeming and went on a rampage through several communities.

The inmates, both male and female, overpowered guards at the juvenile detention centre, even inflicting injuries, after breaking down doors and smashing windows in their frenzied bid to flee the facility, which normally has a population of over 200.

According to reports, one of the inmates managed to avoid lockdown Wednesday evening and waited for the wardens to retire before shattering the locks of the various dormitories, letting his fellow inmates out.

A source said that from all appearances the breakout was well planned as all the inmates who were in six separate dormitories, simultaneously began freeing themselves.

One terrified staffer at the NOC told this newspaper that around 19:15 hours, he heard loud banging coming from the locked dorms, and he decided to investigate. However by the time he got close to the area that the noise was coming from, it was too late – the inmates had already broken free and came charging towards him.

ABDUCTED BOY MURDERED, DUMPED BEHIND RICE MILL An East Berbice community was plunged into shock Wednesday and hard questions are now being asked after a gruesome midafternoon discovery of the body of a seven-year-old boy.

Neighbours, who were part of a search team, are reporting that Saheed ‘Buddy’ Muknauth of Number 68 Village Squatting Area was bludgeoned to death.

He was a student at the Number 68 Primary School and due to return to school in two weeks time. A post mortem examination done Wednesday by Pathologist, Dr. Vivekanand Brijmohan, gave the cause of death as a fractured skull. The victim

Page 37

also had a fractured chin and broken right hand.

A 21-year-old unemployed villager known to the boy’s family and from the nearby Number 67 Village has since reportedly admitted to the killing which has rocked the adjacent communities.

It is a gut-wrenching tale of domestic abuse and abject poverty. Kaieteur News learnt that the boy’s mother, Anita Persaud, 34, was earlier Monday badly beaten by her reputed husband, a fisherman, following a domestic squabble.

FRIDAY UNREST TURNS NASTY AT NOC…ARMED INMATES SET DORM, TAILOR SHOP ON FIRE Panic continued to grip the Essequibo Coast as inmates of the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) at Onderneeming intensified their rampage, setting fires to a female dormitory and other buildings in the compound Thursday night. This was after dozens, who broke out from the facility on Wednesday, returned voluntarily Thursday afternoon. The fire was started around 19:30 hours and by the time firefighters brought it under control near 21:00 hours, the female number three dorm, which housed about 20 inmates, and the tailor shop were completely destroyed. It is still not clear what caused the sudden outrage, but authorities are hoping to get to the bottom of it before the situation escalates. Thursday night’s actions by the inmates took on a more violent approach as this time around they armed themselves with cutlasses and other dangerous instruments from the facility’s tool room, which they had broken into. The inmates first set fire to the Female Number Three dorm, and managed to keep publicspirited persons and fire fighters at bay and from accessing the burning building.

SECOND CHILD MURDER ROCKS BERBICE Two persons are in

custody and the police are hunting another as yet another brutal child-murder rocked the county of Berbice in two days. The badly battered and bruised body of 12-year-old, Joshua Chunilall, of Letter Kenny, Corentyne, was discovered around 13:30 hrs Thursday in a fish pond near his parents’ farm at John’s Village, Port Mourant.

A police release said that his body bore marks of violence to the head, feet and hands.

Kaieteur News understands the lad’s tongue appeared to have been burnt and there were cut marks to various parts of his body.

When Kaieteur News visited the parents’ residence at Lot 195 Letter Kenny, Corentyne around 21: 00 hrs on Thursday evening, they were still at the Whim Police Station giving statements to investigators.

The slain boy’s grandfather, Bhagwan Samaroo, called “Bro Ram”, told Kaieteur News that his son, Mark Samaroo, a cane harvester, lives with his wife, Kowsilla Chunilall, and four children at their home. The man stated that on Tuesday morning his son sent Joshua to the garden which is situated less than a mile away. Around 14:00 hrs, the man returned home and headed to the garden but did not see his stepson.

SATURDAY UNREST AT NOC …32 INMATES DETAINED BY POLICE FOR FIRE A total of 32 inmates (24 male and eight female) have been arrested following Thursday night’s rampage at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC), Essequibo Coast, which leveled a dormitory and tailor shop.

A government delegation which journeyed to the location Friday also announced the establishment of a committee to investigate what triggered the events that led to a mass break-out on Wednesday evening and the stand-off Thursday night which led to sections of the facility being set alight.

There are now allegations of beatings of inmates and of one female being made

pregnant by a NOC staffer.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, who was among the officials at the Onderneeming facility, during a press briefing, explained that work is being done to determine the terms of reference on the special committee before the probe can begin.

Kaieteur News was told that the juveniles had been complaining about food and other issues, and the situation reached breaking point this week.

OAS pledges support to Guyana in resolving Linden problems OAS PLEDGES SUPPORT TO GUYANAIN RESOLVING LINDEN PROBLEMS Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS) Mr. Jose Miguel Insulza has pledged the OAS’ full support to help the government maintain peace and security and strengthen human rights and democracy, following the recent unrest in Linden.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry here said, the Secretary–General stated it was important not to rush to judgment, to allow local authorities to resolve the problems which had arisen.

The Ministry said Mr. Insulza expressed confidence in the ability of the Government of Guyana to correct the situation.

“He (Insulza) welcomed the agreements which had been reached among the Government, the Opposition and the Regional authorities and expressed the hope that the Commission of Inquiry which has been established would be able to clarify the events which had occurred,” the Foreign Ministry stated.

It said Mr. Insulza’s remarks summed up the sentiments of the OAS Permanent Council, following a presentation to that body

by Ambassador Bayney Karran, Guyana’s Permanent Representative to that Organization last Wednesday, which was followed by interventions from representatives of Brazil, Belize, Dominica, Grenada and Venezuela, who gave assurances of their support to resolve the difficulties which had arisen.

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Talking to your children about reproductive health

By Krista Brooks

By Krista Brooks Sorry for the short absence! I was attending a wonderful, weeklong camp to empower young women in Guyana called Camp GLOW. I know Nursey wanted me to share with you all a few more things about talking to your children about reproductive health.

Nursey has shared her knowledge of male and female anatomy and the good ways to talk about reproductive health. She also really wanted people to know how pregnancy occurs.

Remember, talking with young people about these things does not mean they are going to go do them. It means that they can take responsibility for their own actions and know the realistic consequences of them.

Nursey had to think back to her training days when they went over pregnancy. She remembers that ovulation has a really big part to do when women can get pregnant.

Every woman’s cycle is different but each menstrual cycle is counted from the first day of her last menstruation to the first day of her next menstruation. It can be about 28 to 32 days.

Between 11 to 22 or so days after the first day of her last menstruation, a woman ovulates. This means that an egg is released from one of her ovaries and travels down the fallopian tube. If this egg meets a sperm, the egg will be fertilized and implant into the lining of the uterus. If there is no sperm, the egg will come out during the next menstruation.

Some women can actually tell when they are ovulating because they can feel a little pain when the egg is released.

Nursey did warn that a woman can get pregnant at any time during her menstrual cycle.

Sometimes our bodies don’t like to be on time so people can ovulate later or earlier than you might expect.

She says she hears a lot of people say you can’t get pregnant while on your menstruation, but it definitely happens.

The only exception might be women who are exclusively breastfeeding (regularly throughout the day).

Breastfeeding prevents ovulation for up to six months after delivery; however, this method is not 100% effective so women should use another family planning method if they do not want to become pregnant.

Krista Brooks When sex occurs, the penis enters the vagina and then the male ejaculates (or releases sperm). The sperm can then swim past the cervix, into the uterus, and up to the fallopian tubes to (hopefully for them) meet an egg.

If the sperm do not meet an egg, they will gradually come out of the woman’s body.

A good thing to keep in mind is that sperm can live in the body for 3 to 5 days. So if an egg is not released when the woman has sex, the sperm might still be around if the egg is released a few days later during ovulation.

Nursey also hears a lot about the pulling-out method, where a male will remove his penis from the vagina before he ejaculates.

This sounds like it could work, but males produce preejaculatory fluid, which contains sperm.

This is released before ejaculation so a woman can

still become pregnant using this method.

Also, this method does not prevent against any sexually transmitted diseases, which can be passed through vaginal or seminal fluids.

Ultimately, the best way to avoid pregnancy is to abstain from sex. However, both Nursey and I have seen plenty of young people coming into health clinics pregnant.

This means that not all young people are abstaining.

This also means that they need the tools to practice safe sex and protect themselves from STIs and/or pregnancy.

There are many different types of family planning options available at health centers or in pharmacies.

Since there are many options to talk about, Nursey and I will discuss some in the next article.

For now, it is important to know that the only method that can prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV, and pregnancy are condoms. A condom is a barrier method so it blocks vaginal fluid and seminal fluid from ever meeting (this helps prevent STIs/HIV).

Nursey says to keep talking to your children about reproductive health! I will be back next week to tell you more interesting things nurse says about family planning. Until then!

If you have any questions about reproductive health or any other health issue, please e m a i l nurseysaysguyana@gmail.com.

Sunday August 26, 2012

Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

Many adults actively seek methods to lower blood pressure naturally. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a serious problem. Left untreated, hypertension frequently leads to serious cardiovascular disturbances including heart attack and stroke—which, together, is a leading cause of death worldwide.

Hypertension is far too serious to leave untreated.

Often known as a “silent killer,” high blood pressure often presents with few or no symptoms until it escalates to cause life-threatening complications, so people with hypertension must seek effective treatment immediately upon diagnosis. Natural treatment options, used under the guidance of a qualified health care provider, can help to alleviate hypertension and reduce the risk of complications.

Here are methods that have been used to try to lower blood pressure naturally, to various degrees of efficacy.

The DASH Diet DASH, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, is a highly effective natural intervention for high blood pressure. The DASH diet rivals antihypertensive drugs in its efficacy, and surpasses it in safety. In addition to helping to lower blood pressure naturally, DASH diets can also reduce your risk of obesity, cancer, osteoporosis and diabetes.

The DASH diet restricts food intake to a maximum of 2,300 mg (or, in a more strict version, 1,500 mg). DASH dieters must eat a diet comprised predominantly of whole grains, vegetables, legumes and fruits. Only lean animal products are allowed in the DASH diet, at a rate of no more than six servings per day.

The DASH diet contains very little fat, caffeine, alcohol or processed sugar.

blood pressure. Scientists have identified a strong link between obesity and high blood pressure, so it is critical to address this risk factor effectively.

An active lifestyle can help to reduce body fat, thereby decreasing your risk for hypertension. Studies have consistently revealed that regular exercise can reduce hypertension risk by as much as 70%, compared to people who lead sedentary lifestyles. Exercise daily for at least 30 minutes to keep your blood pressure healthy and to improve your overall health.

Greek study finds e-cigarettes no threat to heart

L-Arginine L-arginine is an amino acid, or a chemical building block of protein. Found in natural foods including red meat, poultry, fish, and milk, L-arginine acts as a precursor to the compound nitric oxide. Nitric oxide causes blood vessels to dilate, reducing the amount of pressure in veins and arteries.

Foods and supplements containing L-arginine may act as effective natural treatments for high blood pressure, but evidence is somewhat mixed.

MUNICH (Reuters) Electronic cigarettes, an increasingly popular option among smokers trying to quit, do not appear to pose a threat to the heart, according to results of a clinical study presented on Saturday.

Greek researchers said ecigarettes - battery-powered metal tubes that transform liquid laced with nicotine into vapour - had no adverse effects on cardiac function in their small trial.

Garlic Used for millennia as both a food and medicine, garlic is a pungent plant with powerful medicinal properties. The National Institutes of Health regards garlic as “possibly effective” as a treatment for hypertension, noting that studies have found blood pressure reductions of 7 - 8 % among people using garlic extracts. Garlic included in diet may also help to reduce the risk of related cardiovascular conditions, such as high cholesterol and atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

Unfortunately, no treatment is completely free of risk, especially to people with multiple medical conditions.

Before self-treating any medical condition, always consult your primary health care provider to discuss the benefits, risks and expectations associated with any natural treatment.

“Electronic cigarettes are not a healthy habit but they are a safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes,” Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos from the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center in Athens told the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology.

“Considering the extreme hazards associated with cigarette smoking, currently available data suggest that electronic cigarettes are far less harmful and substituting

tobacco with electronic cigarettes may be beneficial to health.”

Farsalinos and his team examined the heart function of 20 young smokers before and after smoking one tobacco cigarette against that of 22 ecigarette users before and after using the device for seven minutes.

While the tobacco smokers suffered significant heart dysfunction, including raised blood pressure and heart rate, those using e-

Active Lifestyle Several factors contribute to increases in a person’s

cigarettes had only a slight elevation in pressure.

The Greek clinical study was the first in the world to look at the cardiac effects of e-cigarettes.

Another small study, also in Greece, reported earlier this year the devices had little impact on lung function.

E-cigarettes were first made in China in 2003 but are now sold around the world and used by millions of people.

Sunday August 26, 2012

ALL NATURAL FACE CREAM Removes excess oils and prevents pimple growth. This is recipe is good in removing excess oil in the face and to prevent the growth of pimples and acne.

Materials: 1/3 cup cocoa 3 tsp of heavy cream 1/3 cup of ripe papaya 1/4 cup honey 3 tsp of oatmeal powder Procedure: Mix cocoa and heavy cream in a container. Add the ripe papaya and continue stirring with honey. Mix them thoroughly and add the oatmeal powder. Continue Stirring until it will turn into thick creamy paste. Apply on the face and wait for 10 minutes. Rinse face with lukewarm water. It is safe to do this everyday or use this alternately. **********************

HOME REMEDY FOR MAKEUP REMOVERS Do not sleep in your make-up. As you sleep your skin is busy shedding and replenishing skin cells, so make sure your skin is clean and hydrated.

Apply milk or plain yogurt to face with a cotton ball, then rinse.

Almond or sesame oil on a cotton ball will do a great job of taking off makeup, including water-proof mascara! Megan from PA wanted to share this tip with us that her mom Tami shared with her: “If you use contact lens solution to remove your eye makeup it works just as good if not better than eye make up remover! Just put it on a cotton swab and well…… you get the point.”

Eye Makeup Remover 1 Tbsp castor oil 1 Tbsp light olive oil 2 tsp Canola oil Blend all ingredients together. Apply with tissue or cottonball to remove makeup on and around the eyes.

Using baby oil to remove make-up is great but wash your face well with soap and water afterward or also your pores will get clogged. **********************

GRAPES, LEMON AND EGG FACIAL CREAM It’s a natural cleanser, best for oily skin. Best for oily skin. Lemon used as a natural cleanser, grapes will soften the skin and egg whites will tighten it.

Materials: Grapes Lemon Egg whites Procedure: Squeeze the grapes extract into a bowl. Slice the lemon and extract the juice in the same bowl. Add egg white and mix them well. Apply into the face and leave it for 20 minutes.

Don’t be alarmed if you feel a little tingles in your skin, because of the egg whites. Rinse face with warm

SOLUTION FOR LAST WEEK’S SEARCH & FIND

Kaieteur News

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Sunday August 26, 2012

Born Loser

EATING OUT This married couple was sitting in a fine restaurant when the wife looks over at a nearby table and sees a man in a drunken stupor.

The husband asks “I notice you’ve been watching that man for some time now. Do you know him?”

“Yes” she replies. “He’s my ex-husband and has been drinking like that since I left him seven years ago.”

“That’s remarkable” the husband replies. “I wouldn’t think anybody could celebrate that long.” ************** BROKEN LAWN MOWER Last year, when the power mower was broken and wouldn’t run, I kept hinting to my husband that he ought to get it fixed, but somehow the message never sank in.

Finally I thought of a clever way to make the point.

When my husband arrived home that day, he found me seated in the tall grass, busily snipping away with a tiny pair of sewing scissors.

He watched silently for a short time and then went into the house. He was gone only a few moments when he came out again. He handed me a toothbrush. “When you finish cutting the grass,” he said, “you might as well sweep the sidewalks.” ************** MARRIAGE PROBLEMS A man and woman were having marriage problems, and decided to end their union after a very short time together. After a most brief attempt to reconcile, the couple went to court to finalize their break-up.

The judge asked the husband, “What has brought you to this point, where you are not able to keep this marriage together?”

The husband said, “In the six weeks we’ve been together, we haven’t been able to agree on one thing.”

The wife said, “Seven weeks.” ************** GENEROSITY A woman was chatting with her next-door neighbor. “I feel really good today. I started out this morning with an act of unselfish generosity. I gave a twenty dollar bill to a bum.”

“You gave a bum twenty whole dollars? That’s a lot of money to just give away. What did your husband say about it?”

“Oh, he thought it was the proper thing to do. He said, ‘Thanks.’” ************** WISDOM Sally was driving home from one of her business trips in Northern Arizona, when she saw an elderly Navajo woman walking on the side of the road. As the trip was a long and quiet one, she stopped the car and asked the Navajo woman if she would like a ride. With a word or two of thanks, she got in the car.

After resuming the journey and a bit of small talk, the Navajo woman noticed a brown bag on the seat next to Sally. “What’s in the bag?” asked the old woman. Sally looked down at the brown bag and said, “It’s a bottle of wine. Got it for my husband.”

The Navajo woman was silent for a moment, and then speaking with the quiet wisdom of an elder said, “Good trade.”

Garfield

Non Sequitur

Peanuts

Shoe

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Country profile: OVERVIEW Tuvalu is a group of nine tiny islands in the South Pacific which won independence from the United Kingdom in 1978. Five of the islands are coral atolls, the other four consist of land rising from the sea bed.

All are low-lying, with no point on Tuvalu being higher than 4.5 metres above sea level. Local politicians have campaigned against global warming, arguing that climate change could see the islands swamped by rising sea levels.

Prime Minister Willy Telavi

Sunday August 26, 2012

TUVALU Life on the islands is simple and often harsh.

There are no streams or rivers, so the collection of rain is essential.

Coconut palms cover most of the islands, and copra - dried coconut kernel - is practically the only export commodity. Increasing salination of the soil threatens traditional subsistence farming.

Tuvalu depends on foreign aid, the income from the sale of tuna fishing licences and the interest from a trust fund set up in 1987.

The sale of postage stamps also brings in revenues.

It is one of a handful of countries to have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which has funded the construction of Tuvalu’s largest building a three-storey administrative headquarters.

Tuvalu has shown ingenuity by exploiting another source of income. It has sold its internet suffix .tv - to a Californian company for several million dollars a year in continuing revenue.

The company sells the suffix on to television

broadcasters.

Some of the money has been used to pave roads which were formerly made of crushed coral - and to build schools.

FACTS Full name: Tuvalu Population: 11,000 (UN, 2010) Capital: Funafuti Area: 26 sq km (10 sq miles) Major language: Tuvaluan, English Major religion: Christianity Life expectancy: 62 years (men), 65 years (women) (UN) Monetary unit: 1 Tuvaluan dollar, or 1 Australian dollar = 100 cents Main exports: Copra, handicrafts GNI per capita: $3,700 (World Bank, 2010) Internet domain: .tv International dialling code: +688 LEADERS Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor

Maatia Toafa had become PM after general elections in September, succeeding Apisai Ielemia, but lost his majority when Mr Telavi, then home affairs minister, and two other MPs withdrew their support and joined the opposition.

The move was reportedly prompted by dissatisfaction with the government’s budget, especially plans to stop funding the medical costs of patients seeking treatment abroad.

Hailing from Nanumea, the northwesternmost of Tuvalu’s islands, Mr Telavi is a career policeman, and served as Tuvalu’s police commissioner from 19932009.

He was elected to parliament and appointed home affairs minister in Apisai Ielemia’s new government in 2006, retaining the position under Maatia Toafa.

Tuvalu has no political parties. Allegiances revolve around personalities and geography. The 15-member parliament is popularly elected every four years. The prime minister is chosen by MPs. MEDIA

Prime Minister: Willy Telavi Willy Telavi was elected prime minister in December 2010, replacing Maatia Toafa, who had been ousted by noconfidence vote after only three months in power.

Mr Telavi’s government faced an early challenge when protests were held demanding the resignation of Finance Minister Lotoala Metia. It responded with a temporary ban on public gatherings.

Media freedom is respected in Tuvalu but the market is very small. The government operates Radio Tuvalu. Many islanders use satellite dishes to watch foreign TV stations.

The government publishes the fortnightly newspaper Tuvalu Echoes in the Tuvalu language and in English.

There were around 4,300 internet users by June 2010 (InternetWorldStats.com).

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Sunday August 26, 2012

From the Diaspora ...

WHAT SHARMA SOLOMON AND MY FOWL THIEF FRIEND HAVE IN COMMON

By Ralph Seeram I read the Kaieteur News headline “Lindeners begin reconstruction of burnt school” and mentally began to admire the spirit of the people of Linden. I thought to myself that they have quite a few more buildings to rebuild; most, of it if not all at taxpayers’ expense.

However on reading further into the article, among

those at the scene was Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon. His presence brought a smile to my face and reminded me of my dear departed friend “Patsy” and an incident that happened many, many years ago, going back to my bachelor days.

Back in the days when I was a bachelor, I had my own house in Smythfield, New Amsterdam.

It was bequeathed to me by my

grandmother. Truth be told I don’t think I was using it the way she intended it to be. It was the bachelor quarters (BQ) for all my rum-drinking friends. There was gambling going on with the house (meaning me) getting a share of the winnings (all went back for rum). My drunken friends would sleep there; some even used it as a meeting place for their girl friends.

When all the bars were

closed in New Amsterdam including our favourite “Jardines Bar” every one moved on to my BQ to finish off the night. In true Guyanese style we had to get food and “cutters”. My friends brought the supplies, including chicken or duck (taken or stolen from their parents) but always from their parents’ pens.

I do not want my readers to get the wrong idea. I did the cooking. To be honest it was a great and carefree period of my life. I was however not looked upon favorably by some of the parents who felt I was the bad influence on their sons.

My friend “Patsy’s” mother even dropped off his clothes at my front gate one Sunday morning, shouting “Yuh drink deh, yuh sleep deh, yuh might as well live deh.”

Patsy was not home for some three days.

One night we needed chicken and it was Patsy’s turn to provide a chicken for the cutters. So off he went to take or steal a chicken from his mother’s fowl pen.

He returned with a sizable chicken and I must say it was the last one of six chickens in the pen; we had previously consumed the five during different drinking sprees.

Apparently stealing the last chicken in the pen was too

much for his mother, who in addition to searching for the chicken launched a “cussing tirade” against the neighbours for “tiefing” her chicken.

Patsy “barefacedly” joined his mother in “cussing out” the neighbours for stealing his mother’s fowl. He also joined in the search around the neighborhood to see if they could find the missing fowl.

When I read what the agitators of the protest were saying at the site of that burnt school, it reminded me of Patsy cussing out his neighbour for stealing his mother’s chicken, which to be more accurate was a fowl.

Aubrey Norton’s poor attempt to cast blame on “agents of the government” was so weak. Did agents of the government torch the other private and public buildings as well as the toll booths?

Was it government agents that looted stores and extorted and robbed persons travelling through Linden? The agitators of the Linden protesters need to face the reality that they have done more harm than good to the Linden community.

The issue of increased electricity rates did not warrant the mayhem that took place in Linden, not to mention the loss of three lives.

One must remember that the Government did engage the opposition in discussions over the gradual increase in electricity; the issue could have been settled through discussions.

So where does Linden go from here? Sharma Solomon has used up his “fifteen minutes of fame”. Private investors, despite what they are saying publicly, would be hesitant to invest in the area.

Think about it; would you invest your money in an area where you think your building could be burnt or looted?

The Commission of Inquiry will finish its job; a year from now what will change? We have to wait and see. One thing will be certain, the people will be paying increased electricity rates. After all nothing in life is free, and the three men that lost their lives will be a distant memory to the agitators and politicians, who will move on to new issues to attack the PPP government.

A year from now the people of Linden will realize that they were used by opponents of the government to “get at the PPP Government”. They will then ask themselves was it worth the sacrifice of three lives?

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

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

PNCR demands independent probe into crisis at NOC As questions continue to surround the upheaval at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC), the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) is demanding an independent inquiry into the crisis at the juvenile detention facility.

In a statement to the press, the political party expressed concern over the series of events, which include the breakout of inmates, as well as threats to staff and residents of the community and the destruction of buildings by fire.

“The Party is also alarmed over reports of injuries to persons and damage to property.”

On Friday, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony and several other government officials visited the location to determine terms of reference to set up a special committee before an investigation is launched. The Minister promised that police presence will be maintained at the holding facility until it returns to normality.

The trip followed the terror that absorbed the Essequibo Coast at Onderneeming on Wednesday when more than two dozen inmates of the New Opportunity Corps escaped.

The riot continued on Thursday as fires were set to several buildings in the compound hours after the last set of ‘runaways’ voluntarily returned to the institution.

During the standoff on

Thursday, a number of students reportedly armed themselves with cutlasses and other sharp objects despite the presence of law enforcement officers.

However, added to those reports, students of the facility are alleging that they are being physically abused. The juveniles have also complained about food and several other issues.

With regard to the controversy surrounding the institution, the PNCR called on the People’s Progressive Party/Civic administration and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport to “ensure the safety of all students placed in their charge and to protect the property of the Corps”.

The Party also called on the Ministries of Human Services and Home Affairs to

respond promptly and sympathetically to the needs of the young students, with the aim of preventing a recurrence.

“While the Party notes that this has been the most violent disturbance to have occurred in the history of the institution, it recognizes the fact that the youths who are sent to the New Opportunity Corps should not be treated or housed like prison inmates.

The Corps is meant to provide full-time vocational training in a correctional setting for young people to allow students to pursue fulfilling careers. The PNCR therefore condemns plans to conduct a departmental inquiry. It feels that such an inquiry will be unlikely to determine the real causes of the crisis.”

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VYC, IDCE/UG presents Business Development Training, in Marketing, Financing and Communication. Contact 227-1011-13 Register Now Imperial College- Register Now. CXC 2013. Fulltime/ Lessons/Adults classes.

Excellent Results Call: 6835742, 227-7627

Pressure washers : Dewalt 4200 PSI, John Deere 3800 PSI, 13HP, 4gpm Call: 639-1423 Caterpiller backhoe model 426c. Call: 651- 8870, 233- 6161 1 miller new 8000 current plan welder, 1 Lincoln 10,000 portable welder cheap Call: 610-2696, 676-3189, 220-6338, 649-0962 1 3200 Hifonix Power Amp $160,000 Call: 678-3392 Brandnew American made Crosely 10.5 cu ft Refridgerator for sale $75,000 Call: 697-5677

SALON Make up courses, artist trained & certified in Trinidad: 660-5257,647-1773 Summer special Cosmetology, Nails & Makeup Call Abby 216-1950,6665241,619-7603

FOR RENT Taxi Base rental at a popular West Side Hotel Call: 6381627 Booths for rent in hair salon $6,000 weekly Call: 227-3273 or 696-3037 in Albert town Georgetown.

Rental of machines : Excavator, Roller & Bobcat Call: 220-5580, 621-4786

3 washbay attendants for immediate employment, must be decent & honest Call: 227-5169 One (1) 3 phase welding plan, 300-500 amps DC, Must be in good working condition Call: 679-9088

One 15HP Yamaha (Long foot) Call: 689-5254, 643-0332

1 240 Massy Ferguson tractor, 1 10 RB Dragline Call: 687-6174 1 Husky compressor 150 PSI, 1.5HP $120,000, 1 LG 4 Burner gas stove $110,000 Call: 6945371 2 flat 110-90 tractors, tractors in good working conditions Call Aro 641-6057 2 complete music set Call: 220-1500, 614-4626

1 carnegie trained cook, age 18-45 Call: 614-4358

One experience tractor driver for interior Call: 6234242, 222-4529

FOR SALE

Register now at Community College $15,000 per term at Form 1 Call: 227-0218

One cleaner, must know to cook Call: 647-7432,223-5798

Couple (boat captain & cook/cleaner) to live in at Resort in Essequibo River Call: 225-3557

Sunday August 26, 2012

Apartments $50,000 monthly Call: 645-1208 WANTED Driver /salesman with clean lorry driving record, security guards. Call: 266-4427 3 Washbay attendants for immediate employment , must be decent & honest Call: 227-5169 Carpenter/ Mason with own tools $5,000 daily, Apply 68 Robb Street Nut Centre One live in domestic maid to do general housework. No cooking, no washing Call: 639-7700

Apartments for rent Call: 6450870 1 Bottom flat at 121 Lindley Avenue Nandy Park, 2 bedrooms fully furnished Call: 233-5560, 619-4824 (Cindy) 1- Prado and 1- Land Rover for both interior travel and special events Call: 650-4513 One shop at 40 Norton St. 25x12 $50,000 per month Call: 682-0290 Office space South Rd $3500US, Town to country 627-7390,225-0843

One 225 HP $1.1M & 150 HP $950,000, Yamaha outboard engines, many more small outboard engines available Call: 699-1711 Boat Cabin cruiser 47’ complete 48 Yamaha, saine, ice box etc, load and sail $2.8M Call: 695-3755 New Air Brush Compressor for sale Call: 666-5276 Games for PS2 $900, PSP $900, Xbox 360 $2,600, PS3 $2,600 Call: 265-3231, 672-2566 New Generac 2700 PSI & Honda 3100 PSI Power pressure washer Call: 6148564, 680-0862 Massey Ferguson tractors model 188, Honda ATVS model 500,2012 Call: 688-6274 or 691-3851 Bridal accessories for sale or rental. Printing ribbons and making favours Call: 225-8133 4 Ton portable puller craftman power tools, energy saver bulbs Call: 641-1127 The Children of the World musical CD. Positive messages in songs, Full Range Record Bar Call: 267-1565

FOR SALE Victoria Secret Body Mist & Butter, Elizabeth Arden eyeshadow (Single & Duo).

Tel: 669-8374.

1 225 KVA Generator, 1 Hiace Canter, Premio, 3 light towers, car batteries Call:624-2000 17 INCH RIMS & TYRES (USED) CALL: 622-0108 Dell computers complete with 17&19 inch LCD from $50,000 Future Tech 2312206 One horse & cart Call: 6504421 Toyota Starlet EP71 Call:6482075 Honda pressure washer 3000 PSI, 1 Lincoln 8000 watts welding plan portable Call: 610-2696, 676-3189, 2206338, 649-0962 Quality imported new and used tools. Call: 220-3356/ 697-8411/643-3627 Imported Umbrellas 10ft & 12ft Call: 645-0870 1 42’’LCD TV $165,000, 1 LG Fridge bottom freezer $165,000 Call: 694-5371 Dachshund with Terrier mix Call: 680-0192, 629-4226 1 Gas stove $45,000, 1 bed frame $15,000 Call: 615-7132 Tiberian Terrier mixed with Dachshund, 6 weeks old Call: 225-5486, 226-7786 or 689-0486 1 324DL Caterpillar excavator, Price negotiable, for information contact Marciano 592-696-5008 275 Massy Ferguson tractor $3.5M, Four 3 dish plows stools Call Julie @ 669-9891 9 bags of coconut carbon for water filtration purpose Call: 265-3883, 682-0567 Live chicken Call: 691-8021 6500 watts generator, heavyduty drill, chainsaw, other tools, 1 new DR Brush mower, 5 HP boat motor Call: 261-2988 Spares for washer, microwaves, fridges, stove timers, gear boxes, pumps etc Call: 225-9032, 647-2943 Foreign use engines 55 DAF 332 cummings 6BT, Ideal for dredge Call: 615-3023 6 cylinder perkins with marine gearbox in very good condition Call: 652-2339 Male enhancer Viagra $4,000, 4 in pack Call: 638-1627 Sale!! Sale !! Jettoo’s Lumber yard & Sawmill, Coverden Public Road EBD, B & C Grade lumber. Price negotiable.. Call: 261-5041, 261-5042 (Continued on page 56)

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 55

The Abigail Column Married but living apart

DEARABIGAIL, I am confused and really need advice to move forward with my life. First of all, I am married to a man who I think does not care a damn about me.

After three years of marriage and after giving birth to a beautiful baby girl we are separated. My baby is three months. About a month ago he asked me for a divorce ‘out of the blue’ saying that I have changed significantly and I have not been treating him the way he wants to be treated.

I refused to give him a

divorce and I moved in with my sister.

I recently found out that while I was pregnant, he was involved in a relationship with a younger woman. I am baffled because I am married to this man and look what he did to me. When I married him, I made a promise to be with him through ‘thick and thin’, he is my first love; I shared everything with this man. He also refuses counseling.

Sonia Dear Sonia, I am sorry for you since knowing when you were busy preparing the new family member. Your husband was too busy with his “girlfriend.”

I don’t think this man is good

for you.

In your letter, you said you asked him to seek counseling but he refused. I think your husband is going through a phrase in his life with this “young woman” and you need to bring him back to reality. You need to remind him about the times you spent together, how you two fell in love and have a child. If this doesn’t work, then you really need to ‘let go’ of this man. If you did not have a child for this man, I would advise you differently.

He is not worthy to be a father and your husband.

If your husband still refuses to accept you in his life, then I will advise you to talk to a lawyer.

Sunday August 26, 2012 ARIES (March 21 - April 19): You are feeling highly insensitive to the problems of other people right now, which is quite a switch for you. This is not a comfortable feeling, but don't beat yourself up about it! ****************** TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): It's a day when you'll be seeking greater depth where everybody else is just content to skim along the surface of things. ******************** GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): Fast action is required today. There is a problem that needs to be fixed, and it needs to be fixed as soon as possible -- before it gets too big to attack. ******************** CANCER (June 21 - July 22): You could use a good long day of self nurturing! Why don't you cancel that appointment that isn't all that important, skip out on that meeting you really don't want to go to, or call up that nice-but-slightlyexhausting friend and postpone your date. ******************** LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): You are going to have a really fun day, today -- especially if you are working on something with lots of small details and complex sub-elements. ********************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept.

22): Take a risk, today. Try your hand at something you've never done before. It doesn't have to be as adventurous as skydiving or rock climbing -- it can be as simple as baking a cake for the first time or trying a different type of coffee drink. **********************

LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22): It's not always the best idea to be direct in your communication. Take today, for example: You will get a lot farther by being more subtle. The people you'll be dealing with are touchy folks who enjoy their privacy. ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21): As safety-minded as you might be right now, you don't have to be hesitant when it comes to taking risks. Luck is on your side, and things are definitely looking up! ********************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 Dec. 21): You're pretty smart, and you know it. But you want to get even smarter when it comes to one specific thing.

Today, find an expert you admire and pick their brain about whatever it is that's captivating you right now. ***************** CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19): A little bit of solo time probably sounds good to you right now, doesn't it? It makes sense, after all the time and energy you have been giving to other people lately. *********************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18): It's time to let your hospitable nature shine a bit more brightly. Sometimes you get so caught up in your day-today life that you forget to take the time to welcome new energy and new people into your life. *************** PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20): You should always think before speaking, but today you shouldn't think for too long! There is a fine line between mulling things over and putting things off.

DTV CHANNEL 8 09:25hrs. Sign On 09:30hrs. Turning Point 10:00hrs. Kickin’ It 10:30hrs. Lab Rats 11:00hrs. The Ultimate Spider-Man 12:00hrs. Movie: Carjacked 14:00hrs. Movie: Seduced By Lies 16:00hrs. Movie: Stealing Paradise 18:00hrs. Faith in Action 18:30hrs. Know Your Bible 19:00hrs. Greetings and Announcements 20:30hrs. DTV’s Summer Movie Fest 23:00hrs. Sign Off NTN CHANNEL 18/ CABLE 69 05:00h - Sign on with the Mahamrtunjaya Mantra 05:00h - Timehri Maha Kali Shakti Devi Mandir Presents Krishna Bhajans 05:15h - Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital Inc Presents 05:30h - Queenstown Masjid Presents Quran This Morning 06:00h - R. Gossai General Store Presents Krishna Bhajans 06:15h - Jettoo’s Lumber Yard Presents Krishna Bhajans 06:30h - Muneshwar Limited Presents Krishna Bhajans 06:45h - Double Standard Taxi Presents Krishna Bhajans 07:00h - Ramroop’s Furniture Store Presents Religious Teachings 07:30h - The Family of The Late Leila & David Persaud Presents Krishna Bhajans 07:45h - Sankar Auto Works Presents Krishna Bhajans 08:05h - Sa Re Ga Ma (Musical Notes) A Live Call-In Program 09:30h - L’il Masters 10:30h - Sunday Morning Fiesta with Angelica 11:30h Guyana’s Entertainers Platform 12:00h - Hinduism in a changing world presented by Pt. Ravi 12:30h - LET’S TALK with LAKSHMEE 13:00h - DVD Movie-: RAAMPUR KA LAKSHMAN (Eng: Sub:) *ing Randhir Kapoor, Rekha, Shatrughan Sinha & Padma Khanna 15:30h - L’il Masters 16:00h - Teaching of Islam 16:30h - L’il Masters 17:30h - Ganesh Parts Presents - BHAGAVAD GITA

( Discourses in English) Serial 17:45h - Birthday Greetings / Death Announcement & In Memoriam 18:00h - Lil Masters 19:00h - Geet Gaata Chal Live with Joel 20:00h - Indian Soap - Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke 20:30h - Indian Soap - Rab Se Sohna Isshq 21:00h - Indian Soap - Pavitra Rishta 21:30h - Indian Soap:- Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuyien 22:00h - Indian Soap:- Punar Viivaah 22:30h - Sign Off with the GAYATRI MANTRA NCN CHANNEL 11 02:00h – NCN Late Edition (R/ B) 02:30h – Late Nite with GINA 03:00h – Movie 05:00h – Tomorrow World 05:30h – Newtown Gospel 06:00h – NCN News (R/B)

06:30h – Feature 07:00h – Voice of Victory 07:30h – Voice of Islam 08:00h – Lifting Guyana to Greatness 08:30h – President’s Diary 09:00h – Ravi D Show 10:00h – Homestretch Magazine 10:30h – Weekly Digest 11:00h – Feature 12:00h – Feature 12:30h – GRA in Focus 13:00h – Dharma Vani 14:00h – Feature 14:30h – Catholic Magazine 15:00h – The Naked Truth 15:30h – Feature 16:00h – Family Forum 16:30h – Shape 17:00h – Farmers’ Connection 18:00h – NCN Week in Review 18:30h – Guysuco Roundup 19:00h – Parliamentary Debate on Corruption 20:00h – Feature 20:30h – Kala Milan 21:00h – African Moves 22:00h – Movie

Guides are subjected to change without notice

Page 56

(From page 54)

PROPERTY FOR SALE 20X40 Two flat concrete building @ Kitty. Price $22M Negotiable to be seen Call: 668-9512, 223-2570 2 houses on one lot, transported land @ Lot 18 Parika Village E.B.E Call: 6503008 Robb Street (land) $30M, South $10M, Diamond $9.5M, Albertown $50M, Diana 227-2256, 626-9382 Beautiful middle income ranch style home in LaParfaite Harmonie W.B.D $16M, Has chicken pen Call: 682-1256, 622-8409, 611-3674 Uitvlugt WCD Call: 6780436, 269-0640 79 William Street, Kitty, price negotiable Call: 662-5114 Property at Diamond, New Scheme, price $30 million negotiable Call: 612-2697 At Tuschen East Bank Essequibo, contact Rayman at 645-9105, 650-2982, transport will obtain 98 N/E Grove Post Office St. Contact : 625-6357 price 10M neg.

Happy Acres $55M,Bel Air $48M,Continental Park $65M, Anna Catherina $19.5M Steve: 699-5490 Mon Repos $25M, Non Pariel $15M, Church St. 4 story $600,000US Steve 6995490 Parfait 2 storey 3 bedroom $19M, Diamond 2 storey 3 bedroom $18M Town to country 672-7390,225-0843 Diamond 1st Bridge 2 bedroom flat $19M, Diamond luxury home 4 bedroom $55M Town to country 6727390,225-0843 Happy Acre luxury home $55.5M, South Ruimveldt 2 storey $10M Town to country 672-7390,225-0843 South Ruimveldt 3 bedroom $19M, Robb St. business property $58M Town to country 672-7390,225-0843 Robb St. Business property $40M, Durban St. 3 bedroom $21M Town to country 6727390,225-0843 FOR SALE / RENT American Pool Table Call: 277-0578 2 Flat of 3 storey building 1160sqx2=2320sq situated at 4 corners in city, suitable for office/private practice/school Call: 677-3406

Kaieteur News

Sunday August 26, 2012

VEHICLES FOR SALE Just arrived: Allion and Premio, tel: 624-2000, 622-1610

VEHICLES FOR SALE

CAKES & PASTRIES

FOR SALE

LAND FOR SALE

1 Toyota NZE Corolla PLL series Call: 642-6664 1 Mitsubishi Lancer, 3.5 ton open back canter Call: 6269254, 264-2582

Pallet jacks 2.5 ton, power tools, car mats, car seat covers etc wholesale & retail Call: 614-8564, 680-0862

1 ½ acre, 48ftx1300ft V/Hoop Call: 627-9351

SV40 Silver grey Camry Rims, A/C & alarm Call: 6171300

Courses in cake decoration, pastry making & cookery, tel: 670-0798. Also Wedding dresses for sale.

Blow Out Sale!! P & A Auto Sales, Unregistered vehicles, Premio, Spacio, IST, Raum etc Call: 661-9651 or 681-8474

Leading Auto Unregistered, Toyota Tundra 2004 Loaded Call: 677-7666/610-7666

One Toyota Sprinter Contact Tel: 660-1141 Canter for sale GPP Series, very good condition Call: 682-4224 Unregistered Allion, IST & PLL 212 Call: 609-8188 1 Allion, 1 IST, 1 Rav4, 1 45150 Leyland Daff, 1 55-210 Leyland HIAB Call Archie 624-1343, 664-2755 Unregistered Tundra tt 100 and Tacoma Call: 265-2103, 645-9860 2004 Mazda RX8, Body kit, Spoiler, Never register Call: 617-2891 One IRZ long base, 2003 EFI, AT, Bus, Unregistered Call: 647-1729 602-9167 Toyota RAV4,excellent condition, fully loaded, female driven Call: 624-3350 Leading Auto, Unregistered Allion, Premio, Spacio, Runx, IST Call: 677-7666, 610-7666 Leading Technology, Toshiba Laptop-wholesale & retail Call:648-6600 G-Touring wagon, PLL series, price negotiable.

Owner leaving country Call: 629-5727 Toyota Alex 2004 white, mags, never registered Call: 269-0432, 686-0323 Toyota Corolla Wagon, PLL series, excellent condition, asking $1.6M Call: 625-2466 RZ BJJ 6568 Call: 668-6956 Pick up trucks, Toyota Tundra extended cab $1.9M, Ford ranger sports extended cab $1.9M Call: 682-5230, 621-4066 One Nissan FB13 Wagon, sick gear Call: 645-0025 1-192 Toyota Carina $860,000 Tel: 680-0143 1 AT 192 Car, HB series yellow, working & excellent codition, price $750,000 negotiable Call: 646-9417 One Pajero Junior, price $1.8M Call: 690-4154 1 AT 192 17’’ Rims, CD player, excellent condition Call: 6137553 or 664-5594 2005 H2 Hummer SUV Model, fully powered, leather, 22’’ rims system price negotiable 645-9977

GX620 Honda Welder Generator, 20HP, 14.9kw, 614cc, 270 amps, 2002 Toyota Tundra Call: 6115114, 220-4495 2005 Corolla NZE PNN series $2.4M, Dodge Caravan GPP Call: 615-4114 2007 Toyota Allion $3.1M, 2007 Avensis $3.8M & 2006 BMW 320i $6M negotiable, all vehicles unregistered Call: 615-4114 1- Noah, unregistered $2.5M negotiable , 1- Toyota Wish $2.850 Tel: 648-6869 Mercedes Benz A 140, Automatic, fully powered PMM, 37,000km $2.6M cash Call: 621-4000, 227-3939, 6906000 2005 H2 Hummer SUV Model, fully powered, leather, 22’’ rims system price negotiable 645-9977 Stretch Limousine Lincoln town car, perfect condition, perfect for rentals, weddings etc, realistic offer accepted Call: 621-4000 Generators Mitsubishi, silent diesel with storage tank 28KVA, Key start next to new $1.5M Call: 621-4000, 6906000, 227-3939 2009 Trident car, brand new, never registered $950,000, Guyana Variety Store & Nut Centre 621-4000, 227-3939 Grand Cherokee Loredo Jeep, automatic power window locks, projection led lights cash $1.5M Call: 6214000, 690-6000, 227-3939 2006 Toyota Tacoma 4 WD automatic, unregistered on wharf, need minor works sold as is $3.6M firm Call: 6214000, 227-3939 Mercedes Benz S300, automatic luxury car, fully leather, fully powered 19’’ negotiable armoured $3.5M cash Call: 621-4000 Unregistered Fielder & Cami $2.3M Call: 641-1127 QUANTUM AUTO – Toyota Premio, Dark Grey, Black & Silver, Spacio, Fielders & Raum, Fully Loaded Call: 6247684, 617-2378 One Nissan Laurel car $400,000, one Bedford Lorry $500,000 Call: 677-3406 DRESS MAKING 6-weeks course in designing/ dressmaking. Call Sharmela: 225- 2598, 641- 0784

One scrap Model M truck, complete with winch Call: 690-2793 Trally to accommodate bobcat & excavator 8’’-10’’x175’’ Call: 644-8610, 688-0240 LEARN TO DRIVE Soman & Sons Driving School, First Federation Building Call: 225-4858, 6445166, 622-2872, 615-0964 PEN PAL Female 30 yrs, American Citizen looking for male friend, send profile & full body picture to P.O Box 101702

Playstation3 & Xbox360 original game disc. ‘Ninja Gaiden Max Payne 3’etc, low prices Call: 609-8132 (Max) RABBITS FOR SALE CALL: 600-0814 MAC STUDIO FIX POWDERS $7,900, SACHA 2in1 $2,000 MAKE UP – top Brands, BLACK OPAL $2,700 Tel :647 -1773 Used landline phones for disposal. Any reasonable offer accepted Call: 225-1315 ext 2166

VACANCY IT Manager must have degree in computer. Call: 2200401-3 or email: recuruitment guyana@qualfon.com Hire Car Drivers wanted preferably from E.C.D Contact A-1 Taxi: 220-1000.

Yellow cars with drivers wanted 1 Driver salesman with lorry licence Call: 220-1500, 6144626 Survival Shopping Complex, 173 Sheriff Street needs supervisors, evening cashiers and cleaners Call: 227-5286-90 Driver for party rental service, within the vicinity of Parka to V/Hoop, must be able to work flexible hours.

Tel # 638-1627 One (1) hairdresser and one (1) nail technician Call Amanda/Odessa 675-2325, 679-4954 Gardener/handyman labours ID & NIS cards, Police Clearance, Apply Gardenland Nursery Lot 1 Brickdam Stabroek .

Office Clerk, minimum 3 subjects CSEC, Apply : Avinash Water Street 2263361/227-7828 Cashier, Bartender, Experienced Cooks, Pastry Makers, Waiter. Restaurant, 78 Hadfield St. Tel: 223-6284, 223-6285.

Male Receptionist, Maids, Handyman. Hotel – 2259211.

Be part of our world class customer care team . Phone: 220-0401-3 or email: recruitmentguyana@ qualfon.com

New Sony 1-7 DVD/CD duplicator $100,000, used laptops $80,000 Tel: 2341473,621-7497 Granite, various colors, size 2"x8" with backsplash, generators & cement mixers Call: 223-0943 Mon-Fri 9am4pm 19Ft Bass tracker, boat with trailer in excellent condition Call: 223-0943 Mon-Fri 9am4pm 1 Mitsubishi L200 4X4 D/ Cabs 2500cc PGG series Call: 225-3553 12000 BTU A/C , stoves Call: 675-3093 Clean garden earth and Bobcat rental, excavating, clearing and leveling, call: 616- 0617, 663- 3285 5 Clarke forklifts 2000-4000lbs lifting imported USA, need basic servicing, sold as is $400,000 & up Call 621-4000, 690-6000 Projection television from 40’’ to 80’’ minor problems, sold as is price $75,000, make cash offer Guyana Variety Store Call: 227-3939 Hot point electric stove with oven, GE & Whirlpool fridge, Brown stoves four burners oven. Call 655 1341

Vreed-en-Hoop House Lots, Call: 658-0115 Roraima Housing Scheme (Gate Community), Plantation Versailles, West Bank Demerara. Lot 7 12,596 sq ft $18M Negotiable Call: 618-5070 Roraima Housing Scheme (Gate Community), Plantation Versailles, West Bank Demerara. Lot 146 27,775 sq ft $38M Negotiable Call: 618-5070 17,500 sq ft land Blankenburg Fellowship area suitable for business development $22M Price negotiable Call: 718-7571106, 675-8941, 265-6019 9 Acres of land-Chicken farm completed with everything to rare 25,000 chickens, fully equipped $65M Call: 6626212 32 Acres for sale, Lot 5 Content Mahaicony E.C.D, $256,000.00 (USD) Call: 813319-4219 or rpooran@tampabay.rr.com Diamond $6M, $3.5M, $4.5M, $4.8M, Samantha Point $3.8M, Nandy Park $14M, Shell Road $16M Steve 699-5490 Nandy Park 60x100 $12M, Diamond land with foundation $5.5M,$3.5M Town to country 6727390,225-0843 Diamond 17St. corner lot $4.5M, Diamond $4.8M,$3M, $8M Town to country 6727390,225-0843 DATING SERVICE Immediate link-Singles 18-80 yrs.Confidential: Tel: 2238237,648-6098. 8:30am5:00pm Mon-Sun (Both phones same hours) NO TEXTING TAXI SERVICE Airport Taxi $3800 Call: 6149246

CAR RENTAL Progressive auto rental, cars from $4,000 per day.

Call: 643-5122, 656-0087, www.progressiveautorental.com TOURS Suriname Summer Vacation trip, Zoo Cinema Shopping Casino, 1 to 4 September Call: 644-0185, 639-2663, 665-5171, 2278290

FABS RENTAL, cars & SUV rental, call: 600- 6890 or email fabsrental@yahoo.com Aidan’s car, pick up & canter rental Call: 698-7807 (Continued on page 57)

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 57

GUYANA’S SQUASH TEAMS MAKE BOTH FINALS (From page 56)

TO LET One 2 bedrooms furnished apartment, parking & Wifi, for foreign guests Call: 2227891, 609-9202 Fully furnished 1 & 2 bedrooms apartments AC, Hot water, internet US$40 nightly. Contact 231-6721 & 674-8300. Long & short term 1 Bedroom house, large living room and kitchen, suit couple Call: 688-3810 between 2am-5pm Fully furnished short term apartments, Eccles Call: 6797139 Stevedore Scheme , North Ruimveldt , three bedroom flat (rental for one month) $40,000 monthly Call: 6123194,223-8258 Church St. $4500US, A/c office space South Road $3500US parking space Steve 699-5490 Ogle $100,000, Alberttown (business) $100,000, Bel Air US$1000, Subryanville US$1500 Diana 227-2256, 626-9382

Guyana’s Men’s Team upset the number one seed Barbados in Friday’s semifinal match, while the ladies were through to their finals which were scheduled for yesterday at the Caribbean Squash Championships in Trinidad and Tobago.

There was no shortage of suspense in the hotly contested match up. The first match saw Guyana’s number 5 Deje Dias up against Mark Gilkes. Young Dias played excellent squash but was outplayed by the more experienced Gilkes who claimed first blood for

Barbados 11/8, 11/8, 11/6.

Next up was the much anticipated match between national champion Alex Arjoon and five-time Barbados National Champ Shawn Simpson. Simpson has been a top regional player for many years and on paper was expected to beat Arjoon.

However, young Arjoon, now playing college squash in the US prepared a different script for the match and took the opening game despite the fast and furious pace that Simpson is known for in Caribbean squash. Simpson is considered the hardest

Highlighting the inaccuracies and...

From page 59 one length of the pool.

If one is to take the statement at face value, it would then be more accurate to say that all the swimmers who swam against Van Lange proved that they were not hard to beat bearing in mind her overall performance.

To single out the local swimmers before the end of the competition and to make such a harsh statement can only be described as insensitive and unfounded as at least one other swimmer in the age group, Athena Gaskin, went on to secure individual medals. Two of the swimmers who swam this race, and all the others they participated in, did so with injuries.

Soroya Simmons, in particular, had only two weeks before come out of a foot cast and then had reinjured the same foot a day before the start of the competition.

She limped throughout the Meet but was determined that she would swim and could not rob the girls’ relay team of a chance to medal and the team as a whole in securing valuable points, which they did on all three occasions they swam as a relay team.

She had trained only minimally just before the Meet.

Steffi DeNobrega could have also easily given in to her knee injury but instead she pushed that aside and did her best. These girls could benefit from positive coverage or none at all if it will not boost their morale or do anything positive for their psyche.

To clarify how the relay race progressed on Day 1, Simmons who swam the third leg had already begun to close the gap that had been created and had reduced it significantly when Van Lange took over for what was less

than one length of the pool to finish the race. The team and the Guyanese spectators at the pool were happy that Van Lange finished off the race in the manner that she did, and we are happy about all her achievements, but a relay team is a relay team.

Your newspaper in the later article again leaves one to wonder if we were witnessing the same relay race on day 3. Simmons who has borne the brunt of misinformation is again described in a negative way as making a “blunder” in being slow off the [sic] “kick board” and in trailing in handing over to Van Lange.

In the first instant, Simmons got off the starting block in good time and when she handed over the last leg to Van Lange she was ahead of the Trinidad swimmer who swam the same leg as her. Van Lange finished off wonderfully and with a significant lead but she had no deficit to clear.

I wish to applaud the efforts of a relatively inexperienced Team Guyana who did not have the opportunity or time to train as the other visiting teams.

While we had hoped we would win medals, our main aim was to secure as many points possible as we did not have the numbers similar to the other teams we competed against.

Congratulations to Britany Van Lange who won the girls 15-19 age group award and who represented Guyana superbly during the Meet. I also wish to publicly congratulate all the other medalists, those who did not medal but improved their personal best times, and to especially thank the out of town swimmers who gained Guyana some valuable points.

Jean La Rose Team Manager

hitter on the regional scene.

Simpson bounced back to take the second but Arjoon maintained his composure to take the third. He played the most intelligent squash of his tournament, forcing the aggressive Simpson to make many uncharacteristic mistakes. With a 2-1 lead Arjoon did not ease up and kept pace with his opponent until 7-7 when Simpson pulled a hamstring and could not finish the game. That gave Arjoon the match 11/6, 5/11, 11/4, 11/7.

Guyana’s number one Richard Chin then took to the court to face current Barbados national champion Gavin Cumberbatch who beat him in the finals of the Barbados last month. Chin avenged his recent loss with a systematic dismantling of

his opponent who had few answers for one of the most intelligent players ever to come out of the Caribbean.

Chin made short work of the match and won 11/3, 11/6, 11/ 4 to give Guyana a 2-1lead in the tie.

Barbados now needed to win the fourth to force a fifth match tiebreaker so the pressure was now on Guyana’s overseas based player Jamal Callender to deny them that opportunity.

The rallies were long and hard fought with both players putting everything on the line. The experienced Rhett Cumberbatch raced to a two games to one lead but Callender composed himself, played steady and won the fourth game to take the match to a final fifth game. After the lead changed hands a few

times, the Bajan established a 7-5 lead and the gallery was buzzing with excitement as it looked like the Barbadian was about to force a fifth match winner take all. At this point Callender seem to enter a no mistake zone and rattled off six consecutive points to take the game and match giving Guyana an unassailable 3-1 lead.

The final match was between Julian Chin and Barbados 2011 national champ Bryant Cumberbatchone of three brothers on the Bajan team. Chin lost the dead rubber 11/8, 2/11, 8/11, 8/11.

The Guyanese Ladies had the day off but had already advanced to the finals. They were to play Barbados, while the Men were to face host nation Trinidad and Tobago yesterday.

Devers requires urgent Brain surgery Brain Surgery for International Cricket Broadcaster and Journalist Sean Devers is needed as soon as possible and the former Guyana Cricketer is scheduled to return to Trinidad as soon as the balance of the cost for surgery is secured.

Devers visited the Brain Surgeon in February and again this month for tests and evaluation on a brain Tumor which has grown by 50% since it was first diagnosed in January.

He is also being affected by seizures caused by the tumor.

In February surgery was not recommended but due to the rate of growth, Brain Surgeon Dr Robert Ramcharran feels surgery is the best option now and says the Broadcaster who covers cricket for the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) and the BBC World Service has only a 10% chance of his speech being affected by the Operation in addition to weakness to his right side since the tumor is located in his left brain.

A signed and stamped invoice from the St Clair Medical Centre in Port of Spain indicates the estimated cost for the Surgery is

approximately US$25,000, while the overall cost, which includes traveling, accommodation and post surgery care, is estimated at US$35,000.

According to Dr Rambarran, the surgery should last about three hours after which Devers will be in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for two days and in the Hospital for five days before a three month recovery period.

“God is a great God and everything is in his hands. The support from everyone in and outside of Guyana has been overwhelming and I thank everyone,” Devers said. He added that the restriction on his life, his inability to do any International cricket work this year and the physiological aspects of his illness have been his biggest worries.

A facebook page (Sean Devers brain surgery fund) has been created out of New York and donations can be deposited in Guyana Bank for Industry (GBTI) account number SICA865736. The swift code for those donating from North America and the Caribbean is GUYIGYGE. Devers can be contacted on telephone number 666-5661.

Trinidad and Tobago triumphs as...

From back page who had shown remarkable resilience against the local players last Friday, failed to replicate his feat after experiencing debilitating fortunes.

He surrendered his first three encounters to Patricia John (50), Yates (69) and Alexander (30) and the situation got worseduring the post lunch sessions after he lost all three of his games to Ross (28), Modeste (90) and Charles (151).

The Trinidadian players were obviously still incensed over their losing first round performance against the hosts and decided to transfer their venom to the Bajans.

When the first sitting had concluded the scorecard read 5-1 in favour of the Trinis.

They intensified their efforts in the second sitting and carted off all six sets before the Barbadians rebounded in

the final pre-lunch set with 4 of the 6 games.

The Trinidadians returned to their winning ways, notching up five of the six games in the immediate post lunch sitting and followed up with 4 clear wins in the penultimate set.

Barbados refused to be subdued and ended the session with three of the six games.

Their efforts were, however, insufficient and they ended up in the cellar just behind the host nation.

The players return to the same venue this morning to

contest the individual championship and judging from the high quality of play during the team championships, defending champion, Fred Collins will have to dig deep to retain the accolade he won in Trinidad two years ago.

His staunchest opponents are Trinidadian Leslie Charles, Barbadian, Bullock local champion, McDonald and Barbadian, DeSouza.

Today’s action commences at 10:00hrs, while registration was conducted yesterday afternoon upon completion of the team championships.

Page 58

Kaieteur News

Sunday August 26, 2012

Graeme Smith and South Africa Going the distance to come full circle!”

Colin E. H. Croft Amazingly, by beating England in the recent 3-Test cricket series, South Africa has completed the circle!

That ensured that the “Proteas”, as they are known, replacing the old “Springboks”, are rated No. 1 in Test cricket. What a truly unbelievably, massive effort, given limited time-span!

It was only 20 year ago, 1991/2, that South Africa resurfaced from isolation in world sports, restarting its emergence as a sporting entity. SA’s sports were never dead, far from it, but now, it is so very alive!

SA’s swimming results from London Olympics 2012 surprised many, even if especially two swimming gold medals; 100m breaststroke, won by Cameron van der Burgh, and Chad le Clos, edging USA’s hero Michael Phelps, in 200m butterfly; could be expected. After all, South Africa has magnificent beaches!

Totally unexpected, though, was that they also won at such diverse events as rowing, which, like equestrian, has always been thought of as being upper class, not for ‘blue collar’ athletes.

South Africa’s rowing men’s lightweight four; James Thompson, Matthew Brittain, John Smith and especially lone black man in that crew, Sizwe Ndlovu; broke barriers - racial, class, even economical - to emerge ahead of more recognized and experienced Great Britain and Denmark!

Even now, experiencing rugby in South Africa, as I have many times, in especially old Boer strongholds - Pretoria or Eastern Provinces - is something to behold, with 120,000 verging on delirium,

Graeme Smith especially if South Africa should beat England, New Zealand, or great nemesis, Australia.

Having played for victorious West Indies, circa 1970/80’s, at Queens Park Oval, with, back then, nearly 35,000 absolutely vociferous patrons, or Melbourne Cricket Ground, with 100,000 people shouting “kill” to Australian players, v West Indies, I know how crowds can make sportsmen sweat really hard.

Nothing can duplicate SA’s rugby euphoria, depicted in director Clint Eastwood’s epic, “Invictus”, with Morgan Freeman as “Madiba” - Nelson Mandela, Matt Damon as SA’s captain, Francois Pienaar, and Mc Neil Hendriks, who gave a performance of a lifetime, as Chester Williams, only black player on that South African ‘Springboks’ rugby team, that, extremely unexpectedly, won 1995’s Rugby World Cup. As Variety’s film critic Todd Mc Carthy wrote: ‘Inspirational on the face of it, Clint Eastwood’s film has a predictable trajectory, but every scene brims with surprising details that accumulate into a rich fabric of history, cultural impressions and emotion.’

Somehow, that also describes our own “Fire in Babylon!”

Most of us grew up hearing wonders about South

Africa’s massive 1960’s cricket team. Peter and Graeme Pollock, Ali Bacher, Trevor Goddard, Lee Irvine, Eddie Barlow, Mike Proctor, Barry Richards, all of whom I have met or played against, plowed the way for the new, successful, determined South Africa.

That country’s continuing cricket direction, on the field, at least, comes from one man now; one man only; Graeme “Biff” Craig Smith. Aged 31, he has shepherded his country’s players with a strength that probably comes from his own inspirations by Madiba. “Biff” has fully been “The Colossus of Transvaal!”

Smith was just 11 when South African came back to real international cricketing involvement, so his memories would be very fresh and poignant. By Test debut, at 21, v Australia 2002, Cape Town, under the unfortunate Mark Boucher’s captaincy, everyone recognized that a born leader had arrived!

After that diabolically undermining Hanse Cronje case, with SA’s incumbent captain being found guilty of match fixing, then with SA’s, led by Shaun Pollock, inability to make even the semi-finals while hosting ICC Word Cup 2003, governing Cricket South Africa decided that a pertinent change was very necessary.

That change was to give Graeme Smith overall team captaincy, aged only 22, by May 2003. It showed that maturity which has emphasized South Africa’s approach to becoming No. 1 in the real cricket world!

Gary Kirsten, who has taken his own circle to be the present victorious coach, having done the same for India, one of the best allrounders who ever lived,

Colin E. H. Croft Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Sean Pollock and even Allan Donald, with their extensive experiences and age differential, could have pouted. They did not!

Instead, all, and those who came afterwards too, from Makhaya Ntini and Herschell Gibbs, to the likes of J.P. Duminy, Hashim Amla, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and AB De Villiers, have bought into the steadfastness and steel of Graeme Smith, the fully acknowledged leader of this pack!

That Smith has led from the front is an understatement. He gives no quarter and asks none. He is not political but so focused that it is very difficult to even try to undermine that visage of success and hope.

Smith has a tremendous record as an opening batsman: 102 Tests, 8314 runs, average 49.78. He also has 182 ODI’s 6598 runs, average 39.04; and 33 T-2-I’s, 982 runs, average 31.67.

Those are tremendous statistics, especially for one who has to endure pitches, first, everywhere world-wide!

Test’s No. 1 team must endeavor, immediately, to win the one accolade that has eluded them thus far; to win a major world championship competition. Now must be the time for Graeme Smith. Enjoy!

Cavalier Sports Club end Race Walk Camp The Cavalier Sports and Tour Club, the main promoters of Race Walking in Guyana successfully completed their annual two-week Race Walk youth camp at the club’s Headquarters, Back Road, Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara.

The two week Junior Race Walkers camp was held as part of the club’s ninth Race Walk month of activities presently being held under the theme ‘A growing popularity –Race Walking in Guyana’.

The Junior Race Walkers were taught on the basics of Race Walking, the Laws of the Sport, Nutritional Values, the

environment and the country’s tourism sector.

The two-week camp was funded by Public Service Minister Dr Jennifer Webster MP, Dr Lionel Da Silva, Managing Director Da Silva House of Optics and Herdmanston Lodge.

Coordinator of the CS.TC, Ms. Olga Harry said she was pleased with the interest shown by the young Race Walkers and stressed the need for more races to be staged countrywide.

“We have an abundance of young talent countrywide but we need more

sponsorship to develop and expand the sport of Race Walking,” the coordinator emphasized that the club is working to revitalize the sport locally.

Meanwhile, the CSTC has designated Saturday August 25 as the ‘Junior Race Walkers Day’. A 10k race Walk was staged in Back Road, Soesdyke and a get together later in the evening.

Meanwhile, a 10k Race Walk is scheduled for today around Melanie, Damishana East Coast Demerara.

The race commences at the Old Complex, proceed

around the community ending at the place of origin. Trophies and other incentives will be at stake for Male and Female senor and juniors, veterans and differently abled.

Activities continue on September 1 with the East Berbice Race Walk beginning at 06:30hrs beginning at the New Amsterdam Town Hall ending at Guysuco, Rose Hall Canje.

The month’s activities come to an end on Sunday September 2 with the Linden Race Walk commencing at 06:30hrs at Watooka House and proceeding to the Linden Bandstand for the finish.

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 59

Parashutam, Persaud hit Hikers Hockey Club holds successful Gatorade Junior camp half centuries as U-17

fixture ends in stalemate Zorg SC take U-19 honours

Participants of the recently concluded hockey camp take a photo op after one of the sessions.

The Hikers Hockey Club successfully concluded its Gatorade sponsored Junior Hockey camp with a mini tournament for the participants at the St. Stanislaus College Forum.

The camp was deemed a success by the club since it attracted 43 children ranging in ages from 4 to 16 years, over the two week period. This

group included 30 children who had never picked up a hockey stick before. The club also achieved its secondary objective of training young coaches to teach the basics of hockey to the next generation, since junior coaches from the GCC, Old Fort, Saints and Hikers hockey teams all took part in running daily sessions at the

camp. Apart from teaching the basics of hockey, the camp also featured video sessions, football, coordination drills, basic rules of hockey, fun games and an interactive goalkeeping demonstration conducted by national women’s team goalkeepers Alysa Xavier and Jonelle Webster.

DDL sales manager Alexis

Langhorne also gave the camp participants a talk about the importance of proper hydration in sport. At the conclusion of the camp each participant was presented with Pepsi silicone bands, Gatorade information brochures, a Hockey Core Skills DVD and contact information for all four Hockey Clubs that helped conduct the camp.

All roads lead to Port Mourant Turf Club for Guyana Cup Horserace meet - Trophy Stall donates Neville Sunich Memorial trophy for top jockey All roads lead to the Port Mourant Race Track, Corentyne today as the Jumbo Jet Auto Sales stages the 6th Annual Guyana Cup Horserace Meet from 12:00noon.

Most of the country’s leading racehorses will be on show today and a large turnout is anticipated as fans will be part of the excitement expected to unfold as the horses and jockeys battle for the $30M in prize money and trophies on offer.

Ramesh Sunich of the Trophy Stall continued his support for the sport and

sports in general by donating the Neville Sunich trophy that will go to the champion jockey. Neville was atop jockey and knowledgeable on the sport in the years gone by and his son Ramesh had agreed some years ago to donate the trophy for the top jockey in his father’s memory.

The main attraction on the day’s programme is the ‘A & Lower over a distance of 1400m, carries a first prize of 3 million dollars with a second prize of half that amount. The third and fourth place finishers will win $750,000 and $375,000 respectively.

Then there is the race among the 3 years old horses over a similar distance where the winner receives 2 million dollars. The 2nd to 4th place finishers receive $1,000,000, $500,000 and $250,000 respectively.

The two years old animals will compete over a distance of 1000m and the winner rides off with one million dollars.

The second place finisher will get $500,000, while the 3rd and 4th places receive $250,000 and $125,000 respectively.

The other races on for the day are the E & Lower, F &

===Letter to the Sports Editor===

Highlighting the inaccuracies and insensitivity of two recent newspaper stories DEAR EDITOR, I write in relation two articles appearing in the sports section of the Guyana Times covering the 18th Goodwill Swim Meet, those of August 19 and 20 entitled “Van Lange propels Guyana to relay gold” and “Guyana end on high note”. While I

am appreciative of the efforts of the newspaper to cover swimming, the inaccuracies and insensitivity in the two stories have left at least one swimmer disappointed by the coverage and somewhat discouraged about the way she is portrayed.

The first article which

described the progress of the first relay race said that apart from Van Lange, the other swimmers had “proved that they were not hard to beat” and that Van Lange, in winning the race for Guyana, had to close a gap of over 25M, in other words more than (Continued on page 57)

Lower, G & Lower, 3 years Old Open, 2 years old Open, H & Lower, 13 & Lower and the Division 1, 2 & 3 event.

Middle order batsmen Rocky Parashutam and Vikash Persaud slammed contrasting half centuries as the two innings one day U-17 cricket match between Alfred Maycock XI and South Essequibo XI, which was organised by the South Essequibo Cricket Development Committee, ended in a tame draw recently at the Zorg cricket ground on the Essequibo Coast.

Maycock XI won the toss and elected to bat first on a track with preparation moisture and managed 139-9 off their allocation of 20 overs.

Parashutam was their leading run getter with 66 (7X4) as Randy Rooplall, Shane Wong and Christopher Latchman captured two wickets each for South XI, who responded with 142-7 off their 20 overs. David Williams and Insaaf Latchman scored 31 and 23 respectively as Vikash Persaud picked up 3-21.

Maycock XI, in their second turn at the crease, declared on 128-5 off 23 overs. Vikash Persaud led the scoring with 56 (5x6), while Parashutam supported with 36 (3x4,2x6). Randy Rooplall took 3-11 to end with match figures of 5-25.

Needing to score 126 for victory with 45 minutes of play remaining in the final session, South XI finished on 64-6 in 16 overs when the umpires called off play due to bad light. Isaiah Latchman made 37, while Norman Singh was unbeaten on 15.

Vikash Persaud claimed 2-13 and Rocky Parashutam grabbed 2-30 for Maycock XI. Meanwhile, former president of Bartica Cricket Committee, Edward Skeete, presented one bat each to Orlando Jailall and David Williams for being the leading U-15 and U-17 batsman respectively at the coaching clinic which started recently in the area.

Meanwhile, in a U-19 40-over match, which was organised on Sunday last at the said venue, Zorg Sports Club got the better of South XI by 2 wickets. South scored 138 all out in 32 overs after taking first strike. Javid Azeez stroked 47 and got support from Navindra Sarabjeet 23. Elvin Narine was the leading bowler for Zorg with 4-11, while Shivnarine Narine had 3-19. Zorg then responded with 140-8 in 30 overs. Raul Rooplall finished unbeaten on 38 and Ravindra Singh chipped in with an attacking 28. Azeez showed his all-round ability by taking 4-23.

Coach Forbes Daniels thanked the business community for their support and said the games were organised as part of the cricket development programme in the area.

(Zaheer Mohamed)

Hemraj’s unbeaten ton spurs Guyana to win against Bajans Chanderpaul Hemraj fashioned an impressive maiden ton to lead Guyana to a 40-run victory fifth round win against host Barbados yesterday at the Foursquare Oval as the South Americans remained leaders in the WICB Regional Under-19 50-over tournament.

Hemraj finished unbeaten on 100, while Shimron Hetmyer continued his good form with 60 as Guyana, hunting their first ever oneday win at this level since the competition began in 1998, reached 237-9 off their allotted 50 overs.

Left arm spinner Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai and leg spinner Shawn Pereira then bagged two wickets each to help restrict second placed Barbados, with two matches left in the competition, to 197-9 off 50

overs.

Guyana face the Leewards in their final match tomorrow before drawing the final round bye on Wednesday.

Scores: At Foursquare Oval: Guyana won by 40 runs. GUYANA 237 for nine off 50 overs (Chanderpaul Hemraj 100 not out, Shimron Hetmyer 60; Jameel Stuart 3-30, Chad Williams 3-39) BARBADOS 197 for nine off 50 overs (Shai Hope 45, Marlon WelcomeGoodman 42, Shayne Moseley 26, Carlos Maynard 23; Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai 2-32, Shawn Pereira 2-34) At Banks Brewery SC: Jamaica won by two wickets.

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 217 all out off 48.3 overs (Vikash Mohan 76, Ewart Nicholson 36, Jeremy Solozano 30; Oshane Walters 4-41, Christopher Powell 2-33,

Bryan Gayle 2-40) JAMAICA 218 for eight off 49.2 overs (Bryan Gayle 104, Brandon King 30, Oshane Walters 25; Jovan Ali 3-26, Addrien Daniel 2-29, Anthony Simmons 2-60) At LIME SC: Windwards won by 42 runs.

WINDWARDS 171 for nine off 29 overs (Gidron Pope 72 not out, Taryck Gabriel 25; Manny Aulakh 2-25, Rayankhan Pathan 2-28) ICC AMERICAS 129 for eight off 29 overs (Kamau Leverock 56, Akash Shah 28; Ray Jordan 3-38, Preston McSween 2-15) ROUND 6 - MONDAY, AUGUST 27 Guyana vs Leewards at LIME SC, Wildey Jamaica vs ICC Americas at Foursquare Oval Windwards vs Barbados at Kensington Oval BYE: T&T

Page 60

Kaieteur News

Sunday August 26, 2012

World Cup Qualifiers Legal luminaries slam government on non support for Horseracing delicately poised Guyana’s flagship football team, the ‘Golden Jaguars’, ranked 109th in the FIFA Coca Cola World Rankings, will be taking on potent Central America opposition El Salvador, ranked 64th in the world in two all-important away and home Group B, 2014 World Cup Qualifiers on September 7th and 11th respectively.

Although the ‘Golden Jaguars’ lost both their opening encounters to CONCACAF powerhouses Mexico and Costa Rica in June that may have dampened the spirits and enthusiasm of football fans in the nation. However, the situation in the group with regards to fixtures and form of their opponents in the group, means that positive results versus El Salvador can propel the Golden Jaguars into a position of strength and renewed hope.

El Salvador, qualifiers of two World Cups in its history - 1970 and 1982 - form has been equally patchy, currently similar to Guyana’s. On the recent FIFA friendly international date on August 15, they were outplayed 2-0

by Caribbean powerhouses, Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz; the same Jamaican side that the Golden Jaguars lost to by a 10 margin in May. With both teams acutely aware of each other’s performance presently, the stakes cannot be higher as the teams prepare to lock horns in two weeks’ time.

Also on the same dates, while the Guyana/El Salvador clash will be in full swing, Costa Rica will be engaged in a difficult home/away tie against Mexico, when it is very possible they can be defeated in both games and be pointless.

Therefore an hypothetical scenario in which Costa Rica lose both their matches against Mexico; and Guyana can conjure up a pair of wins

‘Golden Jaguars’ face crucial double header vs El Salvador next month or a win and a draw can conceivably put the ‘Golden Jaguars’ back into second place in this group. However this cannot happen without local support especially in the return game on September 11th at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

CROWD SUPPORT INCENTIVE The Guyana Football Federation is therefore appealing to football fans and followers for the home game on September 11th to come out early and make the Providence Stadium a very hostile venue for the Salvadorians.

When Guyana visits El Salvador first at the almost 40,000 seat, Estadio Cuscatlan, their fans will certainly not be indulging in any lenient overtures towards the ‘Golden Jaguars’ on the evening of September 7th.

In the global football world, the importance of home support cannot be understated or overlooked.

When Guyana was in Mexico at the world famous Estadio Azteca in June, the team experienced this dynamic, first hand.

An hour before kick-off the stadium was already half filled and by the time it was kick-off, a noisy, raucous, passionate and ferocious atmosphere greeted the Golden Jaguars which set the tone for the entire game. This was also experienced when Guyana played Bolivia, in their recent International friendly.

As much as the crowd support for the recent high profile home fixtures against Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala and Costa Rica was present at Providence , the aforementioned scenario’s which were experienced overseas did not fully materialize with the local football enthusiasts.

To try and bridge this gap, the Guyana Football Federation will be allowing free parking at the National Stadium up to 19:00hrs or 7pm on September 11. So we encourage the national football Diaspora before the 20:00hrs or 8pm kick-off to be at the Stadium an hour before to set the perfect atmosphere for the home team and inversely an intimidating atmosphere for visiting El Salvador unit.

Tickets are available at Ashmin’s, High Street at $3,000 each. For Private Boxes persons can contact the Guyana Football Federation on 225-2906 or 227-8758.

SEPTEMBER 7TH AND 11TH, GROUP B FIXTURES: 7 September 2012 - Costa Rica v Mexico Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José7 September 2012 - El Salvador v Guyana Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador11 September 2012 Guyana v El Salvador Providence Stadium, Providence11 September 2012 - Mexico v Costa Rica Estadio Azteca, Mexico City

Record pace puts Lorenzo on pole for Czech MotoGP (Reuters) - Jorge Lorenzo blazed his way to pole position in Sunday’s Czech Grand Prix, twice setting the lap record in Brno yesterday as he looks to extends his championship lead.

The Spaniard raced the 5.4 km course in 1:55.799 on his Yamaha, scorching Valentino Rossi’s previous lap record of 1:56.145 from 2009. Earlier in qualifying, he had nipped Rossi’s best by one-thousandth of a second.

Britain’s Cal Crutchlow will start second in Sunday’s race after the Yamaha rider also bettered the 2009 mark with a 1:55.995 lap.

Spain’s Dani Pedrosa, second in the overall

standings and 18 points behind Lorenzo, will round out the front row on his Honda.

The day, though, belonged to Lorenzo, last season’s runner up and the 2010 world champion.

He will go for his sixth first-place finish and 11th podium spot of the season on Sunday.

Pedrosa, coming off his second victory of the season in Indianapolis last weekend, had looked a strong favourite for pole after setting the pace in final practice.

Rossi, a nine-times world champion across the classes but enduring another tough season for Ducati, was nearly a second off the pace.

Marcel Crawford

Cecil Kennard

By Samuel Whyte

countries; this country he said is woefully behind. His major disappointment is with the Government in that the Horseracing legislation has not been passed as yet. He stated that he personally drafted the document and it was given to the minister of Culture Youth and Sports Dr Frank Anthony a long time ago, and since then nothing has been done. The minister he noted had given a commitment to have it tabled in Parliament.

He said that, “For things to get better the government must come on board and work with the GHRA, they must give concessions and pass the legislation, which will help to regularize the sport.”

Mr. Crawford opined that Guyana can once again be the centre of Horseracing in the Caribbean, but the Government must assist, “They cannot play this lay back game.”

He is disappointed that the Government is sitting on its hands in terms of passing the necessary legislations. “In any country where sports are dominant the Governments play a leading role in assisting. They do not control, but assist.” According to popular opinion, taking in the last Olympics, several small Caribbean countries did extremely well, because they spend money and have a properly organised system, but in Guyana its’ only talk and politics.

Crawford also feels that there is need for a proper constituted GHRA which should lay down rules and stick to them stringently.

Guyana should also have its own rules and not use other countries rules. He however said that the rules can be in line or patterned after other countries in the Caribbean.

The tracks should always be in order if that is not so the horses will not give of their best. Mr. Crawford will be even more drastic and close most of the tracks and race at one venue, this he said will control the sport. He cited Trinidad which has only one race track.

One important ingredient missing in horseracing in Guyana is the stud book. The establishment of a Stud Book with supporting records is a necessary prerequisite for affiliation to the Jockey Club of UK and other countries. “Without a stud book our horses cannot race out of Guyana,” he affirmed.

Crawford stated that in days gone by, Guyana was the leading country when it came to Horseracing stating that persons from the Caribbean and South American use to come to Guyana and purchase horses and racehorses. Guyanese horses also used to go to other countries and win.

He said that, “Some of the persons coming into the sport are not interested in learning to do things properly and if there are no rules things will not be done properly.”

To be involved in horse racing takes a lot of money and the cost has gone up astronomically the men emphasized. They love horseracing and will do their bit to help it get back to previous years. But first the government must help to pass the legislation.

Like every activity in Guyana, the sport of Horseracing, although seemingly on the rise, has its fair share of problems. In fact according to some ‘old timers’ the sports is rapidly on the decline and probably in its worst state ever and most of that blame can be attributed to the sloth and non cooperation of the government especially the Ministry of Sports.

Recently two of Guyana’s leading brains and veteran horseracing personalities Senior Council Marcel Crawford and retired Chancellor of the Judiciary Cecil Kennard have both blasted the Government for its nonsupport in the horseracing fraternity, especially with the Government non-response to the passage of the Horseracing legislation.

Kennard, who is chairman of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Guyana Horseracing authority, stated that he does not want to be in charge of Horseracing at this time, but more involved in an advisory capacity, but the way things are going he is forced to assist.

He feels that since he has taken over at the helm things have improved. But feels more ought to be done.

He is blaming the lack of adequate legislation as the main nuisance for the sports still not being properly administered. Things are not to the level as it ought to be and people are still doing what they feel like, and we cannot nail them because there is no legislation he opined.

Kennard is unsure why the Government has not acted on the draft document which was handed to the Minister of Sport a long time ago, saying that its non-implementation remains the biggest concern of the IMC. He said that he is willing at any time to lead a delegation to have an urgent meeting with the Minister of Sports to sort any hindrances. He however hopes to meet the minister soon.

The former Judge said that since the establishment of the IMC a number of things have been done including the establishment of a number of committees to help with the smooth running of the sport. He is optimistic that something will be done sooner than later.

Senior Council Marcel Crawford was more candid. Crawford is very disappointed with what passes as horseracing nowadays. He feels that things are done in a haphazard way, with plenty of indiscipline and too much greed.

“Persons do not have any concerns for the horses; they are only interested in making a profit. There are also too much doping of horses and illegal betting. The horses are doped in the open in front of everyone, even on the track.” He opined that persons should be charged for doping the animals, because it’s cruelty.

He feels that a lot more needs to be done if the sport is to get back to the glory days of Durban Park and in line with other Caribbean

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 61

Anthony ‘Lambada’ Stanton former Guyana International 1988 - 1999 Guyana World Cup Captain 1996 Statistician Charwayne Walker continues his series of features on Guyana’s World Cup Football players. Today we are pleased to feature Anthony ‘Lambada’ Stanton.

Inspired by the brilliance of Trevor ‘Lannie’ Maxwell, Julian Moe, Rupert Gordon the late Oscar ‘Legs’ Rodney and Gerald Williams, Anthony ‘Lambada’ Stanton left GFC and headed for West Ruimveldt.

Although he possessed the skill, hunger and determination Allan Walker division-one team was a formidable unit so the young Stanton had to wait his time.

The man who scored 10 goals against Alpha United in the Premiere League, a feat that has not been emulated to date, was unlucky when he was omitted from the 1986 National Under-19 team that toured Canada for the Robbies competition.

Stanton’s first outing in National colours came in 1987 against Trinidad & Tobago in Port of Spain where the Patrice Ram led National Under-19 team lost the CFU Youth Championship opener 4-0.

He was outstanding in the return fixture which Guyana gave up 1-0 at Mackenzie Sports Club Ground. The following year, 1988, Stanton made his Senior International debut, again against the Twin Island Republic of Trinidad & Tobago at Camp Ayanganna

Ground in a World Cup Qualifier, Guyana going down 4-0. The return game saw the Guyanese losing 1-0.

Guyana missed the inaugural Shell Caribbean Cup because of FIFA Sanctions in 1989. The Land of Many Waters returned to the International fray in 1990 but Stanton was surprisingly omitted from the Godfrey Gibbons led Shell Caribbean Cup squad.

He celebrated his return to the National team with a brace against Aruba at GCC Ground, Bourda in Guyana in the 1991 Shell Cup opener.

In the next game against Suriname he {Stanton} netted the equalizer that eliminated Guyana’s old nemesis from the 1991 Shell Cup finals in Jamaica.

Also known as ‘Sir’ Anthony Stanton, the busy forward scored his fourth International goal against St. Lucia in the Shell Cup Finals in Kingston Jamaica when Guyana lost that encounter 4-1.

The following year, 1992 he scored is fifth International goal against Suriname, Guyana being edged in that World Cup Qualifier 2-1 at GCC Ground, Bourda.

His sixth goal was scored against French Guiana in a 21 loss at the Andre Kamperveen Stadium in Paramaribo in the 1992 Shell Caribbean Cup, while in his next match he scored goal

Anthony Stanton number 7 against Aruba when Guyana won 3-0.

Stanton’s last International in 1992 was a 11 draw with Suriname in a World Cup Qualifier at the Andre Kamperveen Stadium, Paramaribo. After the tournament Stanton, along with compatriots Ewart Grenville and Kevin Archer were contracted by Suriname clubs.

His eight International goal was scored against the Cayman Islands at GFC Ground, Bourda when Guyana opened the 1993 Shell Caribbean Cup with a 3-1 win; his next two games in that tournament were two losses to Puerto Rico and Barbados.

His next International assignment was December 1993 when Guyana toured

Three promising Tennis players off to Caribbean Development C/ships Three of Guyana’s promising junior Tennis players will participate in the 13 & Under Caribbean D e v e l o p m e n t Championships, which will take place from 27 August – 01 September in Tobago.

This tournament represents a significant part in the calendar of regional tournaments as it is the only developmental Tennis tournament for this critical age group in the region.

The tournament is organised by the ITF regional body, COTECC, and provides competitive opportunities for players in their early development. Countries expected to participate include Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Guyana, Jamaica, Netherland Antilles, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Suriname and host Trinidad and Tobago.

From left: Keshon Reis, Afruica Gentle and Khahid Gobin Representing Guyana are junior tennis players Afruica Gentle, who will compete in the Girl’s category and Khalid Gobin and Keshon Reis in the Boy’s. They will be accompanied by National Coach Shelly Ramdyhan.

The players trained as part of the junior development squad after being identified as prospects from the

ITF Schools Tennis Initiative which exposes players to mini tennis from ages 6-11.

Mini-Tennis involves introducing tennis to young children in a fun and active way. By utilising scaled-down equipment and playing surfaces, the children learn to enjoy the game quickly. Any flat surface from a school patio to a playground can be used.

T&T and played matches against Trinidadian Club teams. He scored in all three matches the National team contested.

His 9th senior goal came against French Guiana at the Andre Kamperveen Stadium, Paramaribo when Guyana lost that Shell Cup encounter on penalty kicks in May 1994.

The same year, Stanton signed his first Professional contract with Barbadian Club team Lambada. With his new club, Stanton toured the United Kingdom and played several matches. He also played professionally with Guy Hills, another Barbados Club.

He replaced Anson Austin as National Captain for the 1995 Copa Caribe tournament but Guyana was defeated in both matches against Barbados and was eliminated in the first round.

His next International series also in 1995 was for Western Tigers in the CFU Club Championship against a team from Curacao. In 1996 he scored his 10th senior International goal against Suriname at GFC Ground.

Although the Stanton led nationals won that game, Guyana was still eliminated because Suriname advanced on goal difference.

Two months before the Suriname encounter Guyana led by Stanton was defeated in two World Cup Qualifiers

by Grenada 2-1 at Bourda and 5-0 in St. George’s, Grenada.

His last tour in 1996 was as Captain of Team Guyana in a tournament in New York.

The next Year 1997 ‘Sir’ Stanton scored his 12th International goal, he actually netted the double that carried Guyana to a 2-0 win over French Guiana GFC. He also scored a double in the next game which ended 2-2.

Those two goals took Stanton’s International tally to 14 goals, only Collie Hercules who also finished with 14 goals and Nigel ‘Powers’ Codrington with 18 have more Senior International goals for Guyana than Stanton.

Flight problems caused Stanton to miss Guyana’s International campaign in 1998. Mr. Lambada played his

last International matches for Guyana in 1999, a 2-2 draw with Barbados at Bourda and a 2-0 loss to the same opponents in Bridgetown, Barbados.

INTERNATIONAL TOURS 1987 Trinidad - CFU Under-19 Championship 1988 Trinidad - World Cup Qualifier 1991 Jamaica – Caribbean Shell Cup Finals 1992 Suriname – Caribbean Shell Cup 1992 Suriname – World Cup Qualifier 1993 Trinidad – Goodwill Tour 1994 Suriname – Caribbean Shell Cup 1995 Barbados – Copa Caribe Championship 1995 Curacoa – CFU Club Championship 1995 United Kingdom with Lambada FC of Barbados 1996 New York with Team Guyana 1996 Grenada – World Cup Qualifier 1999 Suriname - Friendly International 1999 Barbados - Copa Caribe Championship

Guyanese players poised to book final spots as some matches rescheduled The Caribbean Badminton Championships (CAREBACO) being held in Dominican Republic continued yesterday Friday with some of the Guyanese players again advancing to the Quarter-Finals, Semifinals and Finals.

The 7 countries taking part are Guyana, Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica, Suriname, Puerto Rico, & Dominican Republic.

Priyanna Ramdhani advanced to the U-11 semis and was down to play for a spot in the final yesterday.

The following results on Day Two are as follows.

Under-11 Girls Singles Semi-Finals: Priyanna Ramdhani advance to the finals after defeating Paola Feliz of Dominican Republic: 21-2, 21-4 Under-11 Mixed Doubles Quarter-Finals: Priyanna Ramdhani & Adam Taylor of Barbados defeated Edison Ramirez & Esteisy Natera of Dominican Republic: 21-11, 21-8 Under-13 Mixed Doubles: Cindy Sookwah & Reid Rhys of Jamaica got a walk over from Juan Medina & Arisleyda Javier of Dominican Republic in the first round and also got a walk

Priyanna Ramdhani over from Anderson Eliezer & kayla Moran of Dominican Republic in the Quarter-Finals to reach the Semi-Finals.

Under-15 Boys Single Quarter-Finals: Narayan Ramdhani played against Rafeli Perez of Dominican Republic with the first game going to 20-19 in favour of Narayan Ramdhani when the match had to be

stopped because of the hurricane which brought heavy winds and black-out to the venue. This match was to continue yesterday with the last point which Narayan is looking for to win the first game.

Under-15 Boys Doubles Quarter-Finals: Narayan Ramdhani & Omari Joseph defeated Jehu Gaskin & Dominic Howard of Barbados: 21-11, 21-15 to reach the Semi-Finals.

Under-15 Girls Doubles Quarter-Finals: Arian Kayume & Shanique Shepherd of Jamaica lost to Iesha Gordon & Taylor-Ann chin-Quee:2113/ 21-14 Under-15 Mixed Doubles Round 2: Narayan Ramdhani & Shanique Shepard of Jamaica defeated Carlos Colscou & Eli Feliz of Dominican Republic: 21-11, 21-14 Under-15 Girls Singles Round 2: Arian Kayume lost to Eli Feliz of Dominican Republic: 21-9, 21-13 Under-17 Mixed Doubles Round 1: Greer Jackson & Vikash Maraj of Trinidad lost to Niam Mohammed & Kristi RenoSingh: 21-18, 21-4.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday August 26, 2012

GFF presents winners of Super and Women’s Inter Association Leagues with prizes Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United and Georgetown received their cheques for winning the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Super League and Women’s Inter Association tournament when that entity held a presentation ceremony yesterday at its Dadanawa Section ‘K’ Campbellville, Headquarters.

Like Alpha United, the Georgetown women have won the respective tournaments for the third consecutive year. For their efforts, Alpha collected the first place prize of One Million dollars with runner-up team BK Int. Western Tigers pocketing $500,000, Linden’s Amelia’s Ward United placed third and received $300,000 with the fourth prize of $200,000 going to Berbice’ Rosignol United.

The GFF Super League, sponsored by FIFA under the Win in CONCACAF with CONCACAF Initiative lasted for 17 weeks with a total of 45 matches played among the 10 teams.

Amelia’s Ward was also named the Fair Play team with Alpha United’s Head Coach Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover copping the Best Coach award.

Alpha dominated the individual prizes with Forward Anthony Abrams named MVP and joint highest goal scorer a prize he shared with Rosignol United’s Delroy Fraser; both ending the league with 10 goals apiece.

The Best Goalkeeper was Alpha’s Richard Reynolds.

The champions ended as the only unbeaten team with a record of 8 wins and one draw in their 9 matches to accumulate 25 points. They scored a total of 32 goals with 5 against.

Western Tigers ended

Anthony Abrams is MVP & joint highest goal scorer

President (ag) Franklin Wilson presents the 2012 Misteden Super League Lien trophy Captain of Alpha United, Howard Lowe in the presence of fellow members and Management staff.

GFF Women’s Inter Association League winner Georgetown poses with President (ag) Franklin Wilson following the presentation. with a record of 6 wins, 2 defeats and 1 draw from their 9 games for a total of 19 points for their second place.

In giving an overview of the tournament, Super League Administrator Kirk Douglas emphasized the need for coaching to improve especially among the lower

ranked clubs. He noted that with the imminent reintroduction of the Coaches association there would be more assistance for coaches.

“The management team must read the rules and regulations and advise players and team officials accordingly. Clubs must also

develop their respective youth departments.”

GFF President (ag) Franklin Wilson in his remarks also put the clubs of notice that they must invest in their youth departments if they are to be considered to be part of the Super League.

The players, coaches,

referees, fans and administrators were all complimented by Wilson for their efforts that collectively contributed to the success of the league.

The gathering was informed that the federation spent close to 10 Million dollars to bring off the league

and FIFA came in for high praise as the main funding agency for the league. Wilson also thanked Mr. Stephen Budhu, CEO of Misteden, a USA based company that donated the Lien trophy.

Looking ahead to the 2012/2013 season which is anticipated to kick off in mid October, Douglas said that he is looking forward to marked improvement in the standard of play.

“We will be seeking out a major sponsor for the league; improved marketing and promotion to increase revenue; a more community oriented approach; continued improvement of grounds and more enforcement of the rules and regulations.”

WOMEN’S INTER ASSOCIATION After three months of intense competition among the female teams Georgetown, Rupununi, Bartica, Berbice and West Demerara – the City side prevailed for the third consecutive year to cart off the top prize of $250,000.

Rupununi claimed the second prize of $150,000 with Bartica third ($100,000). A total of 10 matches were contested over a three month period with games played in Georgetown, East Coast, Bartica, Lethem and West Demerara.

The City side won the Fair Play Team trophy with players Coletta Dubbin and Ruth George named the MVP and best Goalkeeper respectively. Rupununi’s Sonia Griffith was player with the most goals.

The youthful Berbice team was congratulated for their efforts and determination shown throughout the tournament despite losing all their games to Lethem, Bartica and Georgetown.

Defending champs T&T take 1-0 lead against Guyana - final round set for today Defending Caribbean champions Trinidad and Tobago took the lead over Guyana in BiAnnual Scalextric Racing Championship which begun yesterday between the two countries, at Rahaman’s Residence, Rahaman Park.

On the opening day in a shortened version of the engagement, T&T’s Lorne Marshall, who faced Guyana’s Kian Jabour in the three categories defeated him to give his team a 1-0 advantage going into the final day today.

In the Raleigh category, Marshall with the maximum 80 points beat Jabour 71.1 points and then racked up the full 80 points to his opponent’s 74.8 points in the Endurance division to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the

rubber.

After a spirited fight back by Jabour in the Formula 1 category, Marshall wrapped up the contest, beating former 78.5 to 73.5 to claim the series by a 3-0 margin.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Jabour, who spoke on behalf of the Guyana team informed that the venue has now been designated a permanent one for Scalextric Racing and he envisages that the sport will now have a better opportunity to grow.

This is the third time that Guyana will be hosting the championship and the main sponsors are Rent-a-Tent, Nestle through its Kit-Kat product and JR Burgers.

Part of the action between Kian Jabour of Guyana (fourth from left with hand set) and Lorne Marshall of Trinidad and Tobago yesterday.

Sunday August 26, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 63

t r o Sp

Trinidad and Tobago triumphs as Caribbean Hemraj’s unbeaten Scrabble Team Championships concludes ton spurs Guyana to win against Bajans Team Trinidad and Tobago show off their hardware after their crushing victory over their Barbados counterparts.

By Michael Benjamin They started the tournament on a losing note, conceding a 4 point defeat to Guyana but Trinidad and

Tobago rebounded to crush Barbados 25-11 to cart off the top prize when action in the Caribbean Scrabble Te a m C h a m p i o n s h i p s concluded at the Bank of

Guyana Sports Club, Avenue of the Republic, yesterday afternoon. The beating by Trinidad obliterated Barbados’ hopes of slipping into the second place and

they were eventually relegated to the cellar position.

Local player, Ulric Harris salvaged some pride for the hosts when he captured the prize for the most points for a bingo (striding at 158) while national champion, Fred Collins secured the prize for the highest score in a game (607), following his mauling of Barbadian Orlet Bullock.

Margarida DeSouza, who had chalked up an impeccable six games when Barbados faced Guyana endured a torrid day, losing all but one of her games but was nevertheless adjudged the Most Valuable Player for her team.

Anthony Modeste copped the MVP award for Trinidad and Tobago and was also adjudged the overall MVP after he had compiled a tournament high 10 games with a positive spread of 1059. Abigail McDonald scored 9 games with a positive spread of 737 to secure the MVP award for the Guyanese team.

The morning sessions belonged to the Barbadians after they notched up 13 games as against 5 by the Trinidadians. The latter team bounced back in the final pre-lunch sitting winning four games through the e ff o r t s o f D a r l i n g t o n (defeated Modeste by 9), Carter ( over Ross by 93), King (over Yates by 84) and Graham ( over John by 31).

After dominating the local players on Friday, DeSouza faltered during the morning sessions, succumbing to Kurt Ross (28), Modeste (127) and Charles (132). Her poor fortunes continued into the post lunch session when she surrendered to John (80) and Yates (76) but she managed to earn a conciliation game against Alexander (103).

Despite her dismal showing, the avid word former still managed to cop the MVP accomplishment by dint of her earlier performance.

Her teammate, Bullock, (Continued on page 57)

P. 59

Chanderpaul Hemraj

All roads lead to Port Mourant Turf P. Club for Guyana 59 Cup Horserace meet Trophy Stall donates Neville Sunich Memorial trophy for top jockey

Ramesh Sunich (left) presents the Neville Sunich Memorial Trophy to Melissa Chattergoon of the organisers Jumbo Jet Auto Sales.

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