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Sunday May 13, 2012
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Do you know that a group of people using taxpayers' money, was laying the foundation to own and control the bulk of Guyana?
Last December, one month after the deal was secretly signed in Jamaica for a brand new airport that is now estimated to cost the taxpayers a whopping US$150M, EZjet began a charter service to Guyana. Almost six months after the first charter, EZJet's purported owner, Sonny A. Ramdeo, told reporters that his company is aiming to become the national flag-carrier of Guyana. Simultaneously, the Canadian study called for government to re-negotiate bilateral air agreements with regional and international governments to benefit the new national flag carrier. Is the government paving the way to hand over the national flag carrier status on a silver platter?
Thursday Friday
The Canadian study revealed, among other things, that for the national airline to begin operation with originating flights from Guyana to the U.S., the country must have a Category 1 airport, as required by the U.S government's Federal Aviation Authority. Two weeks before President Jagdeo left office, the nation was shocked to learn that the government had secretly signed a US$138 million deal in Jamaica for a brand new airport. Was this a co-incidence?
Saturday
The previous government under the stewardship of Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo paid a hefty sum to conduct a feasibility study for the setting up of a national airline. The study was conducted by Leon Hui and Francis Chung Ko of the Canadian company UNIMAC. The completed study, dated August 13, 2009, stated that the airline would be the sole designated national flag carrier of Guyana. Were taxpayers’ dollars being spent to facilitate a private airline or was the government re-entering the business?
Sunday
In early 2008, the Registrar of Deeds was ordered to register a company named 'Air Guyana'. At the time that name was already owned and in use by Wings Aviation. Wings Aviation challenged that illegal registration in the courts where a judge ruled that the registration was indeed illegal and that Wings Aviation rightfully owned 'Air Guyana'. Somebody desperately wanted to steal that name.
Wednesday
Airline business in the making
Was the administration under Bharrat Jagdeo being truthful when it initiated the new airport project? Was Minister Benn really being honest when he said that a Chinese Vice Premier was passing through the Caribbean, waving billions of dollars and Guyana had to grab on to some to build a new airport? Then comes EZjet and Ms Rosalinda Rasul. It has now been revealed that Ms. Rosalinda Rasul is the Country Manager of the new charter service EZjet. Just prior to this, she was the Personal Executive Assistant to the CEO of the Sanata Complex, owned by Dr Ranjisinghi (Bobby) Ramroop, the best friend of former President Bharrat Jagdeo, Are the Guyanese people being plunged into the massive debt of US$150 million, the second largest investment in Guyana, to enrich a specific clique? Paid advertisement
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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 Compromise and Democracy As events unfold in our political landscape, it is obvious that our politicians are determined to ignore the message delivered by the electorate at the last elections: they must work together. With the PPP controlling the executive and the APNU and AFC controlling the legislature there is no other way. In the real world, whenever two groups have to work together and they do not share the same world view, compromise becomes the only option. But it appears that this word is absent from the lexicon of our politicians. This year, the eminent political theorist of liberal democracy, Amy Gutman, co-authored a book on the need to compromise in politics but also pointed out to a feature of our democracy that militates against compromise. She uses the US to illustrate her contention: imagine how much more pointed is her advice for our polity. “If politics is the art of the possible, then compromise is the artistry of democracy. Unless one partisan ideology holds sway over all branches of government, compromise is necessary to govern for the benefit of all citizens. A rejection of compromise biases politics in favour of the status quo, even when the rejection risks crisis. Compromise is difficult, but governing a democracy without compromise is impossible. Why is compromise so hard in a democracy when it is undoubtedly necessary? Much of the resistance to compromise lies in another necessary part of the demo-cratic process: campaigning for political office. Though valuable in its place, campaigning is increasingly intruding into governing, where it is less helpful. The means of winning an office are subverting the ends of governing once in office.” Gutman is referring to the mindset of the politicians to pander to the sentiments of their ‘constituencies’ – no matter how myopic those may be – in ‘campaigning”. We saw an example of this compulsion to ‘campaign’ when the leaders of APNU, after making compromises along with the President to craft an agreement on certain budgetary measures, felt compelled to backtrack after “their constituency’ was riled up by the AFC. The compromises were ridiculed as ‘sell outs”. Gutman continues by outlining the features of the uncompromising mindset associated with “campaigning”: First, it reinforces all the other factors of politics. Even sharp ideological differences would present less of an obstacle to compromise in the absence of the continual pressures of campaigning that the uncompromising mindset supports. Second, for compromise to play its proper role in the process, politicians and citizens need to understand not only the partisan positions and political interests that influence compromise but also the attitudes and arguments that resist or support it. Third, unlike some of the other factors, such as ideological polarization, campaigning is an essential and desirable part of the democratic process. It becomes a problem only when it interferes with governing—another equally essential part of the process. “In general, compromise is an agreement in which all sides sacrifice something in order to improve on the status quo from their perspective, and in which the sacrifices are at least partly determined by the other sides’ will. The sacrifice involves not merely getting less than you want, but also, thanks to your opponents, getting less than you think you deserve. The sacrifice typically involves trimming your principles. We call these defining characteristics of compromise mutual sacrifice and wilful opposition. “The character of legislative compromise is shaped by its distinctive democratic and institutional context. Within the arena of legislative compromises, we need to distinguish between what may be called classic compromises and other consensual agreements. Classic compromises express an underlying and continuing conflict of values: the disagreements among the parties are embodied in the compromise itself. Other consensual compromises are based on an underlying convergence of values or what is often called “common ground”. These agreements set aside the original disagreement and conclude in a complete consensus. Some advocates of consensus see it as a way to promote the value of community.” Our politicians must seek the “common ground” as a matter of course.
Sunday May 13, 2012
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Reasonable men and women would find nothing unreasonable with these demands DEAR EDITOR, There are times in a nation’s history when men and women of reason, statesmen and states women must step forward. Putting aside partisan political agendas they must be guided by their conscience and work for the national good. Listening to the inaugural address to the nation of the 7th President of Guyana, on Saturday 3rd December 2011, I thought that Donald Ramotar might be one of those men. Mr. Ramotar in that address said “it was time to cast off the partisan cloak and put on the national garb…..the new arrangement in parliament will no doubt test our maturity as political leader.” But the President
said that he would use all of his energies and the influence of his office as president to make Guyana a better place. That was just about six months ago, and my optimism has slowly turned with every move made by this president to one of abject pessimism. Barrack Obama at his inauguration very elegantly articulated a situation that I find very apposite to our present dilemma, where the PPP seems reluctant to be reasonable and its leaders unable to grasp the reality that power now has to be shared. The US President said; “to those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on
the wrong side of history, but we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.” Those words are very prescient and one wonders what it would take for the executive branch of government in Guyana to unclench that fist. The early rhetoric from President Ramotar was encouraging and signaled a new way forward, but every move since then has placed party above nation. Anyone who is paying attention to the political debates in Guyana today, can testify to the culture of no that the PPP has adopted since losing the legislature in the last elections. Many of the parliamentary majority recommendations would be
considered reasonable, yet these recommendations are negatively spun for political mileage by an administration that has lost touch with the wishes of the ordinary Guyanese man and woman. How can lowering the toll of the Berbice river bridge to $1000.00 be unreasonable? How can an immediate lowering of VAT by 1% be unreasonable? How can a 10 percent increase in the wages of all state employees be unreasonable? How can demanding that Guyana have a public procurement commission that is transparent and devoid of political interference be unreasonable? Why is the administration so bent on keeping the Continued on page 6
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Kaieteur M@ilbox PPP Govt.’s illegality continues unabated DEAR EDITOR, Notwithstanding all the mouthings of President Ramotar, and Finance Minister, Ashni Singh, and CEO Mr Brassington, such will never legalise the illegality about the activities of NICIL. Quite frankly, the whole of Guyana is now aware of the scampishness and skullduggery being carried on when NICIL’s Directors and officers fail to deposit its Revenues into the Consolidated Fund. The starting point is Article 216 of the Constitution which states that all monies raised or received by Guyana are to be paid into the Consolidated Fund. And this is how it should be in a normal, regular democracy. There is no question that the monies held by NICIL are monies belonging to Guyana. NICIL is a Government Company within the meaning of Section 344 of the Companies Act 1991 because more than 51% of its share capital is held by Government. Brassington recently admitted this in Court under cross-examination. Section 345 of the Companies Act 1991 applies mutatis mutandis to Sections 48 and 49 of Part VII of the Public Corporations Act relating to accounts and audits of Government Companies. Under Section 48 of the Public Corporations Act NICIL has to keep accounts to the satisfaction of the Minister and the accounts are to be audited by an auditor appointed by the Minister. The Minister, under section 2 of the Act means the Minister who has been assigned responsibility for public corporations. It is the understanding of the AFC that Ashni Singh as Minister of Finance is the Minister who has been de facto assigned responsibility for public corporations, thus creating quite a dilemna since he, Ashni Singh, is also the Chairman of NICIL. I believe he is in a conflict of interest position because he cannot have Ministerial supervision over a company for which he also holds the senior executive post of Chairman of the Board. This is ridiculous and makes a mockery of the statutory provisions which do not contemplate this alarming situation. But it gets worse! Section 346(1) of the Companies Act 1991 requires NICIL to submit to the Minister of Finance within six months after the end of each calendar year (i.e. in June of each year) a report containing: (a) an account of its transactions in the preceding
calendar year, and (b) a statement of the accounts of the company audited under the provisions of Sections 48 and 49 of the Public Corporations Act. This means that Ashni Singh as both Chairman of NICIL and the responsible Minister under the Public Corporations Act will in effect be submitting audited accounts to himself. This is a most ridiculous state of affairs. The statutes intended that there be Ministerial oversight of Government Companies. But here we have a situation where the Minister is overseeing himself, so to speak. Section 346(2) of the Companies Act 1991 requires a copy of the accounts and the audited report of NICIL to be printed and laid before the National Assembly not later than nine months after each calendar year i.e. by September of each year. This has not been done. It is significant that by virtue of Section 347 of the Companies Act, a company that is a Government Company cannot be exempted or, as it were, disapplied from the provisions of Sections 345 and 346. Moreover, the Government has been using NICIL as a tool to carry on Continued on page 6
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We must not wrest children from the God-given format of family without considering the serious consequences DEAR EDITOR, Presently, America is undergoing what I believe is a radical social experiment – the redefining of marriage. Ultimately, it’s not about whether or not gays and lesbians are nice people or good citizens. Frankly, some are and some aren’t just like heterosexuals. It’s not about whether gays and lesbians can be good, nurturing, loving parents. It’s not even about whether or not gays and lesbians should be treated with respect and dignity. Every person deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. If we redefine marriage to include same-sex marriage, is there any logical reason for us not to redefine marriage in other ways? There are those that are already “demanding” equality that promote polygamy or group marriage. If marriage can be redefined to include two men or two women, why not allow marriage between a man and four women, or a group of six or seven adults and their various children? Today, a popular error that has been made and continues to be made by many, is the attempt to blur the lines with regard to
Christian ethics making “love” an omnipotent spiritual quality which has the power to validate anything that is done in its name. Under this particular line of thinking, one could justify any type of relationship, including those considered unacceptable and incompatible with Christian teaching and conduct. Is the perceived or even real presence of love the criterion for all relationships? Indeed, God is love absolutely. But true love has boundaries that protect, guide and show concern for its recipients. Ultimately, showing support for, and more importantly, standing upon The Authority of Scripture “for marriage between one man and one woman” is not intolerant. If so, then nature itself would be intolerant. Marriage was established by God Himself and as a result cannot be redefined by each new generation. Within the same-sex marriage ‘experiment,’ lesbian mothers are saying that a father is irrelevant to parenting; homosexual fathers say that a mother is irrelevant to parenting. But God says both a mother and a father are relevant to parenting. Is anyone truly serious in
suggesting that two men can take the place of a mother’s love, or two women can equal a dad? Today, especially in America , the words “intolerant” and “discrimination” are powerful words and often used to squash any opinion about moral behavior. In fact, not only is the demand today to keep our opinions to ourselves as to what people do, the equal demand is to affirm a long list of various lifestyles no matter how questionable or experimental. C o m p a s s i o n , communication, and care must be exercised with regard to the same-sex marriage experiment. The enormous problem in American society is the frequent usage of our experience as a basis to interpret reality. Far too many think, “I’m having this experience and enjoying it, so God Himself in particular and society as a whole had better jump onboard, get used to it and fit in around with what I’m doing.” Do we as a society really have the right to redefine marriage so it is elastic enough to include any grouping of adults? In the face of what is arguably one of the most damaging social experiments to ever be attempted in this
country, the notion of a family with a father, mother and children, all living under the same roof, appears to be becoming a relic of a bygone era, at least in some quarters. Gay marriage advocates will tell you that what children really need is “two loving adults in their lives” and that the sex of those adults doesn’t matter - the assumption being that mothers and fathers are interchangeable and optional. Our ultimate preference should always be a family comprised of one father and one mother. We cannot, we must not wrest children from the God-given format of family relationship without considering the possibilities of serious consequences. Admittedly, a society, a compassionate society should always come to the aid of motherless and fatherless families. That said, a compassionate society should never, ever, intentionally create motherless and fatherless families. And that’s exactly what the experiment of samesex marriage does. Pastor Phillip Lee Executive Director His Way Out Ministries 10700 Brimhall Road Bakersfield, CA, USA 93312
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Lincoln Lewis inaccurate on racial coding complaint DEAR EDITOR, Reference is made to Mr. Lincoln Lewis’s missive “The President has opted for a ‘divide and rule’ strategy” (KN May 10) accusing the President and a Regional Chairman of engaging in coded language appealing to Indians. If indeed President Ramotar and anyone else is involved in coded language designed to divide people or promote prejudice then such actions and individuals must be condemned. But Mr. Lewis’s quote of the President is not a racially coded message. On the contrary, it is Mr. Lewis who is indulged in racially coded messaging — using the same type of coded language of which he accuses his political nemeses. I don’t think the President’s saying he is working on a policy to give “everyone cheaper electricity that Linden enjoys” is a coded message appealing to Indians. Cheaper electricity will benefit all regardless of race or class or geographic community as Lewis quoted the President “... We want to bring electricity rates down for everyone”. When Lewis writes that an electric generating plant was moved from Linden to Berbice, that is a racially coded message. In effect, Lewis is saying that the Indian PPP government deliberately moved an electricity generating plant from an African community to an Indian community to deny electricity to Africans. If indeed the PPP is guilty of such an act, it should and must be condemned. But is Lewis telling us the truth about the plant’s move and isn’t this a serious (as well as spurious) racially charged allegation meant for Lindeners and the PNC
supporters? Did Linden suffer from a lack of electricity six years ago till now? Did the Indians of Berbice get cheap electricity from the Linden plant that was placed in their community and is this plant still supplying electricity to Berbicians? Was the cost of electricity cheaper in Berbice than in Linden six years ago and is this still the case till now? I checked with friends from Linden and they told me there was hardly a shortage of electricity in the town six years ago and they are not sure if the plant was moved. In fact, they said the plant that Lewis was referring to was inefficient and at times inoperable and parts of it may have been moved because it was dysfunctional. They also said Lindeners were receiving electricity from another source and not from the plant. They also informed me that Lindeners benefited from cheaper electricity than that received by Berbicians provided by the PPP Indian government. Friends in Berbice said power blackouts were a regular feature of life and the cost of electricity went up. In fact, the unit cost of electricity in Berbice was much higher than for Linden. This was one of the complaints from Berbicians that led many of them to move away from the PPP in the last elections because they felt they PPP abandoned them in favor of Linden. AFC election campaigners frequently reminded Berbicians that the PPP abandoned them for Lindeners and got the Berbician votes. We learned from the budget debates that Lindeners pay about a fifth of the unit cost of electricity than Berbice and the rest of the country. Prime Minister Sam Hinds debunked Lewis’s claim of “the racial shift of the electric plant from Linden to Berbice” as a myth. Hinds accused Lewis of engaging in racially divisive politics. The P.M wrote that Lewis claim “is untrue and must be condemned for what it is — a coded untruth promoting
division”. Hinds wrote that “Lindeners were paying only 10% to 20% of what other Guyanese currently pay, and that Mr. Lewis and other APNU leaders have fomented Lindeners to refuse to pay anything more”. According to Hinds, “from the mid 1970’s, with growing financial/ economic problems, maintenance schedules of the power plant in Linden could not be kept. By the mid 1980’s, the steam power station began to suffer from over-cycling, and the generators experienced flashovers. By 1990, on economic grounds, the steam station was ready for abandoning. The boilers, steam turbines and alternators are still in the steam power station. They were not removed, not six years ago, not ever! The plant was inefficient. Eventually, most of the line was vandalized, and in 2000, the portion remaining near the Linden end was granted to the electricity provider in Linden. The diesel generating plant were in poor condition and were abandoned when Omai brought their Wartsila diesel station into operation in Linden in 2005. Two of the abandoned engines were transferred to GPL in 2009, and were totally rebuilt and installed at Onverwagt, Berbice, and Versailles, Demerara” (GC May 10). So who benefited from the partial move of the dysfunctional Linden power plant? It would seem to me not the Berbicians as the cost of their electricity is about ten times that of Linden. And who was really using coded language? Mr. Lewis also queried when and which Indians ever fought for the right to vote? There were several prominent Indians who were engaged in the battle for increased voting rights. Dwarka Nath, the historian, wrote that Indians entered the political arena around 1910 and they constituted a small number of voters. The Indian leaders like JA Luckhoo, EA Luckhoo, AE Seeram, JB Singh, K, Peer Continued on page 7
Sunday May 13, 2012
Kaieteur M@ilbox PPP Govt.’s illegality continues... From page 5 commercial and investment activities. For instance, Government commandeers lands from GuySuCo and then converts them into house lots, some of which it sells through NICIL. I need not mention the Marriot Hotel deal as the investment example. This brings us to another illegal activity carried on by NICIL. NICIL is claiming to be a privately incorporated company under the Companies Act. Yet, in order to avoid or evade the payment of conveyancing costs and duties, it purports to effect conveyances of these properties by vesting orders made under the Public Corporations Act, when NICIL is not in fact or in law, a public corporation. So all these purported conveyances are null and void! The irregularity of siphoning off huge sums of monies into NICIL has created aberrations financially on how business is conducted by other Government Corporations. Take for example, GuySuCo. We all will recall what happened just prior to the last elections. Remember when the sugar workers were given an initial 3% increase in wages and then President Jagdeo later decreed a further increase of 5% making a grand total of 8%. GuySuCo was in a quandary as to where it was going to find this money to pay the workers, particularly when President Jagdeo directed Ashni Singh not to advance any money to GuySuCo unless it finds the money itself. GuySuCo had not too long before concluded a contract with Tate and Lyle to supply Tate and Lyle with sugar. In order to raise the money to pay the sugar workers for this “elections increase”, GuySuCo had to persuade Tate and Lyle to advance GuySuCo monies for sugar which GuySuCo is still to supply to Tate and Lyle. This means that these advance revenues to GuySuCo which should have gone to the company for capital investment went to finance PPP electioneering carrots to sugar
workers. And now the company is going to suffer. The monies for increasing wages in this sugar sector last year should have come from those NICIL funds! Better still from the Consolidated Fund, had they been placed there in the first instance! And the revenues from the Tate and Lyle sales would have gone directly into capital investment in the sugar industry in 2012. Not through the $4 billion subvention or bailout which is now necessitated to keep the industry afloat. By this disingenuous manner, the PPP’s politics did drive Guyana’s economics, and will continue to do so, into serious errors. And this is separate and apart from how it used state resources for its partisan electoral advantage; and, to Guyana’s disadvantage. Among other facilities, GuySuCo incurred great expense in providing transportation for PPP crowds during the elections campaign. GuySuCo’s fuel expenditure soared during the campaign period. This impropriety still did not realize a majority victory at the polls. The AFC will continue its crusade and lobby in every quarter for transparency and accountability. This is the bounden duty of this generation of leaders. Other earlier generations fought against the horror of slavery, and against indentureship. Then others fought against colonialism and for Independence. Recently, the fight was for one man one vote. But history, as the PPP would want us to believe, ought to end now that there is a modicum of electoral democracy. Our efforts to reason and educate will be twisted and given the spin. We see that every day in the Government newspapers, TV and radio. But with support from the private press, workers and businessmen, and especially a more discerning public yearning to understand matters of national import, the AFC will be relentless in this quest for full transparency and complete accountability from our present day sahibs and sultans. Khemraj Ramjattan
Reasonable men and women would... From page 4 workings and the profits of NICIL a secret? Is it unreasonable for the taxpayers through their p a r l i a m e n t a r y representatives to demand an accounting of NICIL, GGMC, the Lotto funds etc? I believe that reasonable men and women would find nothing unreasonable with the current demands. The challenges we face in Guyana are real, they are serious and they are many, yet it is evident that the PPP has chosen discord, rather than attempting to reach for unity of purpose. The very narrow constituency of the very wealthy who control most of the wealth of this nation is not a true
representative sampling of Guyana. The PPP must know that Guyana cannot prosper if they (the PPP) only act on behalf of the already prosperous. Opportunity must be extended to all willing and able bodied Guyanese men and women, not out of charity, but because it is the only true path to national development. It is interesting that President Ramotar in his after budget speech to the nation, considered the increase in the old age pension as political goodwill and not a moral and economic necessity. Mr. Editor, William Lloyd Garrison famed American Abolitionist and Journalist, is credited with saying the following; “with reasonable
men, I will reason, with humane men, I will plead, but with Tyrants, I will give no quarter, nor waste arguments where there will certainly be lost…” One would have hoped that the new dispensation would have challenged the PPP to be men of reason, or even humane men, but by their new culture of no, they have abrogated their right to be a part of this new era of responsibility. The working poor, the youth and student of this nation voted for change and gave the parliamentary majority a mandate to change the status quo and political culture in Guyana. This is not a season for Tyrants, but a time for reasonable men. Mark Archer
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Kaieteur M@ilbox The citizens need iron clad evidence from the President DEAR EDITOR, President Ramotar has broken his silence on NICIL not putting its money into the Consolidated Fund. Many have argued that this practice is a violation of Section 216 of the Guyana Constitution. Former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran, said NICIL’s refusal to hand over the money to the Consolidated fund is “criminal” (Kaieteur News, May 6th). This gentleman went on to say, “I have no recollection that Parliament has authorised any expenditure from the NICIL accounts neither am I aware that NICIL, as a stateowned company incorporated under the Companies Act of 1991, has the authority to intercept funds that truly belong to the Consolidated Fund and to use such funds for purposes extraneous to the defraying of certain expenses referred to above.” The $50 billion or more NICIL is withholding from the Consolidated Fund is our money. And those arguing against the withholding have made a very convincing case. Hence, President Ramotar’s claim that NICIL isn’t doing anything illegal, it becomes his responsibility to prove so by making known to the public the law and/or section in the Constitution that allows him to make such claim. Saying it isn’t so does not automatically make it so, neither is the president above accounting to the people. The citizens need iron clad evidence from the president. M.A.Bacchus
Lincoln Lewis inaccurate on... From page 6 Bacchus, CR Jacob, Ayube Mohammed Edun, the Ruhomon brothers, etc. fought to widen the franchise. It was the great Cheddi Jagan who led the struggle for universal franchise which we obtained in 1953. The franchise was taken away from us by Burnham and the PNC in 1968. It was mostly Indians, including some of us in North America, along with some African stalwarts like Eusi Kwayana, Rodney, Clive
Thomas etc. who led the battle for 24 years for the restoration of the franchise in 1992. I think Mr. Lewis would agree that as writers, we have to be careful that we don’t appeal to basal instincts that further divide a fractious nation. Vishnu Bisram
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These rice farmers are still to pay their arrears DEAR EDITOR, I have said more than a mouth-full on this issue of the delinquent rate payers who own large amount of cultivated rice land in Region Two. I do not want to sound monotonous, but since in 2006 when I became a member of the Regional Democratic Council, representing the Alliance for Change, this important issue has been mentioned and discussed at every R.D.C. meeting, and although the Council is always unanimous in its discussion to have these farmers made to pay their arrears, using whatever means available, including court action, nothing or very, very little was done to collect more than what is believed to be about $150,000,000 in arrears owed to the Drainage Irrigation Board and must be collected by the Neighbourhood Democratic Council prior to 2007, and from 2007 by the Water Users Association. W.U.A. I am on record as saying how much regard I have for the Rice Farmers in this country. We all must recognize the contributions they have made and I am sure will continue to make to the economy.
Having born and grown up in a rice-producing community and being the son of a rice farmer, I know how difficult life can be and the challenges faced by them. But I also understand how important the Drainage and Irrigation system is to the production of rice, and the farmers need to understand that also, and ensure that the system we have is maintained and possibly improved and hence they must make every effort to pay. I think that the Regional Administration of Region 2 should be given some credit for the work they have been doing, so as to have the most of the thirty three thousand acres of cultivated rice land drained and irrigated but Region 2.. Long seen to be a strong support base for the ruling party, I would rather support that because of political consideration. Neither the Government nor the Regional Administration will not take the necessary action, to have those money collected, so I was the least surprised, where at a Recent Forum at the R.D.C. Boardroom, a senior Regional Officer revealed that a circular / correspondence came to his
office directing that delinquent persons / farmers must not be prosecuted.
ARCHIE W. CORDIS A.F.C. Councillor Region 2
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CoP Gibbs silent on terrorist probes in T&T
CDB tackling crime in the region BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - CMC - The Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) governors of the financial institution will participate in a panel discussion on improving citizen security in the region later this month. It said the May 23 event in the Cayman Islands is among the activities planned for annual meetings of the CDB Board of Governors. “Crime and violence is a developmental issue which the CDB has identified as an important area of focus over the next strategic plan period 2012-2014,” the CDB said in a statement, noting that “increasing violent crime in many of CDB’s Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs)
represents a significant threat to economic and social development and hampers efforts to reduce poverty and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. “CDB recognises the urgency with which this issue must be addressed if the region is not to lose the developmental momentum of the past two decades or worse, experience an erosion in the socio-economic gains attained.” At his inaugural address to the bank’s governors last year, CDB President, Dr. Warren Smith had promised that the “CDB will work very closely with governments, community-based organisations and other stakeholders to begin to address
WELL DONE! Barbados’ management of its economy through a number of major crises has been applauded by the head of Trinidad and Tobago’s largest bank. Larry Howai, chief executive officer of First Citizens Bank contended that “by and large Barbados has been successful because of its people and because of the policies that have been implemented over the years”. The senior banker was responding to questions from the media yesterday about the bank’s decision to enter the local market through a
buyout of Butterfield Bank, even though the island continued to battle one of its most difficult economic periods. But in a vote of confidence, the CEO said: “From our preliminary review, we think that the Barbados economy is heading in the right direction. “Of course, you have been affected by what has happened globally since 2008, but it would have been unreasonable to expect differently – that you would not have been affected.” (Barbados Nation)
Sunday May 13, 2012
Dr. Warren Smith the infrastructure deficiencies and social interventions needed to engage and transform communities adversely affected by crime and violence”. Among the panellist are Professor Anthony Harriott, Director of the University of West Indies Institute of Criminal Justice and Security and Head of the Department of Government at UWI Mona; Professor Richard R. Bennett, Professor of Justice in the Department of Justice, Law and Society at American University in Washington, DC and Barbadian poet, Adisa ‘AJA’ Andwele. Professor Harriott is the author of several scholarly articles and the author/editor of six books primarily on the issues of violence, and policing in Caribbean societies, while Professor Bennett, who has taught graduate and undergraduate students for over 30 years at American University and elsewhere, is an expert on comparative crime and criminal justice. Andwele’s work addresses a number of global issues, including war and conflict; poverty; the threat to the environment; and the abuse of children and women.
Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs has said he cannot make any statements as to whether the State security services are investigating any links between anyone in this country and any international terrorist organisation. Nonetheless, he said, while terrorism is not something this country should be overly concerned about, it is an international reality being monitored by the State security services. This was his response in an interview with TV6 News aired Friday night, on a 2012 report by the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security which concludes that radical elements in Trinidad and Tobago are thought occasionally to make contact with individuals and groups with possible terrorist ties around the world. Gibbs said he had not yet seen the 2012 report prepared
Dwayne Gibbs by the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security. TV6 News and the Express have reported on key aspects of the report including concerns that Trinidad and Tobago could be a transit point for potential terrorists or terrorist organisations. Despite not having seen the report yet, the Police Commissioner still took
questions on the overall issue of terrorism, saying it is a global concern. The Police Commissioner was also asked is there any investigation now being conducted by law enforcement concerning anyone that could have any links to any terrorist organisation abroad. “With regards to that I won’t make any comment or any statements on it. Certainly that gets into the tactics and the different things we do within the policing services and the protective services,” Gibbs said. The Police Commissioner said “citizens in Trinidad and Tobago really don’t have to worry about terrorism but like anything, it exists.” “It’s in the global world and certainly from a protective services side it’s an area that we monitor quite closely,” Gibbs said. (Trinidad Express)
Value Added Tax of 15 per cent - eight per cent in hotels - from September 1 St Lucia Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony explained the soon-to-be-implemented Value Added Tax in his budget address last week, clarifying a set of goods and services that will be exempt from the tax. According to Anthony, these goods and services
“include but are not limited to” fuel, fresh eggs, milk, butter, potatoes, chicken and educational and medical services. The VAT is set for implementation in September. “The VAT provides the opportunity to deal directly with social welfare and investment concerns by permitting exemptions for designated goods,” he said. “The VAT, as designed, will not place an excessive burden on capital investment goods, because it provides a full credit for the tax included in purchases of goods.” With the implementation of VAT, Anthony said the prices of some goods and serves would increase, while
others would be reduced, as the VAT will replace the country’s consumption tax, hotel accommodation tax, motor vehicle rental fee, mobile cellular phone tax and environmental protection levy. “The poor and vulnerable will be protected with exemptions on a wide range of products,” Anthony said. The VAT will levy a standard rate of 15 percent on some goods and services, while a reduced 8 percent rate will be applied to the hotel sector and related services until April 30, 2013, at which point a determination on a future rate will be made. (Caribbean Journal)
Chavez shows strength after Cuba cancer treatment CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez strode, sang and gave a rousing speech Friday in a careful show of vigour after his latest cancer treatment in Cuba fanned rumours he was dying five months before an election. The socialist Chavez, who had only been seen live in public once in the previous month, addressed the nation after flying back from Havana where he has completed six rounds of radiation therapy. With Venezuelans watching on live TV for any sign of his condition, Chavez walked with relative ease from his plane, hugged ministers, inspected a military guard and improvised a song at the end of a 20-minute speech. The official line in recent weeks has been that Chavez was out of the public limelight due to the effects of radiation treatment, but is on the road to recovery and will soon begin his re-election campaign ahead of the October 7 vote. But there is speculation, stoked by leaks from proopposition journalists citing sources in Chavez’s medical team, that his condition may have turned grave.
Sunday May 13, 2012
Political accountability for women begins with an increase in the number of women in decision-making positions. It is a fact that wherever women’s voices are heard, policies will better reflect their concerns. The many concerns which affect their lives such as, ‘equal pay for equal work’; reproductive rights, gender equality, gender based violence and rape, are more likely to be better heard, expressed and dealt with by women working with men to formulate policy, parliamentary process and law. Studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between women’s empowerment and the growth of national GDP. How can we not afford to give women, and men equal participation in the building of stable and peaceful societies. Today, there are 21 women representatives in the National Assembly however; there are more than 200,000 women outside the National Assembly who do not subscribe to any form of abuse by any person in our society. This view permeates every class, colour, and age group and does not vindicate those who would use their
Kaieteur News
Women need to push for equality status, office, or wealth to abuse our women. Today, women have broken the gender barriers which once existed within the labour market. We have shown that we can hold positions at every stratum, be it at an executive level, in the laboratory or in the factory. Notwithstanding our achievements, there is a growing concern that work is equal, but pay is not. This behaviour is more prevalent in the private sector and we must guard against it and stamp it out whenever and wherever it is found. This undoubtedly calls for more women to get involved in the Trade Union Movement. Women must not see themselves merely as benchwarmers but must seek to run for higher office within these organizations. With women in leadership positions in our Trade Unions, equal work will equal pay and the resurgence of sexual harassment in the workplace will be more adequately addressed. The time has come for a more radical step to be made on Domestic Abuse and all other forms of abuse. No more stamp it out, and no more black and blue. I call on this Government
to get radical and address this scourge in our land. Today, it is without reserve that I call for those in our midst who believe they can abuse other persons go to jail and spend time on tax payers’ money. Guyanese, irrespective of where they reside would have heard about the campaign to stop all forms of violence in our society, especially Domestic Violence. Every organization: religious, social and educational, have spoken out against violence. Yet this reckless behavior continues unabated in our society. The time has come now for us to address this issue in a comprehensive manner taking into account modern social work intervention techniques, including, counseling by trained professionals. CHILD LABOUR Sooner rather than later, some organization will report negatively on Guyana’s continued breach of the International Labour Organization’s Convention 182. The Worst Forms of Child Labour. The Laws of Guyana provide that no child under 15 years must be employed and that persons 15 to 18 years can work, however, this work must not be injurious to
the health and safety of the worker. Today as you traverse the streets of Georgetown and those areas where there is a high degree of economic activity, you would observe a great number of children who ought to be in school working as shop attendants, porters, vendors, with entertainment bands, restaurants and on construction sites to name a few. The depressing reality is that in most instances the parents or guardians are well aware of the child’s working life and benefit from the rewards. Apart from breaching the Conventions, many of these children become uncontrollable and find themselves in conflict with the law, bringing undue pressure to the already choked social system. While it is my belief that no representative of this Hon. House would condone such infringement on the rights of the Child, it does not in any way release them from taking action whenever they come into contact with such situations. The Ministers responsible for both Human Services and Education must act to remedy this situation.
Jet service comes to Ogle Airport A chartered Jet travel is now possible out of Ogle Airport. It will allow passengers to travel in comfort with reduced travel time. Jags Aviation Limited is offering the executive charter service to the Caribbean and Florida. The Jet, which is housed in the Wings Aviation hangar and waiting to go into service, could travel comfortably to Suriname, Trinidad and Barbados. However, for travel to any country beyond Barbados the Jet would have to leave the Cheddi Jagan
International Airport. The aircraft would also offer medivac services. At the commissioning ceremony of the expanded Ogle runway, Jags Aviation displayed its newly acquired Hawker 700 aircraft. It has a seven passenger configuration and a baggage capacity of 300 pounds. The aircraft is capable of flying 2,000 miles non stop in about five hours. It operates comfortably out of short to medium length runways. The aircraft has advanced avionics, a cabin
entertainment system and operational redundancy in nearly every system. Safety is a priority for Jags Aviation. As such emergency equipment is always on board. There is also cabin assistance for onboard clients. Jags Aviation is an independent air charter operator in Guyana. The company was first certified and authorized by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority to conduct air charters in March 2007. During the last five years, Jags Aviation has experienced
significant growth and recently acquired a Hawker jet aircraft as part of its expansion programme. It received an Air Operators Certificate from the Bahamian Civil Aviation Authority last November and subsequently a Foreign Operators Certificate in April, certified and approved by the Guyana Civil Authority.
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Dem boys seh
Dem gone wid de NICIL money De NICIL kitty empty. De Rat and he kavakamites know that dem was coming out suh dem start a cleanup campaign. De main man Brazzy and he second in command, Maasee, been in de thick of things. Dem help in de clean up till dem even clean up de drain outside de NICIL office. Only coos coos lef in de jar. Dem boys seh that dem wouldn’t rest till dem see all of dem go to jail, even dem pickney and grand pickney. Dem boys know that it is not a nice thing fuh call jail pun people pickney but de things dem people do to de poor people of this country, wid de kind of money they were entrusted with, dem boys can’t help but calling jail right down to dem grand pickney too. Yesterday dem boys seh that Brazzy would lose he shorts and Maasee gun lose she T-back. Today dem boys more vex when dem hear that de $50 billion disappear from de kitty jar. Dem boys seh that Brazzy and Maasee should enter de prison yard without underwear fuh that. Dem boys hear couple night ago that Brazzy does sleep wid one eye open and one hand behind he back. That mean that he preparing fuh jail. Maasee is de other one. She not sleeping at all. She lie down wid one hand at de back and one at de front. And all this happen because de Rat lef dem all alone suh dem better come clean. De Rat run away wid de whole jar. If dem want save dem flesh from being tampered with in prison, dem should come clean and speak de truth. De truth shall set you free. Not dem boys seh suh. De holy book seh suh. As fuh dem soul, dem boys nah got control over that. Only de big man can help dem wid that. Dem boys advise dem fuh go down pun dem knees but don’t bow down; clasp dem hand and don’t close you effing eye to save that soul. Talk half and pray fuh de other half.
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Kaieteur News
Estranged wife desperately trying to locate missing husband Almost six months have passed since the relatives of 74-year-old Herman Fatima a.k.a “Christian” last saw him but they are still hoping that he will soon be found. Celestine Williams, the man’s estranged wife, on Tuesday told Kaieteur News that she and her husband had separated five years ago but he would regularly visit the Pentecostal Church at which she preaches. She stated that Herman would attend church every Sunday morning and visit whenever they were feeding persons and partake in similar activities. It was during midDecember 2012 when she last saw the man at her residence. “He wasn’t living here but I last saw him here at the Church during the second week of December last year. How I know he was missing is that his relative would send money from Canada every month to a mutual family friend and he would go there and collect it every month. But the people called me in April to find out why he wasn’t coming,” she said. Williams explained that Herman began living with another family in Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, shortly after their separation and she instantly contacted them to enquire about his whereabouts. “The family there said the
Herman Fatima last time they saw him was November on Elections Day when he left with his documents in a bag, his ID card, NIS stuff and such so they assumed that he went to vote. They say for him to be gone so long is strange, especially without a bag.” Kaieteur News understands that they told Williams that they saw a photograph of a body that was found at Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara during February, last, in a Kaieteur News edition and thought the person “looked” like Herman. With this new information, the woman visited the National Library to have a copy of the article and was then referred to the Lyken Funeral Parlour to enquire about the body. However; she was told by
staff at the funeral home that the body had been identified a while ago and that it was not her husband. “When they told me the body had been identified by the man’s family I didn’t know what else to do since we were looking for him all over and his relatives told us that they had made a report to the police station already. “Our two sons tried to find him but were unsuccessful too,” the distraught wife said. The man’s younger son who is also a preacher and resides in French Guiana returned to Guyana two weeks ago to assist in locating his father. He was only allowed a short time in the country and visited the Ministries of Labour and Health to enquire if his father had visited either of the two recently. “Both Ministries knew him and my second son visited the pension department at Labour and he was referred to the Health Ministry but they hadn’t seen him for awhile now. So now we don’t know what to do and my second son has returned to French Guiana. He was aged but healthy so I can’t say what really happened,” Williams added. When asked for a recent photograph of the missing man, the woman explained that she did not have any in her possession, and tha t the only photograph in her album was of their wedding day. “He had his passport size photos and his documents as well as his ID card with him. I wish I had a recent one to give to you.” She is pleading with the public that if anyone knows the whereabouts of the man to kindly contact her church located at Lot 97 Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt or the nearest police station.
Sunday May 13, 2012
Miners’ shooting on D’Urban Street…
Relatives of murder suspect call on police to investigate properly Relatives of Ray Yokum, who is in police custody for the robbery/murder of Glen Xavier on Tuesday last, are calling on the police to carry out a proper investigation. Xavier was shot on D’Urban Street, Werk-enRust during a robbery by a two-member gang. He died at the Georgetown Public Hospital. The relatives of the suspect believe that Yokum is being labeled as the “usual suspect” without any evidence to substantiate his present incarceration. The 29-year-old Yokum of Lime Street, Werk-En-Rust is being held in police custody at the Brickdam Police Station, while Alberttown Police Station is proceeding with investigations. Miners Glen Xavier and Orin John were attacked at the Corn Bread Mini Mart located at D’Urban and Lime Streets, Werk-En-Rust Tuesday night
by two men who, after shooting them, stole an undisclosed amount of cash and escaped on two Honda CG Motorcycles. Glen Xavier succumbed to his injuries Wednesday morning at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) while the other injured man remains a patient in the High Dependency Unit (HDU) of the same hospital. Yokum’s mother, Joan Rosemay, said that on Thursday, her son was picked up in front of Trans Pacific Motor Spares & Auto Sales at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara by the police in connection with an alleged “break and enter.” She explained that since her son was incarcerated at Camp Street prison for several months, before being freed this year after no one turned up at court to give evidence despite an ID parade, he has been targeted by police as a
usual suspect for random crimes. “When I go to the station the police say they can’t loose him now, since they are doing investigation because they just get a confidential call that he was one of them men in the robbery/murder on D’Urban Street. This man works taxi and is not one of the persons who they say was on a CG motorcycle that did the robbery,” Miss Rosemay lamented. Rosemay explained that if police were to carry out proper investigations, they would not have to pick up persons randomly and then investigate. “What I want to know is every time they get a crime, why do they have to pick him up? They need to get their information right…Now they say they want to charge him with the murder.” Rosemay noted that her (Continued on page 55)
Despite constant appeals to replace the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s Eye Department operating suite with its old, rusted and badly damaged instruments, nothing is being done, says Ophthalmologist Dr. George Norton. According to Dr. Norton, with this year’s budgetary allocation of $50M to the hospital to purchase medical equipment, management should but at least buy some new ones for the department. “The Wet Field Cautery machine has been broken for more than a year…the boast of doing phacoemulsification cataract extraction operation is something of the past because the machine is
broken and cannot be replaced,” the ophthalmologist said. He said that the authorities are not purchasing those consumables like balance salt sodium, the intraocular solution, Miochol, necessary for proper cataract operations. In addition, the adequate types and amounts of sutures are not available. “Not even the suitable needles for retrobulbar injections are being purchased, the anesthetic solution is not of correct strength,” he said. Highlighting the poor accommodation for patients, Dr. Norton stated that the female eye ward could only hold two beds, has no
windows and one door. In some instances, female patients are placed in the male ward, which has four beds. He noted that previously, the male ward had 40 beds and female ward had 20. They were separated. There was a nurse’s station- a feature that no longer exists today. In addition, there are no dressing and storage areas. Dr. Norton, who is also A Partnership for National Unity’s Parliamentarian, stated, “The eye trained nurses are moved to other areas while nurses with no eye training are made to attend to eye patients…They, many times, have refused to so do for they know not what to do and how to do it.”
Sunday May 13, 2012
Road accident victim semi-conscious Imran Baksh, a Corentyne accident victim has been in the High-Dependency-Unit (HDU) at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for almost five days, nursing a broken hip, ribs and abrasions, while his assailant is on the run. Baksh, 18, of Lot 19, No. 78 village, Corentyne was hit by a Canter truck while riding his bicycle on the village main road. According to his brother, he (Imran) was returning home from a restaurant when the accident occurred, about 10:00 hrs last Wednesday. The brother said that Baksh was at the time crossing the road from behind a parked truck, when a speeding Canter came from behind and struck him. Kaieteur News understands that the 18-year-old boy was dragged under the speeding vehicle. Yesterday, the lad was semi-conscious.
Kaieteur News
Page 11
Ruling party blasts GHRA The ruling party has questioned the independence of the G u y a n a H u m a n Rights Association (GHRA). It is insisting that recent budget cuts endanger hundreds and perhaps thousands of jobs of people of all ethnicity and political persuasion. The statement by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) would come one day after GHRA, a watchdog body, accused Government of being in denial of the November 28 elections results. According to GHRA, the fact that a ruling party was unable to “rubber stamp” its budget through the Parliament for the first time since 1968, is in itself a welcome sign of democratic evolution. “Unfortunately, the present ruling party, rather than take credit for democratic progress, appears to remain in denial of the November election results. “Excessive language describing the opposition as ‘dictatorial’; pressuring public sector workers to demonstrate in front of Parliament; holding candlelight vigils at the stateowned NCN TV station; using state media to sustain distorted panel discussions; and the on-going disinformation campaign in interior areas, all indicate resistance to political negotiation as created by the recent elections.” However, Government which lost the Parliamentary majority on November 28 and suffered a National Budget cut of $21B recently, struck back yesterday saying that GHRA has adopted an antiworkers position. “The GHRA must recognize that even the opposition politicians know that their budget cuts are indefensible which is why their justifications have been constantly shifting and as such rather than attempting to defend the opposition it ought to have taken a position which advocates human rights rather than its current position which deprecates human rights. “The time has come for the opposition-aligned GHRA to drop its pretention of being an independent and objective body and the Guyanese public will not be duped by its political charade.” The PPP/C also said that it is appalled by the GHRA statement in relation to the public anger and outcry at the APNU/AFC budget cuts of more than $18 billion. “Rather than empathising with the Guyanese public anger at the cuts, the GHRA in a major cover up on behalf of APNU/AFC has
…says watchdog body is politically bent sought to justify such actions and has attacked those who have highlighted and commented on these most draconian actions of the opposition.” The ruling party said that it would have expected that the human rights organization of any country or an organization that has a human rights orientation, would adopt a position publicly and privately that ensures that it canvasses for positions that are supportive for human rights and the welfare of people. “The statement issued by the GHRA seems to have moved away from that role of being an advocate for human rights issues and has now further descended into the opposition partisan political realm.” The PPP/C said that it has no apology for representing the interest and welfare of all Guyanese, especially Amerindians, women, children and young people who have in all regions been affected by these unjustified and unwarranted budget cuts that have led to the slowing or cessation of Government goods and services.
The projects being affected by the budget cuts are One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project; the operations of the Ethnic Relations Commission budget to $1 and the Guyana Power and Light Inc. “Another example of a gross violation of human rights is the slashing of the Guyana Power and Light company subsidy by $1B as the entire$6B was supposed to be injected into GPL to ensure it does not raise its rates and tariffs because the PPP/C
Government of Guyana recognized that the price of fuel internationally has been on the rise and the utility service needs fuel to run its operations.” Also being affected is the Hinterland Electrification programme for mainly Amerindians. “So the GHRA apparently does not have a problem with the joint opposition denying the people in these communities the right to a basic utility service available to human beings all over the world in today’s civilization.”
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Kaieteur News
Sunday May 13, 2012
NICIL money invested in undisclosed projects By Gary Eleazar Head of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Winston Brassington, has revealed that its accounts hold some $700M and not $50B as touted in some quarters. The $700M however, represents only that which is in NICIL accounts as a singular entity and would only include proceeds from the Privatization Unit. The Privatization Unit according to Brassington falls under NICIL accounts given that it is not an independent legal entity but rather, an arm or agent of NICIL. He said that the $700M referred to as reflected in NICIL accounts, does not
reflect the accounts of any of the subsidiaries of NICIL. The Subsidiary Companies that NICIL controls include The Guyana National Newspapers Limited, publishers of the Chronicle, NCN, GUYOIL, National Edible Oil Company, Guyana National Printers Limited, Linden Electricity Company, and Guyana National Shipping Corporation. It has shares in several other companies including Guyana Stockfeeds Limited and more recently, Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company and the Pegasus. The accumulated monies in these accounts are still unknown publicly. Brassington explains that for a complete NICIL report, inclusive of the subsidiaries
…only US$3.5M remains in the coffers - Brassington to be tabled, then each of the subsidiaries accounts will have to be audited. This, he explained, is a function that can only be undertaken by the Audit Office. It has not been completed. According to Brassington, all of the books for the subsidiaries for up to December 31, 2010 are with the Auditor General and this is where the process is stalled. He did stress the point that each of the companies which are subsidiaries of NICIL operate with their revenues independently, “as
if it were their own.” Brassington says that as it relates to the monies netted by NICIL, the company has three options. He said that overhead expenditures are met, dividends are paid and the company can invest. Asked about the proceeds from transactions such as the sale of the Sanata Complex at Industrial Site to Queen’s Atlantic Investment Inc (QAII), the sale of a large track of land to Eddie Boyer as well as the shares in GT&T, Brassington said that, “most of this is invested.” Brassington said that as
NICIL Head Winston Brassington
NICIL Deputy Head Marcia Nadir-Sharma
it relates to the sale of the 20 per cent shares owned by Government in GT&T, to Hong Kong buyer, Datang Telecoms, this deal has not been finalized. Speaking to the point raised by Opposition parties
that money controlled by NICIL does not find its way into the Consolidate Fund, Brassington pointed this publication to the 2012 Budget Estimates which illustrate a figure of $744.2M (Continued on page 14)
Sunday May 13, 2012
Kaieteur News
…‘show and tell’ session for Opposition could be arranged - Finance Minister By Gary Eleazar The factors that motivated primarily the Bharrat Jagdeo-led government to take a lead role in the construction of a Georgetown Marriott Hotel, will continue to be under ‘lock and key’ as a result of “confidentiality” arrangements in place. This is according to Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, who when asked about the Feasibility Study for the proposed multi-million-dollar venture suggested that a closed door session to edify the political opposition can be arranged. Dr Singh in a recent missive to the House, had said, “There was market feasibility study conducted by the Marriott Hotel Group and one conducted in 2010 by an independent American firm which is being updated for 2012.” Dr Singh did not name the independent American firm and also pointed to an Environmental Social Impact Assessment report, which he said is awaiting final issuance by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). This, he said, is pending the receipt of building permission. The Finance Minister did emphasise, “These documents are confidential at this time; however, the Government is willing to have a closed door presentation that will allow certain details of these documents to be made available under the condition of utmost confidentiality and discussed with key opposition members without these documents being made public.” US$50M FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENT Speaking to the financial arrangement in place for the construction of the Hotel, The Finance Minister said definitively that, “No State funds from the Consolidated Fund have been allocated to this project or are expected to be allocated from the budget.” He spoke of equity participation to the tune of US$12M. Of this US$12M, he said that US$8M will be sourced privately and US$4M will come from the Government-owned NICIL.
The Finance Minister at the time said that while various groups have expressed interest, to invest part of the US$8M investment, a selection of this investor has not been made. These investors, he said, have to be approved by both Marriott and Republic Bank, given that the 67 per cent shareholder will be deemed to be the majority partner. Speaking to Republic Bank’s involvement he pointed out that the bank will be responsible for “Senior debt” to the tune of US$27M. Republic Bank was approached to prepare an investment-friendly package for private investors. He spoke also of “Subordinate Loan Stocks of US$15M invested by the NICIL.” He said that outfitting costs for the Entertainment Complex estimated at US$4M is expected to be funded by the operators (casino, nightclub, and restaurant) once selected. He said that NICIL will then review periodically after completion of the project, the timing for the sale of its
investments. Dr Singh points out that “NICIL has spent or will spend less than US$2 M on development costs for the project including design costs to ADUA and preliminary costs prior to Financial Close; these costs are not part of the capital structure of Atlantic Hotel Inc (AHI).” While expanding on there being no Government Guarantee “to any financial institution or Chinese Company for this project, he said that Government-owned NICIL and the majority shareholder(s) “will have to stand behind certain risks— cost overruns and any debt service shortfall until certain debt service ratios are achieved.” He did say that these risks are considered to be minimal given the Feasibility Studies, the deal structure and the form of the “FIDIC Plant and Design Build Contract.” MORE SECRETS The Finance Minister also declared that there was still more information which at this point cannot be made available publicly and pointed out that he was speaking to the management fees. He said that this will be done by the Marriott Hotel group through one of its
An artist’s Impression of what the Georgetown Marriott Hotel will look like
Page 13
Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh
Former President Bharrat Jagdeo
subsidiaries in accordance with standard Marriott rates per annum. “The actual percentages cannot be disclosed due to confidentiality clauses contained in agreements,” said Dr Singh and reiterated that “Government is willing to have a closed door presentation that will allow certain details of these documents to be made available under the condition of utmost confidentiality and discussed with key opposition members without these documents being made public.”
recently made available after much public furor, the Holdings Company is represented by its Deputy Chief Executive officer/ Company Secretary, Marcia Nadir-Sharma. Nadir-Sharma is also the Company Secretary for AHI, headed by Brassington, and for the purposes of the agreement of lease, AHI was represented by Brassington. In the agreement for the 6.8 acres of land which is located in the vicinity of the Pegasus Hotel Guyana and is considered beach front property, Brassington agrees that AHI will purchase the land from NICIL which Brassington also heads, “anytime after the commencement of the hotel operations of substantial completion of construction whichever is earlier.” Today the Marriott is still to become a reality but the government has already plugged millions of dollars preparing for the project.
LEASEALREADY IN FORCE NICIL headed by Winston Brassington has already inked an Agreement with the Hotel owner, AHI, also headed by Brassington, to lease the seven acres of land belonging to NICIL at $25 000 per month. For the purposes of that agreement which was
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Kaieteur News
A Pepsi in a Coca-Cola bottle…
Guyanese collector to put historical curiosity on auction Not too many people will keep a bottle of Pepsi without opening it for 25 years. Rajnauth Persaud has done so. Don’t be surprised, the bottle of beverage is no ordinary one. It happens to be Pepsi bottled in a Coca Cola bottle and Persaud is convinced that it is the only one of its kind in the world. Complete with a Pepsi crown, the beverage which was bought from a Pepsi distribution truck, is contained in a clearly marked Coca Cola bottle. But how did this anomaly occur, especially when it concerns two extreme competitors in the beverage business? Persaud believes that it has to be one of the strangest business mistakes in the world.
He has kept the bottle, guarding it with his life ever since he purchased it in neighbouring Venezuela in 1987. Although the cork is showing signs of aging, the beverage itself has not evaporated over the years and Persaud is challenging anyone to disprove the authenticity of his cherished possession. “This is a family-size beverage and I don’t think that another one exists. If there is anyone with one, I would like to see it,” Persaud told this newspaper. And given the corporate rivalry between the two giant beverage companies, Persaud is certain that should he put his prized collection on auction today, he would receive a hefty sum for the rarity.
NICIL money invested... (From page 12) paid to the Consolidated Fund from NICIL as, “Dividends from Equity Holdings.” The 2012 Budget Estimates point also to some $454M paid to the Consolidated Fund for 2010 and a projection of some $600M to be paid over this year. The 2011 Budgetary Estimates illustrate also that some $1.2B was paid over from the Consolidate Fund from NICIL in 2009. Brassington is reported as saying that over the past two decades some $20B in dividends has been paid over to the Consolidated Fund. Speaking directly to NICIL’s total investment portfolio, while Brassington was unable to place a figure to this, pointed to the 2004 report which lists $22.4B as total assets. He said that as a holding Company for the State all are considered investments. Attorney General Anil Nandlall has said that Brassington, is preparing to sit with reporters to speak of the transactions of that Government-owned company. According to the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, this past week, theoretically the assets under NICIL could add up to $50B but this will have to include both movable and immovable assets and other properties.
In fact he had turned down an offer of US$5000 for his prize. “After 25 years I am thinking of contacting the Guinness Book of World Records to verify its authenticity. I once asked Coca Cola in Venezuela to buy it but the deal fell through,” Persaud said. “It is what you call an infringement of one of the world’s most popular soft drinks,” Persaud said. He informed that he had been invited to have the bottle of beverage on auction at the famous Christies of London. Persaud said that he had bought a case of Pepsi while residing in San Felix, Venezuela, and to his surprise, he found that one of the bottles was actually a Coca Cola with a Pepsi crown. Sensing that he was on to something rather unusual, which could bring him a fortune, Persaud kept the bottle and up to today it remains in his ‘Fort Knox’. “Being a collector, I have been keeping this bottle for the past 25 years. A lesser person might have opened it and drank it.” So guarded is the bottle of Pepsi that Persaud has had some strange occurrences while keeping it in his possession; none more strange than an encounter he had with his wife. “About 15 years ago, I was at a party and I called my wife and told her that I was coming home a bit late. She told me to come ‘now’.’ if you don’t come now, I will open your bottle’. You don’t have
Sunday May 13, 2012
ImmigrationTALK
Transgender Individuals Eligible For Immigration Benefits Attorney Gail S. Seeram
This rare bottle of Pepsi in a Coca Cola bottle has been in the possession of Guyanese collector Rajnauth Persaud since 1987. to ask, I reached home even before time,” he joked. According to Persaud, the rare bottle of Pepsi was featured in a Venezuelan newspaper under the caption “Una Coca Cola fabricado por Pepsi”, which when translated means a Coca Cola made by Pepsi. He also related that an archive in Atlanta, Georgia, USA had described it as a ‘historical curiosity’. But while Persaud had previously hinted that only death will part him and his bottle of drink, he is now contemplating putting it up for sale to the highest bidder.
In 2005, the Board of Immigration Appeals (Board) issued the precedent decision Matter of Lovo-Lara, 23 I&N Dec. 746 (BIA 2005). The case involved a petitioner born in North Carolina who underwent sex reassignment surgery and then amended her birth certificate, reflecting her transition from male to female. Subsequently, she married her husband in North Carolina and filed an I-130 petition on his behalf. The Board noted that North Carolina law does not permit individuals of the same gender to marry each other. The petitioner legally amended her birth certificate to reflect her change in gender designation, and the evidence the petitioner submitted to the Board included her amended birth certificate. C o n s e q u e n t l y, the Board found North Carolina considered the petitioner to be female (per sex reassignment) under its laws and deemed her marriage to the beneficiary to be a valid heterosexual marriage. Although evidence of sex reassignment surgery was submitted in the Lovo-Lara case, the Board’s decision does not require submission of evidence of surgery in order to establish a valid heterosexual marriage. Rather, the reasoning underlying the Board’s decision suggests that the federal government should defer to how the state/local jurisdiction in which a claimed
Gail S. Seeram marriage takes place recognizes a legal change in gender for purposes of heterosexual marriage. In the case of a spousal Form I-130 or I-129F involving the claimed marriage between two persons of the same birth sex, the submission of evidence is required to show that one of the individuals had in fact undergone sex reassignment surgery to show a change of gender. Benefits based upon marriage may be approved on the basis of a marriage between a transgender individual and an individual of the other gender if the Petitioner/Applicant establishes 1) the transgender individual has legally changed his or her gender and subsequently married an individual of the other gender, 2) the marriage is recognized as a heterosexual marriage under the law where the marriage took place (Matter of LovoLara, 23 I&N Dec. 746 (BIA 2005)), and 3) the law where the marriage took place does not bar a marriage between a transgender individual and an individual of the other gender.
Sunday May 13, 2012
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Kaieteur News
Thieves slit watchman's throat T
he once peaceful and secure community of Enmore, East Coast Demerara is once again grappling with another savage murder, the second in less than two weeks. This time it is 60-year old watchman, Rudolph Narine, called 'Uncle Boy', whose body was discovered about 06:30 hours at his place of employment, R. Ramlagan Grocery at 34 Logwood, Enmore. His throat was slit and his head showed signs of being battered. His mouth was gagged and his feet tied with a piece of white rope. The killers then
Coast of Demerara, for the past two weeks. Police in a statement yesterday said that the body of Rudolph Narine, 60, of Logwood, Enmore, was found at the entrance to a grocery store at Logwood where he worked as a watchman. “The body was found with injuries to the head and throat, mouth gagged and feet tied. The store was broken into and articles stolen.” Businessman R. Ramlagan called 'Lil Boy' told members of the media that he turned up yesterday morning to open his business and made the gruesome
Narine's body with feet bound lies in a pool of blood at the entrance to the grocery store.
Dead: Rudolph Narine
A relative consoles the dead man's daughter Rangama after she collapsed at the scene.
proceeded to ransack the business place, before carting off an undisclosed quantity of goods. Villagers are convinced that the perpetrators are elements from within the community, who timed the movements of the village community policing group to perfection. Narine had been working at the establishment, one of the most popular weekend shopping spots on the East
discovery. “I lock up normal yesterday and come back this morning fuh release he (Narine) 6:30. Me nah hear he answer. When me peep over de fence, me see de man lie down deh. So after me see like blood, me just go and call de police,” Ramlagan said. The police eventually came and upon opening up the premises, Ramlagan's fears were confirmed; the
grocery had been ransacked. H e c o u l d n o t immediately estimate his losses. “The whole place ransack and I miss some things.” That was not all. The perpetrators maliciously broke the pipe that brought water into the building, flooding the interior and resulting in significant damage to several items. Neighbours to the eastern side of the grocery
reported hearing nothing that would have caused any alarm on Friday night or early Saturday morning. “Is nah till 'Lil Boy' come fuh open dem me know wha happen,” the neighbour said. It is believed that Narine was killed some time after midnight since his empty food container which was recovered at the scene provided evidence that he had already eaten his dinner which he would normally do around 23:00 hours. Members of the area's community policing group also informed that they had been patrolling the village on Friday night but concluded their tour of duty around 23:30 hours. Narine's reputed wife, Champa Allicock, and the rest of his family believe that he was killed by persons whom he had recognised. They are convinced that
Two years since St Joseph Mercy fire Friday marked two years since most of the original Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital building went up in flames. The fire which broke out in the early morning destroyed the oldest wing of St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Kingston, Georgetown, erasing about eight decades of history. For the anniversary nurses and members of the administrative staff during their lunch break, gathered
on the plot of land where the building was, in prayer and thanksgiving. They were thankful that no lives were lost. About 32 patients, among them four new born babies, had been in the building at the time of the fire. Emotions ran high. The staffers remembered the unfortunate event and plan to move forward. As disaster struck the
hospital that morning, medical staff members were prompt and ensured that in the midst of the catastrophe, no patient was left unattended to. Eventually some of the patients, including those in wheelchairs, and others on beds had to be transported to the Guyana Red Cross Headquarters building and given the necessary care. The more critical
patients were transferred to Woodlands and other nearby hospitals. Many believed that the fire destroyed the nerve centre of the hospital that day. Records were lost, and a piece of Guyana's history became nothing but ashes. The hospital's administration is currently working on refurbishing one of the buildings in the compound
his throat was slit with a knife he always carried on his person. “He does knit cast net and he always got he knife pon he; we nah find it,” a relative told this newspaper. Allicock told Kaieteur News that Narine left home for work at around 17:15 hours on Friday. “A little boy come and ask me where 'Uncle Boy' is and I said that he gone to work. That was about seven o'clock. He said that uncle boy dead ah road and I say no, it can't be.” She said that she related to Narine's daughter what was told to her but before they could leave to confirm the information, the grocery proprietor's daughter came and related the tragic news. They then went to the scene where they identified Narine's body. Yesterday's incident occurred just a stone's throw away from where the body of taxi driver, Rajendra Puran was discovered.
And residents are worried that the once fortified village is fast becoming a haven for criminal activity. Only recently, thieves broke into the store of f o r m e r G u y a n a wicketkeeper batsman Sheik Mohamed and made off with an undisclosed quantity of cellular phones and other valuables. Although several persons were arrested, police could not come up with enough evidence to charge them, hence they were released, much to the anger of several members of the neighbourhood. “Enmore nah had these kinda things before now,” one resident lamented. “Dis gat fuh be people inside here because nobody nah go come in here and do dis,” another resident said. Police are hoping that this time around they will have enough to enable them to find and prosecute the killers.
Another murder in the North West District The police are investigating the murder of M a r k A s h b y, 2 0 , o f Mabaruma, North West District. Ashby was reportedly killed on Friday at Port Kaituma. Investigations have revealed that Mark Ashby was involved in an argument
with a man over cigarettes. He was allegedly chopped to his neck. He succumbed while receiving treatment at the Port Kaituma Hospital. The suspect has been arrested and is in police custody assisting with the investigations.
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Kaieteur News
Another boat collision in Pomeroon
Ramjattan Lall, of Charity Housing Scheme, Essequibo Coast, and three of his workers are grateful for life after they survived a hit and run boat collision that occurred around 18:30 hours Friday evening, in the Pomeroon River. While Lall and his three workers escaped unhurt, he has suffered tremendous losses. His boat and all of his produce worth almost $3M dollars went under the water. Lall explained that his boat was proceeding towards the farmer's Wharf at Charity when the unlit trawler bearing inscription
'Miliannys 'which approached at high speed, hit them on its starboard side, sinking the boat within minutes of the collision. Lall's boat was extensively damaged. The frustrated farmer explained that after his boat sunk, he and his three workers were left stranded in the river. Their cries for help went unanswered as the trawler sped away. Helpless in the Pomeroon River, they were eventually rescued by the Mackbool family, at Charity, and aided by other kind hearted residents. Lall said after he and his
men were dragged from the water, he went to the Charity police station and lodged a report. Lall said that the police told him that they had no boat to trail the foreign boat. The man said that he immediately hired two boats, in an effort to accommodate the police, with their investigations. The police eventually apprehended the foreign boat, some ten miles from Charity. The Captain and his crew are in police custody. Lall said that his boat was launched last December. He added that he is currently indebted to the bank.
Sunday May 13, 2012
German citizen claims -- after Irfaan Ali Police brutality ‘wake house' incident A Guyana-born woman who is now a German citizen, claims that she was badly beaten and dragged out of her house by the police and then thrown into the “wet cell” at the La Grange Police Station, West Bank Demerara. The woman, Fareena Hahn, believes that she suffered the treatment because of her “power drunk” neighbours. The woman's property is sandwiched between Minister Irfaan Ali's seaside mansion and his father's residence at Sea Spray, L e o n o r a , We s t C o a s t Demerara. The incident occurred after Mrs Hahn complained that vehicles were blocking her entrance and keeping her horses from coming into her yard. Hahn, who migrated to Germany in 1990, is home to visit her mother and other relatives who live just nearby in Sea Spray. The woman said that on Tuesday last, she was having a normal day when she started noticing vehicles parking on the road and a group of persons congregating. She said as the evening moved along, more people and more vehicles came. Mrs Hahn said she later learnt that Minister Ali's house was being used to keep a “wake” for his uncle. The man who died is M.Z Ali, a former newspaper editor who was the brother of Minister Ali's father. The woman said that she told the security guard at Minister Ali's house to ask persons with vehicles not to park in front of her entrance. She said her wishes were respected. On the said Tuesday night, the horses ran away, Mrs Hahn claimed, and so on Wednesday she started searching for them. She located the horses a few
Fareena Hahn
doors away under a bottom house, but with the crowd Wednesday again, she said it was difficult to bring them home. The woman said that she decided to spend most of the day at her mother's residence and only returned home later the night in time to bring in the horses. She said on Tuesday night most persons at the wake had left after 21:00 hrs, so she figured that would have been the case on Wednesday. Mrs Hahn said that she returned home, but just after 21:00 hrs, she heard sirens. Since it was getting late, she decided to look outside to see if the crowd had eased so she could try to get her horses in. However, when she looked out, she said she noticed vehicles parked in front of her entrance, and so she called out to the man sitting in the car to park elsewhere. However, she said there was no response, so she flashed her torchlight so she could get the person's attention if they could not hear her. She said this persisted for a while, and someone came out of the car, but folded his hands and ignored her. Mrs Hahn said she
became upset because to her the attitude of the driver seemed to be “Who are you?” and didn't pay her any mind. She said that she then decided to come outside to press her case. However, she said that she noticed that the car parked in front of her gate was in fact the car of President Donald Ramotar. Mrs Hahn said that she angrily shouted that someone should have had at least a little bit of respect for her space by telling her the President's vehicle was parked there. She said that if her neighbours were expecting the President they could have at least made parking arrangements for him and his security detail. Mrs Hahn said she felt she was being fair, and the attitude towards her was a “big and bad” attitude. The woman said that as she protested, a burly looking Police officer dressed in brown clothes started to approach her in an angry mood, and she quickly told him “Don't touch me!” She said that she stood around a bit, and then decided to go back into her house. As she was closing the (continued on page 50)
Sunday May 13, 2012
Kaieteur News
Lisa
Sattaur Meet the beautiful 19 year-old Lisa Sattaur. Her hobbies include: reading, traveling, listening to music and browsing the internet. She advises believe in yourself, be true to yourself, and don't let anyone tell you differently. Her favourite quote is: Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try. Success is not final and failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday May 13, 2012
Eunice 'Miss Nicey' Ettienne
Coomaka mom of 19 is a 'Special Person’ By Neil Marks
W
hen she was born 69 years ago, Guyana's population was one-third of what it is today. So to say that 'Miss Nicey' contributed to the growth in the country's population would not be an absurdity. Sure, you can chuckle at her story if you want. At least she does! She boasts an incredible sense of humour. But don't be fooled. She is no weakling. Beneath her shy demenour, 'Miss Nicey' is a strong woman – a woman who has overcome what to many might seem like overwhelming odds to bring up her 19 children. Were it not for miscarriages, she
“You couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like to prepare three square meals for 19 children every day! My mother is an extraordinary woman.” - Eunice Ettienne's eldest daughter, Sybil. would have had a total of 23 children Hers is a story of hard work and endurance. How was she able to do it all? Her answer is simple: “I just love them.” PARTY GIRL Her real name is Eunice Ettienne, but most people know her as Miss Nicey Daw. And when we say “most people” you'd be correct to assume she is well known. Once you get into the
mining town of Linden, just ask for the bus going into “The Mines” and tell the driver you are going by 'Miss Nicey'. She was born in the mines of Coomaka, a dusty community located an estimated ten miles above Kara Kara, another satellite community of Linden. H e r f a t h e r, Ty r i l Ettienne, a Grenadian, had come to Guyana in search of work. He was employed in the bauxite operations at Coomaka, and had met
Holding her 49th grandchild, Damarie. Our 'Special Person' relaxes with four of her 19 children, including her eldest daughter, Sybil (right).
Eunice's mother, Miriam. The union of the Ettienne's produced 16 children. Eunice was the 14th in line. Today, just three of her brothers and one sister are alive. Growing up, Eunice attended the “all age” school in Coomaka, but when her father found work with the bauxite company, the family moved into the town, and there she continued her schooling. When Mr Ettienne was retrenched, the family moved back to the Coomaka mines, where Miss Nicey currently has her house just by the riverside. Just after she finished schooling at the age of 16, Eunice would become
Eunice Ettienne, popularly known as 'Miss Nicey’ pregnant with her first child – Renni. It was madness in the Ettienne household. The parents were known as strict disciplinarians, but they could not get the better of Eunice. She was a party girl and she knew just how to get to the “dance.” Her favourite music? Oldies. The “dance” would happen just under a troolieleaf tent that one of the residents would throw up to sell entertainment. 19 CHILDREN At one of those dances she met a gentleman, Arthur Daw, who used to make runs to the “gold bush” but later found work with the Demerara Bauxite Company in Linden. She wouldn't admit that she was smitten by the gentleman. She offers the sharp retort: “I don't like man; man got to like me.” Eunice and Mr Daw pursued their romantic relationship secretly. Her parents could not find out what was happening. But you really can't hide a
pregnancy, now can you? In time, the Ettiennes found out their girl was pregnant. They were outraged. “They row and thing, but we still keep on.” Renni, a boy, was born when Eunice was still yet age 16. Soon, she became pregnant again. That was the end of the road for the Ettiennes. Eunice and Arthur Daw decided to get married and lead a life of their own. And the children kept coming: Leon, Sybil, Carol, Lovern, Carl, Richard, Brenthnol, Linden, Maline, Shawn, F i t z r o l , Te r r e n c e , Mitcheline, Garth, Keron, Derwin, Steve and Coreen. The last child, Coreen, is now 23 years old. Just a few weeks ago, Coreen gave birth to her first child giving 'Miss Nicey' her 49th grandchild. Your guess would be correct if you were thinking that 'Miss Nicey' has greatgrandchildren. She has eight of those. There were times when the children had health complications, but Eunice was never scared. She puts it down to her faith in God. “God gave me them, so wouldn't he take care of them?” The one time she remembers being scared was when she had to “go under the knife” in bringing forth Coreen. All the other children were delivered the natural way. Eunice and Arthur Daw did not plan to make as many children. However, due to health reasons, she could not use contraceptives. And when she kept getting pregnant, there was only one option. “I never believed in 'throwing away' baby,” she firmly asserted. 'Miss Nicey' states (continued on page 36)
Sunday May 13, 2012
Kaieteur News
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WAITING FOR THE DAY OF RETIREMENT
I
nvariably when you visit a government office you have to wait. The waiting is not all that bad if you look around and observe what is taking place. There are many useful observations that can be made while waiting in a government office. Often these insights are lost on our policymakers and politicians, and for the main reason that because of their positions and importance in life, they never have to sit and wait while their transactions are being handled. They have others to do the running around for them and so they miss out on valuable insights into the workings within government departments. Within most public services, you are bound to find an employee that stands out for no other reason than the fact that they do not fit in. Most often this employee would have belonged to the old public service and would have found that over time, he or she had become redundant because of the work requiring more knowledge and specialized skills. These employees often are only a few years away from the age of retirement but have outlived their usefulness to the system. They can no longer function efficiently at the level at which they are, and given their age and present skills, it makes no sense to re-train them for a modern public
service. These employees can often be seen twiddling their thumbs at their desks. And when they notice that you are observing them they try to engage in some makebelieve work, pretending that they are doing something, when in fact they have nothing to do. If by chance they have a supervisory position and are required to sign-off on some document, they will examine it like a doctor examining a patient. But it is clear even to the casual onlooker that they are merely going through the ritual of pretending that they are re-checking it. For most of them, they are simply waiting for the day they will retire. They are hanging on, going through the motions, and enduring the humiliation of the work day just in order that they can serve their time and qualify for their pension and the big pay-off that comes with it. With this big pay-off they may be able to buy a car and place it in hire, open a shop, pay off their mortgage, or do something else useful with it to bring in an income, which when added to their monthly pension, will tie them over for the rest of their living days. And so each day they go to work and whittle the day away watching the new,
more educated and more talented entrants do most of the work, just like they did when they were young and in a different public service to the one that now exists. The public service is not what it used to be. Entry level positions are no longer filled by persons who may have simply completed secondary education. These positions are now being filled by young, highly educated kids with seven and eight subjects, others with multiple degrees and a long line of computer certificates. There are others who come in with specialized skills, and still others who have to be paid market rates because of the need for their skills. For example, a normal electrical engineer cannot be paid the same as a hydrological engineer. Even though they are both engineers, the skill of one is in more demand than the other and therefore will attract a higher pay. This is why the old public service system of salary bands has become outmoded and why many people opt for nontenured employment within the public service. There are a great many educated and highly talented individuals in our public service. But there are also many others who have outlived
their usefulness and who are simply occupying space and waiting for the day when they are relieved of the responsibility of going to work. These workers want to be retired. They are waiting to be retired and the government should help them by offering a voluntary retirement package as has been done with great success in other countries. There are many within the public service who have a few more years on the job and who would be willing if offered early retirement without loss of benefits to move on. The government should seriously consider doing this. It will reduce the size of the government bureaucracy
and create some openings for some sharp, qualified young people who will bring more energy and more enthusiasm to the work of the public service. The government in the early 1990s had once toyed with the idea of offering a voluntary retirement package, but backed out of the idea. At the time, it did not seem as if there would be many takers. However, given the increase in salaries since then and the concomitant increase in the benefits, the pay-off package may now induce many to opt for early retirement. There are also many retired persons who are still on the government payroll. Many of them are not
indispensable. The government should also, especially in light of the Budget cuts on employment costs, consider asking these retirees who are still on the job to make way. This would be one way of cushioning the effects of the Budget cuts - by encouraging the attrition of those who are close to or have reached retirement age. The government can minimize the adverse effects of the recent Budget cuts on employment costs.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday May 13, 2012
Sunday May 13, 2012
Kaieteur News
Page 21
Ravi Dev Column
Returning to Guyana in 1988, I attempted to highlight the factors that promote the development of democracy in our country as opposed to those that retard it. While much of the writings were theoretical, they were grounded in surveys and polls that sought to include the perspective of ordinary Guyanese. The thesis that our politics was dominated by ethnic concerns did not find favour with most of the political elite – they would rather pretend that ‘all awe a one’ but yet exploit the ethnic divisions for political gain. We predicted that unless we confront our divisions honestly, the ‘conflict over the conflict’ would inevitably translate into conflicts in the streets. We had crossed this Rubicon in the 1960s and the genie of violence could never be put back into the bottle if we refused to acknowledge the genie. Swept along, the tide of events that unfolded
The police are going to come good with an incident that has Trinidad connections. They have been toiling on this for a while and were actually thwarted by a closely knit family unit. The suspect would have been changing hiding places at the rate of two a day. He was able to do so with some success but as the saying goes, a criminal always returns to the scene of his crime. In this case there is a limit to hiding places so the criminal must recycle. The police would be waiting.
after ethnic riots in Georgetown saw hundreds of Indian Guyanese being beaten and otherwise brutalised by their African Guyanese compatriots on Jan 12, 1998, I experienced politics from the ‘inside’ as leader of ROAR from 2000 and as its MP between 2001-2006. That experience simply confirmed all we had feared as ‘outsiders’. Since officially leaving politics in 2006, I have attempted to highlight one particular dangerous feature that channels us into conflict – the hate-filled rhetoric and narratives some politicians and activists deploy in expressing disagreement towards the status quo. Pointing out that unlike those that were agitating for the PPP to legislate themselves out of office by ‘changing the constitution for power sharing’, I proposed that it was up to the opposition to eschew the politics of protest
and violence. The demographics had changed to ensure that no one ethnic group now had an absolute majority in Guyana. Only the politics of compromise that reached across ethnic boundaries could deliver political power. The greatest barrier to this kind of politics was the presence in our society of a band of activists –within and without the organised political parties – who were stuck in the past and insisted on the politics of hate and confrontation. Two years ago, I wrote in ‘Discourse of Hate’, “While not denying the importance of structural features, discourses are most crucial because they sanction certain kinds of action and not others. In times of heightened tension and conflict, narratives and discourses link individual and group identity, producing a sense of intertwined fate among groups. When
** There is going to be a sad case of an electrocution because despite the happenings, people are going to continue with old habits. In this case the habit is electricity theft. The power suppliers would rush to the area but of
course, the other illegal connections would disappear. There is going to be the usual talk. ** There will be another road fatality. As can be expected, it is going to happen during rush hour when an impatient driver opts to do what he thinks is the best thing. He would decide to force his way through traffic even as others are going to try to get out of the way of the confusion. Sadly, the victim would be so young that people would remark that he had not even started to enjoy life.
violence is in the air, the fears also include concern for physical security and fears of extinction of self, family, and the group and its culture. Political actions – and reactions - are therefore highly influenced by the dominant discourses circulating at any given time.” After reviewing the metadiscourses that had shaped our political actions after the abolition of slavery to the new millennium, we pointed out: “After 2006, the discourse was taken over and given a new twist by Mr Freddy Kissoon and some new entrants such as Mr Lincoln Lewis. The PPP – the “them/ other” - was now defined as an “elected dictatorship” – the repository of all evil - and the Indians that mainly voted for them were given full responsibility for their actions. The new party, the AFC, which Mr Kissoon declared he now supported, was now the angelic “us”. Mr. Kissoon, the AFC, Lewis and the PNC defined themselves as fighting for democracy, freedom of speech, justice, workers’ rights and presumably, motherhood (good qualities). In contrast, in virtually every speech and article about the PPP, they declared the PPP was “fascist” – Hitler, killer of 6 million Jews is invoked; was committing economic “genocide” against Africans – invoking millions genocidally murdered in Rwanda and the Congo; perverted; corrupt, violent etc. In this discourse, Guyana was in mortal conflict between good and evil and that evil was real, and must be opposed. Acutely
entrenched in our historic binary socio-religious discourses of “us” and “them”, this kind of polemic serves to essentialize the PPP and their supporters as satanic and morally corrupt. Critically, this framing locates evil in the nature of the PPP – and by extension, their supporters - , thereby stigmatizing a whole category of people. Not to mention putting them at risk in an atmosphere dominated by a discourse of “us” against “them” and a history of political violence. It is a compelling discourse and an act of demagoguery that vitiates the actions of the PPP and their supporters of any political content by decontextualizing and dehistoricizing them. They are simultaneously dehumanized and depersonalized. What justification, ultimately, can be offered for ‘acts of evil’? The wages of sin, I am told, is death. In other words, holding that the PPP and their supporters are by nature evil (and racist to boot) rather than ordinary
Ravi Dev
people, it is not difficult to see how attacks against them can become normalized.” Recent interventions by both Messrs Lewis and Kissoon, demonstrate that even though the last elections disproved all their stridencies about ‘elected dictatorship’, they are still intent on stoking the fires of hate that can lead us into violent conflict once again. (To be continued)
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Sunday May 13, 2012
Is there a missing US citizen buried in Friendship? By Michael Jordan If you find this headline misleading, or if you think it’s sensational, then it probably is. But this is exactly what seems to have happened to the 67-year-old man with the strange name that I’m writing about. He hasn’t been spotted anywhere. His body hasn’t
been found. He seems to have literally dropped off the face of the earth, and if you know differently just tell me. The mystery of Kwame Rumel Jobronewet, also known as Romie Johnston, began on the morning of Friday, June 12, 2009, when the United States citizen arrived in Guyana to bury his mother, a well-known Buxton resident.
A Guyanese by birth, Jobronewet had lived some 46 years overseas, and had returned to Guyana some two years before this second visit. On his arrival, Jobronewet first stopped at relatives in Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara. But the elderly man wanted to visit his mother’s former home at Company Road, Buxton, so his brother took him there by car. At the time, the house was occupied by Phyllis Browne, a cousin of the elderly American. Phyllis Browne told me that Mr. Jobronewet arrived at around 10:00 hrs and took a bath shortly after. According to Ms. Browne, she was in the yard tending to her dogs at around 15:00 hrs when Mr. Jobronewet came downstairs. He was toting three small bags. She says she asked him where he was going, and he said that he was going to visit his uncle in Goedverwagting. But she claims that he also said something puzzling. If Ms. Browne is to be believed, Mr. Jobronewet also mentioned an area in the United States, which he said he would visit after going to Goedverwagting. Mr. Jobronewet reportedly then left through the back gate, which led onto Middle Street, Buxton. Ms Browne says that was the last time she ever saw her cousin. Meanwhile, at the Goedverwagting residence, relatives waited for Mr. Jobronewet to show. When he failed to turn up, they assumed that he was exhausted from his trip from the US and had opted to rest in Buxton. It was only on Saturday, June 13, that they realized that he was neither in Buxton or Goedverwagting. Despite checks at hospitals and in various areas, they failed to locate the elderly man. They contacted the U.S. Embassy here and informed officials that Mr. Jobronewet was missing. Some relatives believed that the elderly man might have been suffering from some memory loss and had gotten lost. Some initial
Kwame Jobronewet reports appeared to support this theory. Several East Coast residents claimed that two boys had seen Mr. Jobronewet in Beterverwagting. Realizing that he was lost, they had reportedly directed him to the East Coast Demerara public road so he could catch a bus to Buxton. As days passed, relatives also received reports that the American was seen in a Timehri-bound minibus and that he “was wet and looked mad.” They were also told that he was seen near Lusignan. Relatives were also told that a man fitting his description was seen at a funeral service at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Brickdam. Some of his relatives assumed that because of his memory loss, Jobronewet believed that he was attending his mother’s funeral. But there was also a disturbing report which suggested that Kwame Jobronewet had never left Buxton. A Buxton shopkeeper revealed that on the night of June 12, 2009, a man fitting Jabronewet’s description, and speaking with an American accent, had visited his shop on Company Road. According to the shopkeeper, the man had a ‘speedy’ look and appeared to be restless. The shopkeeper told me that the elderly man had tried to buy a drink with US coins. But the shopkeeper says he told the stranger that the coins had no value in Guyana and the man had left. Now suspecting foul play, detectives on the East Coast of Demerara took the shopkeeper into custody. They also detained Jobronewet’s cousin, Phyllis Browne. However, they were released the following day, with the detectives getting no new leads on the missing man’s whereabouts. Then on June 23, 2009, it appeared that the search for Kwame Jobronewet was over, when a man’s bloated and decomposed body was found in a bushy area behind the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. However, the victim was eventually identified as a suspect in a number of armed robberies. Hopes of finding Kwame
Jobronewet surfaced again in early July 2009, after an emaciated, elderly man, who was barely alive, was found at a dam at the back of Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara. But then the man was identified as 84-year-old Albert Van Vieldt, of Supply, East Bank Demerara. He passed away the following day. A few weeks later, Jobronewet’s relatives received a call from someone who claimed to have knowledge of his whereabouts. According to the relatives, the caller claimed that Jobronewet had contracted malaria. The caller also demanded $1.6M from the relatives. The caller never contacted them again. Since then, there have been reports which strongly suggest that Kwame Jobronewet was the victim of foul play. One report indicated that he was seen at an East Coast Demerara residence. At one point, police scoured a remote section of Buxton for possible signs of a shallow grave containing the missing man’s remains. They found none. Three months after his disappearance, police arrested two brothers from Friendship, East Coast Demerara. This happened after the police received information that suggested that the brothers had vital information about Jobronewet’s whereabouts. The information indicated that the US citizen had been murdered. The brothers, aged 25 and 31, and known as ‘Psycho’ and ‘Madman’, had had previous brushes with the law. But the siblings denied having any knowledge of the missing man’s whereabouts.
Detectives searched the backyard of a house belonging to the suspects’ mother, but found nothing. They were forced to release the brothers after searches in other areas yielded nothing. One of the missing man’s relatives, in particular, believes that Mr. Jobronewet was abducted shortly after his East Coast Demerara visit. It is believed that he was carrying a substantial sum of currency to assist with his mother’s burial, although relatives had already made their arrangements before he arrived. Dismissing suggestions that Jobronewet may have be suffering from the onset of Alzheimer ’s disease, the relative said he corresponded regularly with the elderly man who always appeared to be mentally alert. The relatives subsequently posted a reward for information on Jobronewet’s whereabouts. No one responded. After three years, there is still no clue about his fate. Kwame Jobronewet was reportedly last seen wearing a white shirt, blue jeans, a pair of black shoes and a white Kangol cap. He was also carrying three bags, including a red one marked ‘California.’ If you have any information on this case, please contact us at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown location. You can also call us on telephone numbers 2258465, 22-58491, and 2258458. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s : mjdragon@hotmail.com. You need not disclose your identity.
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, 22-58465, or 22-58491. HeI can also be contacted on 6452447.
Sunday May 13, 2012
Kaieteur News
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== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==
A STAKEHOLDER’S HYPOCRISY Perhaps, the most precious right we enjoy which must never be surrendered is the right to have an opinion. It is a belief we hold as part of being rational humans. It may not be arrived at by extensive research into knowledge. It may not have come about because we delved deeply into the subject. We give birth to it because it inheres in our capacity to think as humans. An opinion, even if it cannot be defended, should be expressed, because in so doing we let the world know that we can think for ourselves. It may not be a worthwhile world to live in if we are afraid to express an opinion or feel too insecure or inferior to display a thought we have, a belief we possess. Whoever we are, however we feel, we must be free and feel free to have an opinion. I have no training in art, but from the little I know about art, I find it inexplicable that Paul Cézanne’s “The Card Player” remains the most
expensive painting ever sold (US$250M). I would not rate that painting in the first ten of the world’s most precious art work. The first time I saw Jennifer Lopez in a movie and the first time I heard her sing, I couldn’t understand how she became a superstar. She cannot sing or act and probably would never have passed an audition in both categories. It is my opinion that cricket’s most accomplished and competent fast bowler has been Glenn McGrath. This brings me to my country. Opinion-making in Guyana is almost nonexistent. Fear of reprisal or retaliation or degradation deters Guyanese from speaking on things they have strong feelings on. Then there is the libel factor. You are bound to get one if you go on to express your viewpoint with frequency. Do you know that during the budget debate last week, an OP consultant sent a lawyer’s letter to a well
known professional over the use of the word, “massive” to describe his salary? It has to be the most asinine judge in the world to find a person guilty of slander because he/she describes a consultant’s salary as massive. In Guyana, since I became a public commentator in 1988 I have become a relentless victim of my open opinionmaking. It has not deterred me, even though it has put me in the poisonous books of all types of powerful people, not only in power and politics, but in all spheres of life in Guyana. I do not have a very high opinion of our private sector people; there are a few that are of admirable quality, the bulk of them though, are people who display no sense of social responsibility. They enjoy status in this country they do not deserve. Acts that threaten the very foundation of this country pass without even a whisper of condemnation
from the private sector that Guyanese credit with being a priceless stakeholder. Readers of this column would be familiar with my opinion on the Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Mr. Ramesh Dookhoo. Keeping within the strict limits of the law, I have constantly described Mr. Dookhoo as a stakeholder who has political inclinations that disqualify him from holding the position of Chairman of the Private Sector Commission. Last year, before the national elections, I acted on the information of the editor of this newspaper, Mr. Adam Harris, that Mr. Dookhoo would like to speak to me. I called. I didn’t catch him. He contacted me later when I
was at a meeting at the TUC. I left the meeting to answer my phone. I was polite, but I should not have been when he told me that he has no political bias one way or the other. It is my right to say that I don’t believe him. Since that conversation I have been critical of his leadership of the PSC. Now we have the PSC descending to the level of insane abdication of its patriotic duty. The PSC has written to the Leader of the Opposition asking for a discussion on how the budget cuts will affect the private sector then in the same letter, the PSC shamelessly told Mr. David Granger that if the opposition has a problem with the way NCN is run, it should
Frederick Kissoon speak to the government about it. Why should Mr. Granger alone speak to the ruling politicians about the nastiness of NCN? It is for stakeholders like the PSC to tell the Government that it must stop the caricature named NCN. I call upon Mr. Dookhoo to resign.
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Sunday Special NICIL’S REFUSAL TO HAND OVER ITS $$$ IS CRIMINAL – FORMER AUDITOR GENERAL
Former Auditor General, Anand Goolsaran It is estimated that $50B, representing proceeds of the privatization sales of state companies and properties, is in the coffers of National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), a government-owned company. The refusal by Government to hand over the monies is a violation of the Constitution, says former Auditor General, Anand Goolsaran. According to Goolsaran, he is on public record as saying that all public revenues should be placed in the Consolidated Fund and that no public expenditure should be incurred without parliamentary approval. The accountant made the disclosure in a released statement to this newspaper last week Saturday. “This is a fundamental principle relating to public finance since it ensures transparency and proper accountability for public funds. Any lesser arrangement is not considered proper accountability for taxpayers’ funds and can result in all kinds of allegations of impropriety in the use of such funds, notwithstanding the
Kaieteur News
very best of intentions.” MAN KILLEDAFTER OLDENDORFF TUG SLAMS INTO MOORED BOAT IN BERBICE RIVER A 42-year-old man was killed at De Veldt, up the Berbice River, sometime after 04:30 hrs last week Saturday when a tug belonging to Oldendorff Shipping Company ran over the boat in which he was sleeping. The body of Andre Thompson of Number 28 Village, West Coast Berbice, was discovered around 11:00 hrs Saturday by family members “under the bushes in the water”.
Corbin was at the time addressing the North American Region (NAR) of the PNCR’s Conference last week Saturday in New York. The PNCR will be hosting its Biennial Congress from July 26 to 29 at which point in time the election will be held for party leadership. Corbin has signaled that he has no intention of once again seeking to retain the position.
student of Kingston Community High School and Zenon Academy, was trapped in the overturned vehicle for several minutes.
TEENINCEMETERY ROAD BRIDGEACCIDENT SUCCUMBS
Winston Brassington
Head of State Donald Ramotar Elbert Thorne
The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) is gearing to host its 17th Biennial Congress and according to the Party’s Leader, Robert Corbin, “Guyana is in a new political situation for which there is no blueprint.” Corbin, who for the first time since the 2011 Regional and General Elections has spoken publicly on the results, said that while there is no blueprint for the current political landscape there are lessons to be learnt from countries with similar experiences.
that one of the main concerns relates to the monies held by the Privatisation Unit. This body is a component of NICIL
Tuesday Edition RAMOTAR DEFENDS NICIL HOARDING $$$B
Monday Edition CORBIN GETS READY TO RELINQUISH PNCR TOP POST
Incumbent Leader of the PNCR Robert Corbin
Sunday May 13, 2012
The teenage boy who was injured in last week Saturday night’s Cemetery Road Bridge mishap has died. Elbert Thorne, of Grove, East bank Demerara, succumbed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation shortly after midnight Sunday. Kaieteur News understands that he had sustained head injuries, and water had entered his lungs after he was trapped in the submerged car for several minutes. “I lost my baby…I tried to save him, but he was trapped inside of the car,” his distraught mother, Alma Thorne, lamented Sunday. The tragedy occurred after the car in which the mother and son were passengers veered off the dilapidated bridge at Cemetery Road, North East La Penitence, and toppled into a canal. The mother and driver managed to scramble to safety but Elbert, a former
The Opposition concerns regarding billions of dollars being held in special accounts in the name of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) and not turned over the nation’s coffers are seemingly without merit. At least, this is according the Head of State, Donald Ramotar, who Monday said, “I have heard the (opposition) arguments and I am not convinced.” The president says that as far as he is aware he is not doing anything illegal and NICIL is not breaching the law either. “We are not doing anything illegal as far as that is concerned,” said Ramotar when asked to respond to increased criticism in recent weeks. The President said that it is not a case where none of the money ever reaches the Consolidated Fund. When dividends are declared these are paid into the Consolidated Fund, he said. The President was also adamant that NICIL’s accounts are audited. President Ramotar said
and responsible for the disposal of state assets. According to the president, the accounts for this component of NICIL which deals which the largest portion of the money, have been audited. He said that the audits have been completed up to 2010 but explained that some of the other entities that fall under NICIL are still lagging behind. The result is that the complete report for NICIL is yet to be tabled. Wednesday Edition $50B IN NICIL ACCOUNTS A GROSS EXAGGERATION – BRASSINGTON The political opposition and the stakeholders behind the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) are now poised to collide over the amount of money being held by the State’s holding company. Alliance for Change (AFC) Chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan, has contended that monies being held in the accounts of NICIL, and which should be transferred to the Consolidated Fund, amount to some $50B, but there is a differing opinion from the entity’s head. When contacted
Thompson’s daughter, Demolly, and his wife at the N/A Hospital Mortuary
Dead: Andre Thompson
The CLICO building that is to be rented to GRA
Tuesday, Executive Director of NICIL, Winston Brassington, said that while he was not in a position to give a definitive figure, the $50B being bandied about by the AFC is “a gross exaggeration and one not grounded in reality”. Brassington said that he will soon be presenting details of the NICIL accounts. Ramjattan had explained that the AFC uses as a starting point in reaching the figure, the more than $30B reported as revenue for NICIL in its 2003 Annual Report. This is the most recent report available for public scrutiny, and according to Ramjattan, following that report there have been numerous transactions involving NICIL and the disposal of State assets to the tune of billions. This publication has seen a copy of the NICIL report for 2004 which was signed off in February of this year by the Auditor General. In that report it stated as revenue for NICIL some $26B — $4B less than the previous year. Thursday Edition CHINESE COMPANY NEVER SPOKE WITH GT&T ABOUT 20% SHARES Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon said that he erred when he reported to the press on April 5 last, that Government’s 20 per cent shares in Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) followed an investigation and discussion by the Asian firm with the management of the telephone company. His explanation came during an address to members of the media at his weekly press conference at Office of the President Wednesday. “I stand corrected. Those efforts in establishing the shares and the value were not taken in (Continued on page 37)
Sunday May 13, 2012
Kaieteur News
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My column
Our airports and the people involved Last week the management of Ogle Airport commissioned the extended runway. It was a remarkable event, because it allowed people to understand that there was a time when the government was pondering closing down the Ogle Airport. When I heard this, I immediately assumed that the reason had to do with the fact that someone had recognised that lands in the area had become prime property. People had seen the establishment of Pradoville, with houses the likes of which are found in the most affluent neighbourhoods in some of the rich countries. Ogle was initially for small planes and it served a useful purpose when the Ogle Sugar Estate was operational. Pretty soon it dawned on people that operating out of Ogle was not only saving time for the people who wanted to travel by air to the various parts of the country. For one, it is close to the city where most of the population lives. Getting to the airport is cheap and time is saved. Every small aircraft owner
has a base at Ogle and many have kept buying aircraft because the business is profitable. With the development of the gold industry - largely because of the high price of gold - the Ogle airport could do nothing more than boom. There was a time when public servants who worked in the remote parts of Guyana relied exclusively on the small aircraft operating out of Ogle. There was one problem; after daylight the airport was all but useless. There were no landing lights. But sometimes ingenuity played a great part in saving lives. I remember on one occasion a flight was coming in with a badly injured person. It could have landed at Timehri and the patient transported to the city. However, the person was so badly injured that he needed to get to hospital very quickly. Ogle was therefore the best landing site. Helicopters were just not around. People parked their vehicles with lights blazing at the extremes of the runway. The pilot brought in the
aircraft. Those memories flashed through my mind when the airport commissioned its extended strip. I also remembered a case of a large commercial aircraft barely avoiding landing there. How that error occurred I cannot say. Then my thoughts switched to the country’s international airport. We have been spending a lot of money to make that airport really international. I must admit that the arrival and departure lounges are modern, a far cry from the days when I first travelled. Carousels have been introduced. People cannot even remember the days when there was none. Now I hear that the airport is inadequate; that more people are travelling to and from Guyana. One airline recently reported that the inadequacy of space has led to its aircraft leaving very late and causing people to miss connections. The authorities say that they will be tearing down this structure. Just a few years ago, the government spent US$30 million to rehabilitate the airport. There was
expenditure on landing lights, on communication equipment and on other things that are necessary for an airport, like radar. The runway was left the way it has been from the inception, to the extent that some aircraft simply cannot land there. This is something that has made Guyana a backwater. I always wanted to see an extended runway and this seems to be on the cards. With the airport extension would come the tearing down of what currently exists for a terminal. This is being done at great cost—some US$150 million. Had this been a planned activity there would have been no problem. But I now hear that it was only undertaken because some Chinese Vice Premier came through the region with tons of money and Guyana had to find a project. I am not sure that Governments plan programmes on the whims and fancies of a man waving money. But Guyana seems to have done this. The money has been described as a soft loan which the taxpayers
would have to repay. I have seen the plan and I know about the contractor who has come out of China. I have also seen the problems that could originate. For one, Guyana must find the labour. Failing this, the Chinese would descend on Guyana in droves. Has the government worked out the rate at which the workers would be paid or as is the case of the Russians in the bauxite industry, the workers would be left to the mercies of the employer? There are other areas of query. Did we conduct a feasibility study to ascertain the minimum size of airport that we would need? What I do know is that this project was never one that saw the authorities taking the public into its confidence. Some called it a secret deal and perhaps it was. The society must now sit back and await the final product. Needless to say, I have seen airport projects in the region and even in the United States. I know that in the case of Trinidad, some of the people involved are in jail. The jail followed an
Adam Harris investigation of the project. Some people secured kickbacks. In our case, there has been no investigation, because we are people who accept what is presented to us. I still believe that our airport rehabilitation project could have been executed for less.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday May 13, 2012
The cash flow reality of the Norway money By Dr. Asquith Rose and Sasenarine Singh In life, time and tide wait for no one and the poor, elderly, youths and the working class in particular are always anxious to know when President Ramotar and his Team will end their propaganda stunt over the budget cuts and get on with running the country. The AFC stands ready to work with the PPP Government to progress
the nation’s development agenda, but on terms and conditions that encourage accountability, transparency and value for money. The AFC has a genuine interest in sitting down in the tripartite committee to deal with the burning issues for the people - jobs, their economic well-being, ensuring that food is on the table of every family, strengthening the institutions of Guyana to deliver more for
the people among the other basic needs of the neediest. The AFC believes that it is a complete waste of taxpayers’ money for Mr. Ramotar and his twenty (20) plus ministers to be traversing the country to spread their propaganda rather than progress the people’s agenda. Contrary to the PPP’s blatant propaganda, the AFC has categorically stated that over 90% of the 2012 budget reduction relates to the
Norway money and should not be budgeted until the probability of collection improves. Our Guyanesebased technical advisors suggested conditional budgeting which is the prudent policy to take when you are unsure about the collectability of revenue. In response, like a typical school bully, the PPP chooses to play politics with sound advice. In this regard, after studying that technical advice, we would like to add some value by explaining this entire LCDS cash flow reality. Norway has committed to release US$250 million over five years into our Consolidated Funds if two things are done: 1. Guyana can meet forest preservation benchmarks; 2. The Government of Guyana can secure approval for projects from the Multi-
stakeholder Steering Committee ( the Steering Committee); THE FACTS · So far Guyana has met Step 1 for 2011 and will qualify for 2012, so we can say with high certainty that we have partially met the conditions on US$110 million (G$22 billion) from Norway. But where is this money? · This money sits in an escrow account in Washington DC, administered by the World Bank. The World Bank can only release funds to Guyana if, and only if, Step 2 is concluded on these funds. Can any rational person justify that we have this money in Guyana? · This money is beyond any measure of control from the PPP. At this point in time, the PPP does not have the instrument of authority to instruct how and
when these funds can be distributed. Why operate like a “cake shop” and plan for something you have zero control over? · How can these funds be released? The PPP must submit feasible and bankable proposals to the Steering Committee. So if the PPP want to go on a propaganda parade, then they must explain to the people how many proposals were submitted to the Steering Committee and when and at what stage of review are these proposals? · In the final analysis, the PPP has zero control over the disbursement of these funds. Budgeting 101 clearly tells us that “if you do not have control over the funds, you cannot budget for the funds”. As a patriotic political force, the AFC stands ready to help the PPP draw down these funds, especially for the Amaila Hydro Project, and there is solid justification for this project. Our main concern with this Project is the ballooning cost. However, if a Public Procurement Commission is established, it will go a far way in softening up the Norwegians to vote for the release of these funds into the Consolidated Fund. The AFC is even prepared to lobby for the release of these funds for the Hydro Power Plant if the procurement system can stand up to scrutiny. All Guyanese want a reliably electricity system that is not dependent on fossil fuel and the AFC stands ready to work positively for such a reality. But progress comes with responsible and dependable leadership. It is time Mr. Ramotar and the PPP leadership act fairly and reasonably in how they follow and apply the law and the power that comes with the office they occupy. It is time for the Government to be serious about achieving good governance, serious about transparency, and serious about empowering institutions such as the Office of the Ombudsman and the Auditor General Department, among others. The AFC contends that this is the least the PPP can do to restore the trust of the people, bring some semblance of respect to government and win the hearts of the Norwegian decision-makers to help us all mould this nation. To do otherwise will continue the mistrust and lack of confidence in the minority PPP administration.
Sunday May 13, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Caribbean rum facing threat in the US By Sir Ronald Sanders Rum-producing countries of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) may have to take the US to arbitration at the World Trade Organization (WTO), unless diplomatic efforts settle a looming problem before it concretizes. At stake is rum production in several CARICOM countries, together with the foreign exchange earnings and employment that it generates. The problem has not arisen out of direct action by the US government. It has originated in the US Virgin Islands (USVI) and Puerto Rico, both of which have been long-time rum producers in competition with CARICOM manufacturers. But, now, these two US affiliates are taking advantage of US government refunds to them, of excise taxes on rum, to subsidize vastly increased rum production and marketing in their territories. The huge increase in rum exports to the US mainland, at a subsidized cost, would squeeze-out CARICOM rums; and subsidized marketing would make it virtually impossible to compete. The US Virgin Islands, adversely affected by the closure of the oil refinery on St Croix, is desperate to create
opportunities for employment and economic growth, and it has hit upon the idea that it could use the refund of the US excise taxes called “the rum cover-over” programme to lure large rum producers by offering them huge incentives and subsidies. The USVI government actions, originally caused protests from rum producers in Puerto Rico before that island’s government joined in using the proceeds of the “cover-over” programme to subsidize its own rum producers. An already concludedcontract in the USVI with one big company alone will add 20 million proof-gallons of rum production capacity in the region – more than 50% of the current US market. Moreover, known and reported subsidies to other producers in the USVI and Puerto Rico are resulting in additional new capacity for existing facilities. The enlarged production from this new capacity will affect not only the US market, but other world markets as well, since the US cannot absorb all the rum that can be produced at these new or expanded subsidized facilities. Further, the USVI Governor has stated publicly that the new contracts will raise the island’s “cover-over revenue” from $90 million to $240 million per year.
With much of that money dedicated to subsidizing production and marketing of rum, producers from CARICOM countries simply cannot match it. If the USVI and Puerto Rico are allowed to continue to use the US mainland’s refund of the excise taxes to subsidize both the building of greater rum producing capacity and marketing, the US, by allowing it, could be in violation of WTO rules in three ways. These are: Article 3.1(a) of the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM Agreement) which prohibits all subsidies that are “contingent, in law or in fact, whether solely or as one of several conditions, upon export performance”; while GATT Article III:8(b) does permit WTO Members to provide subsidies exclusively to domestic producers, the WTO Appellate Body has already ruled, in previous cases, that this exception does not justify subsidies that amount to the direct remission of excise taxes to domestic producers. Thus, the USVI contracts may not be defensible under this provision; and Article 5 of the SCM Agreement prohibits WTO members from using actionable subsidies to cause “adverse effects to the interests of other members.” Because all the subsidies in the USVI contracts are
specific to the rum industry, they surely meet the test of being “actionable” subsidies. Additionally, the magnitude of the subsidies is so large – approaching 100% of the cost of production in some cases – that the subsidies are certain to cause substantial competitive harm to the rum industries in CARICOM countries. Rum-producing CARICOM governments would have little option but to file for a dispute settlement with the US at the WTO. The governments could not sit by idly while CARICOM rum producers lose their market share in the US mainland due to unfair subsidies, and probably face collapse with consequential foreign exchange and job losses. But, the WTO process would be a long and costly exercise for all the governments concerned. This, of course, highlights the inadequacy and unfairness of the WTO remedies for developing countries when its rules are violated by rich nations. But, that is another issue. The record of the US at the WTO in relation to the
interests of small CARICOM countries – on bananas and internet gaming – has been harmful. Additionally, the US has made no major contribution to economic development in CARICOM countries in recent times. If this is official US policy, it is perplexing. If it is an accidental position it needs correction. For, unless the US has decided to leave Caribbean development – and therefore co-operation and mutual assistance – to others, the Caribbean could become as indifferent to US goals, as the US now appears to be to Caribbean aspirations. This would be a shame given the long and traditional links and values that the US and the region share and which could be strengthened and expanded to their joint benefit. There is a clear need for renewed and improved relations between the US and CARICOM countries, particularly in economic matters that improve the areas and levels of aid and investment. The current situation over rum offers a special opportunity for all the players to come to the table to discuss how the rum market in the US
Sir Ronald Sanders mainland can be shared in a mutually beneficial way. In particular, CARICOM foreign ministers and trade ministers and the US Secretary of State and US Trade Representative should hold meaningful discussions on how best to avert a WTO case, while addressing the issue of no unfair advantages to producers in the USVI and Puerto Rico. If they fail to do this, relations between the US and CARICOM will sour with the Caribbean, once again, feeling let down. (The writer is a former Caribbean representative to the World Trade Organization) Responses and previous commentaries at: www.sirronaldsanders.com
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Kaieteur News
Sunday May 13, 2012
THE ARTS FORUM INC. announces the release of VOLUME 7 Numbers 1 and 2 of THE ARTS JOURNAL THE ARTS JOURNAL is an independent, refereed Journal that provides fresh critical perspectives on the contemporary literatures, social history, arts and cultures of Guyana, the Caribbean and their Diasporas. The first thing to say is that prior to the launching of The Arts Journal in Guyana in 2004, there was virtually no critical material published in Guyana and easily accessible to students of the humanities and cultural studies. Literary and art criticism of Guyanese themes and issues were mostly to be found in journals published overseas, often economically prohibitive to students in Guyana. Then, there was a clear need for more avenues available to scholars and creative writers at home, regionally, and in the Diaspora to publish their work. In addition, there was need to create a bridge with writers and artists in the Diaspora so that scholarly and creative works were not lost either way. Up to the turn of this Century, important works of the visual arts and significant cultural artifacts in Guyana were critically neglected and hardly existed in the national consciousness. Some of these artists had passed on and their works were in danger of being forgotten without being brought into the national canon. The creative works of some strands of our plural society were still not being noticed. During the last eight years, The Arts Journal has sought to fill these gaps by providing a blend of readable analytical material on Guyanese and Caribbean works of literature and the visual arts, and on aspects of social history and culture. While The Arts Journal recognizes a tradition of critical debate across the disciplines on Caribbean
themes, its aim is to extend the debate while reflecting the plurality and diversity of Caribbean peoples, and to attempt to bring to light works that have been underrepresented or neglected in the “mainstream” tradition. The Journal sets out to find and illuminate such works and does so through critical essays, interviews, book reviews, travel writing, the short story, poetry and the visual and traditional arts and culture. In addition, the consequences of globalization upon our lives and its rendering of national borders fluid and porous will demand more critical space for debate. The aims of The Arts Journal are: . to strengthen the tradition of critical thinking in Guyana, the Caribbean and their Diasporas;
throughout the Caribbean, Canada, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom. THE ARTS JOURNAL takes the view that the arts are a liberating, humanizing force; an affirmation of the spirit of man and society; and a reservoir for society’s beliefs and values. Even students who are offering subjects in other streams (business, law, the social and natural sciences, technology) have found the
Ameena Gafoor ambivalences created by race, colour, class, creed, politics, and other man-made divisions. Hence a critical Journal is a foremost asset in any society. The Journal’s Editorial and Advisory Boards are comprised of professors, scholars, researchers, artists and writers, some of who serve across the University of the West Indies campuses,
historical experiences of Caribbean peoples. This notion underlines many of the discussions in this issue which contains fresh scholarship by leading lights in the discipline: Emeritus Professor Kenneth Ramchand on the inimitable Sam Selvon: “The Other Selvons”; Emeritus
Professor
Dr. Paloma Mohamed’s very important article: “Of Moderate Company: The Survival of The Creole (18561907): Guyana’s second Coloured Newspaper”; Dr. Rupert Roopnarine’s thorough critique of “Shadows Move Among Them 11: New Paintings by Stanley Greaves”; Dr. Keith Lowe’s inspiring Keynote address on Chinese experience in the New World; “Counter Cultures: Exploring Shop Keeping in the Chinese Diaspora”; New creative writing by Professor Cyril Dabydeen: “Welcoming Mr. Anang”; Professor Lomarsh Roopnarine’s “Drupattie’s Vanishing Hopes”; and Stephanie Bowry’s “Coffee Watch”.
. to recognize the plural nature of Caribbean societies and their several sensitivities and to illuminate Caribbean works from a culturally relevant perspective.
BOOK REVIEWS are offered by Bernadette Persaud on Ryhaan Shah’s lyrical A Silent Life
. to bridge the gap between Guyana, the Caribbean and their Diasporas so that scholarly and creative works on either side are not lost;
And Akima McPherson on Anne Walmsley and Stanley Greaves’s Art in the Caribbean.
. to provide an avenue for publishing to scholars and emerging writers; . to bring the arts to the centre of individual consciousness and foster deeper understanding of the cultural environment to which we are heir. Now in its seventh Volume, The Arts Journal is widely subscribed to by the libraries of universities, community colleges, senior secondary schools, public and private libraries, art galleries, art schools and museums, and other such institutions in Guyana,
of African Descent”;
The cover image, titled Jugs and Fruits (2002), is the work Trinidadian artist Willi Chen.
Jugs and Fruits (2002), Trinidadian artist Willi Chen. Journal instructive in practical ways, awakening them to a deeper understanding of the cultural space they inhabit and helping to sharpen their critical skills. No democracy can survive unless its people can think critically and hold independent worldviews that are not clouded by the
and in universities in USA, Canada and the United Kingdom. VOLUME 7 NUMBERS 1 AND 2 deepens its focus on the arts with a more nuanced approach to studying the multiple strands of Caribbean society. There is no one label that can fit the distinctive cultural and
Frank Birbalsingh on “Indigenization in Rooplall Monar ‘s Janjhat”; Professor Mariam Pirbhai on “Tracing the Emerging Tradition of Indian-Guyanese Women’s Fiction: From Shinebourne to Gunraj”; Ameena Gafoor’s timely “Reading Earl’s Lovelace’s The Wine of Astonishment”; Professor Bridget Brereton on “Ethnic Histories: The Indo-centric Narrative of Trinidad’s History”; Professor Verene Shepherd on “Remembering Phibbah: Ancestral Reflections in the International Year for People
We invite you to visit the Journal’s website: www.theartsjournal.org.gy for the positive reviews and responses it steadily receives and Editorial and Contents of each issue. The ARTS JOURNAL is published twice yearly, as single issues in March and September, or once a year, in September as a double issue. THE ARTS JOURNAL is indexed in: EBSCO Academic Search Complete Database; MLA International Bibliography; and PROQUEST Database. For Subscriptions and Submission of Articles, contact the editor at: theartsjournal@live.co.uk Available at all leading bookshops in Guyana and the Caribbean. The editor of THE ARTS JOURNAL, Ameena Gafoor, can be reached on e-mail: theartsjournal@live.co.uk OR on Telephone: 592 227 6825
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Coomaka mom of 19 is a ... From page 18 emphatically that her children have been a source of blessing and great joy. She admits there were days when she worried about taking care of them all, especially during those times when she and Mr Daw were going through a rough patch. In fact, when they had made their first six children, the two separated. But they reunited and the other 13 children came. The couple eventually divorced. Mr Daw died last year. EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN “I managed with God's grace. He gave me them and he provided for them all. I have no regrets,” she says, her eyes eager to let you see the sense of pride she feels. The eldest daughter, Sybil, recalls times when there was utter chaos in the house. “You couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like to prepare three square meals for 19 children every day! My mother is an extraordinary woman.” Sybil recalls that the older children would help the younger ones, and kind neighbours would always extend a helping hand. “Mom did what she had to do and we all came up,” Sybil reflected. Together with Mr Daw's income, 'Miss Nicey' did the occasional jobs to
supplement provisions in the house. Discipline was a feature of the household, and at times when frustrations boiled over the children had to get a scolding. “She would give us the whip. But what I liked was that she always explained to us why were getting the whip,” Sybil explained. 'Miss Nicey' is proud of the fact that her children never did have huge fights among themselves. “What we did fight about is helping one another, like going to school or getting a job,” Sybil recounted. Apart from taking care of their physical needs and inculcating good virtues in her children, 'Miss Nicey' made sure she found time to take care of their emotional needs. She recalls doing simple t hings with them, like taking them up on the sand hills of Coomaka on a moonlit night. And how did she manage to bring them all up? Her explanation is simple: “I just love them. I hug them, I play with them. I enjoy my children.” Today, 'Miss Nicey' enjoys her old age. She currently lives with three of her youngest boys and her youngest daughter. “My children have been a blessing; none of them have deserted me. I thank God for that.”
Sunday May 13, 2012
From page 24 conjunction with the GT&T management, but with resort to publicly available GT&T financial reports and the audited statements.” He said that the Asian firm did not have any engagement or communication with the management of GT&T pertaining to its due diligence study in settling the value of the 20 per cent shares. Dr Luncheon had announced that the government decided on a proposal made by a Hong Kong-based company to buy the shares for US$30M. The money, he said, will be paid in two installments – US$25M upfront and the remaining US$5M to be paid over the course of two years. Up until the sale, the government was receiving from GT&T, an annual dividend of US$2.5 million. Dividends will more than likely be used to pay the $5M installment. GRA TO PAY $10.5M PER MONTH IN RENT LUNCHEON The former Colonial Life Insurance Company (CLICO) building on Camp Street has been acquired by the National Insurance Scheme (NIS). It will be rented to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) for $10.5M monthly, according to Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon. He said that NIS paid $600M for the building which was assessed at $1.8 billion. The money paid by NIS would be offset against the outstanding $6B indebtedness of the liquidator. NIS had invested some $6B in CLICO. That money was all but lost when CLICO collapsed. The local CLICO went into liquidation. The purchase of the Camp Street building is part of the liquidation process. Cabinet has since approved $227.1M for the completion and modification of the CLICO
Kaieteur News
building on Camp Street. “Indeed that $600M is used to offset some of the $5B that is still outstanding for NIS. The funding that has been identified in the award when Cabinet granted its no objections, those funds are being invested by the new tenant (GRA) to reconfigure the building and particularly its electrical, clean power and a suitable environment for the conduct of GRA business as opposed to what it was before for insurance business, “ Luncheon noted. The property at lots 200 and 201 Camp Street with a size of 36,863 square feet was valued between $1.7B and $1.8B by the valuator contracted by the insurance company, while the government valuator placed it at $1.316B, a difference of $400M. Friday Edition NICIL CONTROLS REVENUE OF SEVERAL MAJOR GOVT. ENTITIES As of December 31, 2003, the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) now headed by Winston Brassington and Marcia Nadir-Sharma owned and controlled several major companies. They also controlled monies earned from the Privatization Unit. Money accrued to the Privatization Unit is earned through the disposal of State Assets and would include revenues earned from transactions such as the sale of the Sanata Complex at Industrial Site. This asset was acquired by Queens Atlantic Investment Inc. The Subsidiary Companies that NICIL controls include The Guyana National Newspapers Limited - publishers of the Chronicle, the National Communications Network (NCN), GUYOIL, National Edible Oil Company, Guyana National Printers Limited, Linden Electricity Company Incorporated, and Guyana National Shipping Corporation.
It has shares in several other companies including Guyana Stockfeeds Limited among others. Brassington has argued that the money controlled by NICIL is less than the $50B being bandied about and has promised to come clean on the accounts. PROCUREMENT COMMISSION ‘BY JUNE MONTH END’ – MINISTER RODRIGUES-BIRKETT The Public Procurement Commission which is a constitutional body born from the Public Procurement legislation should be established by the end of June. This is according to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, who was at the time responding to her shadow Parliamentarian, APNU’s Deborah Backer, in the House on Thursday. Backer had raised the argument that one of the provisions of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union is the establishment of such a commission which had already been enshrined in the Guyana Constitution. The Foreign Affairs Minister told the House that to the best of her knowledge this is a matter actively engaging the attention of the political opposition and the administration. She said that at present the status quo is set at the submission of names. The parliamentary opposition and the government are to submit the names of persons to sit on the commission. This committee would
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subsequently be finalized by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament which is set to be established shortly, following a ruling in the High Court by Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang on the Parliamentary Selection Committee. Cabinet’s involvement in matters related to the procurements shall have to cease when the Public Procurement Commission is established. The Procurement Act of Guyana stipulates the role of the Commission. Saturday Edition TIME FOR DIRECT ACTION BY TAXPAYERS AGAINST NICIL GREENIDGE The time has now come for the taxpayers of Guyana to take direct action against the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). This is the opinion of Shadow Finance Minister, Carl Greenidge, who says that NICIL is now designed to deliberately disguise billions of dollars which essentially belong to the people of Guyana. He says that the government’s arguments that NICIL is registered as a company under the Companies Act and as such there is no requirement for the company to turn its money over to the Consolidated Fund, holds no water. Greenidge says that this assertion by the Government is ludicrous, given that at the end of the day it is the government that owns NICIL and ultimately will decide
what to do with the funds it controls. He noted that NICIL is now designed in such a way that billions of dollars belonging to the people of Guyana are now being deliberately withheld by the administration to do as it pleases. Greenidge was adamant that when the company was conceptualized, it was meant to manage the residual assets of the state as a result of privatization. He explained that this meant that in cases where a state entity would have been sold, the land would have been retained by the state and a dividend paid for shares held in the disposed company. It is this that NICIL was supposed to manage, according to Greenidge, and he called it “a far cry from the situation that currently exists”. US GOVT. LOOKS TO COMPLETE EDAHMAD’S PROSECUTION IN TWO WEEKS The final pre-trial hearing for Edul Ahmad, the indicted associate of former President Bharrat Jagdeo, has been set for Wednesday. Following this, the jury selection process will commence. Ahmad who is currently free on a bond had applied for permission to leave the New York jurisdiction to attend a separate trial he is involved
with. Judge Dora Irizarry had acceded to his request for permission to travel to the District of New Jersey “so that he may appear in court on a civil matter.” Ahmad has retained as defence attorney, Steven Kartagener, and according to the US Court reports, “Neither party anticipates filing motions in limine.” His trial has been adjusted due to scheduling conflicts and the US Government is contending that it will just need two weeks to conclude its prosecution against Ahmad. According to the US reports, the defence team is looking to complete the defence in a week and as such the courts is looking to set aside one month for the trial. The jury selection process will commence by the following Monday after which the trial is expected to begin. In December it was reported by the New York Post, that the Queens-based Guyanese businessman had entered into “extensive plea negotiations” that had been slated to last for several months. Ahmad was arrested last July on charges of operating a $50 million mortgage-fraud scheme in Queens. He faces a maximum of 30 years in jail. He is out on $2.5 million bail.
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Born Loser
AMARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN One rainy Sunday afternoon, a young couple were on their way to their Church to get married. On the way there, their car lost control and slammed into a telephone pole killing them both instantly. Saint Peter In Heaven JokeThe couple soon found themselves standing in front of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates, welcoming them to Heaven. The young woman asks Peter if they could get married in Heaven, since their time on Earth was cut short. He replies that he’ll get back with them on that request. A month later, St. Peter finds them and announces that they can - in fact - get arried in Heaven. To his suprise, the woman asks “Just wondering, if things don’t work out will we be able to get a divorce?” With a stern look in his eye, Peter blurts out “Look lady, it took me a month to find a preacher up here... you really think I’m gonna find a lawyer?” *************************** THE SPEEDER A traffic cop on patrol one night, watching a 35mph zone on the edge of town, suddenly saw a car come blazing by his hideout. Quickly grabbing at his radar gun, he clocked the fast moving vehicle at 87mph! The officer took off after the speeder and soon had the car pulled over on the side of the road. Expecting trouble with such a reckless driver, the patrolman approached cautiously. Old Lady Driving A CarTo his surprise the driver of the offending vehicle was a little old lady, barely tall enough to see over the steering wheel. “Ma’am,” the officer began. “Do you know how fast you were going?” “I was just getting her up around 90, I believe, officer,” the old lady answered calmly, peering up at him through her bifocals. “Why, what seems to be the problem?” Shocked, the officer returned her comment, “What seems to be the problem? Why, this is a 35mph zone! That’s the problem. Didn’t you see the sign?” “Oh sure,” the old lady returned, “That’s why I’m driving so fast. I’m just trying to follow it’s instruction.” Dumbfounded, the officer was momentarily speechless. “Just what sign are you talking about, Ma’am?” he asked, when he finally recovered. Smiling up at the officer, the old lady placed a gentle hand on his wrist and said, “Why, the one that said ‘Speed Zone Ahead’, of course!” ************************ WHATA SCARY FLIGHT After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, the stewardess announces over the intercom that “we’re just waiting for the pilots.” The passengers look out the window and see two men, dressed as pilots walking towards the plane. Both men are using guide dogs and appear to be blind. There are murmurs among the passengers, and some believe it is a joke. The men board the plane and go into the cockpit. More concerned murmurs and uneasy chuckles from the passengers. The plane taxis normally to the runway and begins it’s takeoff. As passengers look out the window they realize they are nearing the end of the runway. The entire passenger cabin begins screaming but the plane lifts off just before the end of the runway. The passengers calm down and chuckle to themselves, at this point believing that they fell for a joke. In the cockpit, the pilot turns to his copilot and says “you know, one day those people are gonna scream too late and we’re all gonna die!”
Garfield
Non Sequitur
Peanuts
Shoe
Sunday May 13, 2012
6 Ethnic Hair Care And Growth Tips Ethnic hair or black hair requires special care and attention. This is because it tends to get dry, brittle and is prone to premature greying which can remove the lustre from your hair. Asians are blessed with good hair genes, which makes their hair more easily manageable. The same cannot be said about African Americans who regularly struggle to keep their unruly locks in order. African American hair is also more prone to tangles and breakage due to its coarse texture. With these simple hair care and growth tips, you too can give your ethnic, black locks a beautiful glow. VARIOUS HAIR CARE TIPS The Importance Of A Hot Oil Massage Never downplay the importance of oiling and massaging ethnic or black hair. An effective hot oil treatment will nourish your hair from the roots and give your hair a healthy glow. Oil will also promote hair growth. Use virgin coconut oil, which tends to work best on black hair. Warm it and massage it well into the roots. Wrap a hot towel around your head so that the oil seeps in deep into your scalp. Washing And Conditioning Specially formulated shampoos are available for black hair. Use these not more than once or twice a week as excessive shampooing can dry out your hair and make them prone to breakage. Massage your scalp while washing as it weakens the hair follicles and promotes good blood circulation. Top it up with a nourishing and protecting hair conditioner. Protein based hair conditioners are essential for growth of ethnic hair. You will also need one with loads of moisture for sealing of the hair cuticle. If protein based conditioners are not available, apply the white of an egg before shampooing and conditioning. Wash With Tepid Water Always wash black or African American hair with tepid or warm water. Hot water will only make them drier. Use cold water as a last rinse as it helps to flatten the hair cuticle at its shaft and makes your hair shinier. Restrict The Use Of ‘hot’ Treatments Never use curling irons, blow dryers and harsh chemical treatments on ethnic hair. This causes the hair to become severely coarse and brittle and hence prone to breakage. Restrict their use to special occasions only. Follow A Healthy Lifestyle Make sure you do moderate amounts of exercise on a daily basis as it promotes good blood circulation to the scalp. Eat a nourishing diet that is high on protein, vitamins and minerals for strong, thick and lustrous hair. Unhealthy eating habits are one of the biggest reasons for poor quality hair. Get Regular Trims If you want your hair to grow out well, go in for regular trims once every 2 months. This will prevent split ends and make your hair grow out faster. Invest In Hair Care Tools Make sure you are using the right brushes and combs for your hair. This will allow effective and easy brushing without causing hair breakage. A wide toothed comb is ideal for smoothening the hair just after you have washed them.
SOLUTION FOR LAST WEEK’S SEARCH & FIND
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Country profile: OVERVIEW
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Sunday May 13, 2012
SIERRA LEONE
Sierra Leone, in West Africa, emerged from a decade of civil war in 2002, with the help of Britain, the former colonial power, and a large United Nations peacekeeping mission. More than 17,000 foreign troops disarmed tens of thousands of rebels and militia fighters. Several years on, the country still faces the challenge of reconstruction. A lasting feature of the war, in which tens of thousands died, were the atrocities committed by the rebels, whose trademark was to hack off the hands or feet of their victims. A UN-backed war crimes court was set up to try those, from both sides, who bore the greatest responsibility for the brutalities. Its last case ended in The Hague in April 2012 with judges finding former Liberian leader Charles Taylor guilty of aiding and abetting war crimes in the Sierra Leone
President Ernest Bai Koroma civil war. Sierra Leone has experienced substantial economic growth in recent years, although poverty and unemployment remain major challenges. In September 2010, the UN Security Council lifted the last remaining sanctions against Sierra Leone saying the government had fully reestablished control over its
territory, and former rebel fighters had been disarmed and demobilised. Economic recovery has been slow partly because the reconstruction needs are so great. Around half of government revenue comes from donors. The restoration of peace was expected to aid the the country’s promotion as a tourist destination in the long term. Sierra Leone boasts miles of unspoilt beaches along its Atlantic coast, and hopes to emulate its neighbour Gambia in attracting tourists. Sierra Leone is also rich in diamonds and other minerals. The trade in illicit gems, known as “blood diamonds” for their role in funding conflicts, perpetuated the civil war. The government has attempted to crack down on cross-border diamond trafficking. Sierra Leone has a special significance in the history of the transatlantic slave trade.
It was the departure point for thousands of west African captives. The capital, Freetown, was founded as a home for repatriated former slaves in 1787. FACTS Full name: Republic of Sierra Leone Population: 6 million (UN, 2011) Capital: Freetown Area: 71,740 sq km (27,699 sq miles) Major languages: English, Krio (Creole language derived from English) and a range of African languages Major religions: Islam, Christianity Life expectancy: 48 years (men), 49 years (women) (UN) Monetary unit: Leone Main exports: Diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish GNI per capita: US $340 (World Bank, 2010) Internet domain: .sl
International dialling code: +232 LEADERS President: Ernest Bai Koroma Ernest Bai Koroma was sworn in as Sierra Leone’s new president on 17 September 2007. He won 54.6% of the vote in a run-off with the incumbent vicepresident Solomon Berewa. Mr Koroma promised to fight corruption and the mismanagement of state resources. His All People’s Congress also won a majority
in parliamentary elections held in August 2007. President Koroma was born in northern Makeni in 1953, and is an insurance broker by professions who says he wants to run Sierra Leone like a business concern. He has pursued freemarket policies and encouraged foreign investment as a means to continue to rebuild the damage the infrastructure suffered during the civil war. The All People’s Congress has adopted him as its candidate for the November 2012 presidential election, in which he is likely to face a former military ruler, Julius Maada Bio, of the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party. His predecessor Ahmad Tejan Kabbah of the Sierra Leone People’s Party, is credited with bringing in foreign help to rescue the country. Mr Kabbah stepped down in August 2007 after serving the maximum two permitted consecutive terms. MEDIA Media freedom in Sierra Leone has its limits; media rights monitors say highlevel corruption is a taboo topic, with officials using libel laws to target errant journalists. Challenges facing broadcasters include unreliable power supplies, poor funding and low advertising revenues. There are dozens of radio stations, most of them privately owned. A national public broadcaster, the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), was formed in April 2010 by a merger of the former state-run broadcaster and a UN radio network. BBC World Service can be heard on FM in Freetown (94.3), Bo (94.5) and Kenema (95.3). Voice of America and Radio France Internationale broadcast on FM in Freetown. Dozens of newspapers are published in Freetown, despite low literacy levels. Most of them are privatelyrun and are often critical of the government. By December 2010 there were 48,500 internet users (Internetworldstats).
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Interesting Creatures...
R
attlesnakes are a g r o u p o f venomous snakes of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae ("pit vipers"). There are 32 known species of rattlesnake, with between 65-70 subspecies, all native to the Americas. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small animals. They kill their prey with a venomous bite, rather than by constricting. All rattlesnakes possess a set of fangs with which they inject large quantities of hemotoxic venom. The venom travels through the bloodstream, destroying tissue and causing swelling, internal bleeding, and intense pain. Some species, such as the Mojave Rattlesnake, additionally possess a neurotoxic component in their venom that causes paralysis and other nervous symptoms. The threat of envenomation, advertised by the loud shaking of the titular noisemaker at the end of their tail, deters many p r e d a t o r s . H o w e v e r, rattlesnakes fall prey to hawks, weasels, king snakes, and a variety of other species. Rattlesnakes are heavily preyed upon as neonates, while they are still weak and mentally i m m a t u r e . Ve r y l a rg e numbers of rattlesnakes are killed by humans. Rattlesnake populations in many areas are severely threatened by habitat destruction, poaching, and extermination campaigns. Rattlesnake bites are the leading cause of snakebite injuries in North America, and cause approximately 82 per cent of fatalities. However, rattlesnakes rarely bite unless provoked or threatened; and if treated promptly, the bites are rarely fatal. Rattlesnakes are found in almost every type of habitat that is capable of supporting terrestrial ectothermic vertebrates; but individual species can have extremely specific habitat requirements, only able to live within certain plant associations in a narrow range of altitudes. Most species live near open, rocky areas. Rocks offer them cover from predators, plentiful prey and open basking areas. However, rattlesnakes can also be found in a wide variety of other habitats including prairies, marshes,
deserts, and forests. Rattlesnakes consume mice, rats, small birds and other small animals, playing an important ecological role by limiting the size of rodent populations, which prevents crop damage and stabilizes ecosystems. They lie in wait for their prey, or hunt for it in holes. The prey is killed quickly with a venomous bite as opposed to constricting. If the bitten prey moves away before dying, the rattlesnake can follow it by its scent. When it locates the fallen prey, it checks for signs of life by prodding with its snout, flicking its tongue, and using its sense of smell. Once the prey has become incapacitated, the rattlesnake locates its head by odors emitted from the mouth. The prey is then ingested head-first, which allows wings and limbs to fold at the joints in a manner which minimizes the girth of the meal. The gastric fluids of rattlesnakes are extremely powerful, allowing for the digestion of bone as well as flesh. Optimal digestion occurs when the snake maintains a body temperature of between 80 and 85°F (25-29°C). If the prey is small, the rattlesnake will often continue hunting. If it was an adequate meal, the snake will find a warm, safe location in which to coil up and rest until the prey is digested. Rattlesnakes are believed to require at least their own body weight in water annually in order to remain hydrated. The method in which they drink depends on the water source. In larger bodies of water (streams, ponds, etc.) they will submerge their head and ingest water by opening and closing their jaw, which sucks in water. Drinking dew or drinking from small puddles could see them sipping the liquid either by capillary action or by flattening and flooding the lower jaw. Newborn rattlesnakes are heavily preyed upon by a variety of species including ravens, crows, roadrunners, raccoons, opossums, skunks, coyotes and weasels, whip snakes, kingsnakes, and racers. Neonates of the smaller Crotaline species are frequently killed and eaten by small predatory birds such as jays, kingfishers, and shrikes. Some species of ants in the genus Formica are known to prey upon
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The Rattlesnake neonates, and it is very likely that Solenopsis invicta (fire ants) do as well. On occasion, hungry adult rattlesnakes will cannibalize neonates. The small proportion (often as few as 20 per cent) of rattlesnakes that make it to their second year are heavily preyed upon by a variety of larger predators including coyotes, eagles, hawks, owls, feral pigs, badgers, indigo snakes, and kingsnakes. Like all pit vipers, rattlesnakes have two organs that can sense radiation: their eyes, and a set of heatsensing "pits" on their face that enable them to locate prey and strike towards it, based on the prey's thermal radiation signature. These pits have a relatively short effective range of approximately one foot but nevertheless give the rattlesnake a distinctive advantage in hunting for warm-blooded creatures at night. Rattlesnake eyes, which contain a large number of rod cells, are well adapted to nocturnal use. However rattlesnakes are not exclusively nocturnal and their vision is more acute during daylight conditions. They also possess cone cells thus they are capable of some form of colour vision. The rattlesnake eye lacks a fovea making it impossible for them to see sharply defined images. Instead, they mostly rely on the perception of movement.
Rattlesnake eyes are capable of horizontal rotation, but they do not appear to move their eyeballs to follow moving objects. Rattlesnakes have an exceptionally keen sense of smell. They can sense olfactory stimuli both through their nostrils, and by flicking their tongue, which carries scent-bearing particles to the Jacobson's organ in the roof of their mouth. Like all snakes, rattlesnakes do not have external ear openings, and
the structure of their middle ear is not as highly specialized as those of other vertebrates, such as mammals. Thus their sense of sound is not very effective. However, they are capable of sensing vibrations in the ground, passed via the skeleton to the auditory nerve. Rattlesnake fangs are connected by venom ducts to large poison glands near the outer edge of the upper jaw, towards the rear of the head. When the rattlesnake bites, muscles on the sides of the
venom glands contract, which squeezes the venom through the ducts and into the fangs. When the fangs are not in use, they remain folded against the palate. Rattlesnakes are born with fully functioning fangs and venom, and are capable of killing prey at birth. Adult rattlesnakes shed their fangs every 6–10 weeks. At least three pairs of replacement fangs lie behind the functional pair. (Source: Wikipedia – The Free Online Encyclopedia)
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Sunday May 13, 2012
Death threats from Trinidad? Murder suspect's family goes into hiding
A
s murder suspect R a m e s h S o o k r a m remains on the run, some members of his family have gone into hiding after allegedly receiving death threats from persons in Trinidad who accuse them of harbouring the fugitive. Dhanwattie Sookram, the suspect's mother, told Kaieteur News that she received a phone call yesterday from a man who claims to be a relative of Nikita Ramischand, the exgirlfriend that her son allegedly murdered in Trinidad last month. She claimed that the caller repeatedly cursed her while threatening to harm her and other family members. “He say that he will kill me and my husband…He say that I went to the police (to complain about the threats) and if I think the police could help me. He said he coming to Guyana and that my son kill and I hiding he.” Ms. Sookram said that two of her sons have since gone into hiding with their spouses and children. “They say that they can't let their lives go down for their brother.” Mrs. Sookram again insisted that she is unaware of her son's whereabouts while appealing for him to surrender. “Wherever he is, let him give himself up because I can't take this anymore. I
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Kaieteur News
want the public to know that my (other ) sons are not moving out because we are hiding anybody, but because of the threats that he (the caller) is going to kill us.” She said that police and people in civilian clothing have twice searched her home and those of her two other sons. The woman and her husband also claimed that heavily-armed men threatened her family and kicked and gun-butted one of her sons last Thursday Sookram, accompanied by a 16-year-old cousin, fled to Guyana the day after Ramischand was slain. He visited his mother's Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara home that same day, but Ms. Sookram said that he left and did not return. The cousin is also in hiding. The cousin's mother told Kaieteur News that her son was at her Soesdyke home from Thursday, April 26 to April 30. According to the woman, the lad left the home on Tuesday, May Day, after a quarrel with his step-father over the killing in Trinidad. She says she has not heard from the lad since. Ms. Sookram revealed that her son and his exgirlfriend met each other some two years ago. At the time, Nikita was 16. Kaieteur News was told
that the two concealed the relationship from Nikita's f a t h e r, Tr i n i d a d - b a s e d attorney Odai Ramischand. Media reports out of Trinidad suggest that things soured when Nikita rejected Ramesh's marriage proposal, and the suspect might have become more
incensed when his exgirlfriend started another relationship. Mrs. Sookram also said that police had checked at her relatives at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara after receiving reports that he might be hiding out at an aunt's home.
Dhanwattie Sookram
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Sunday May 13, 2012
Water recedes in Region Nine as rainfall stops Heavy rains and flooding remain major concerns for residents in various parts of Region Nine as the water in the Takutu River continues to overflow the banks. During the past week continuous downpours in that region have had a severe impact on the residents causing some to be evacuated to safer shelters. Reports emanating from the Region earlier, were that some sections of the road between Lethem and Boa Vista had been covered and a section being “washed away”. The rains ceased on Friday and the Region benefitted from sunshine all of which contributed to the water receding at a fast rate in many locations. Claire Singh, Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Nine, on Friday evening told Kaieteur News that the rains ceased Thursday morning and until Friday night there was no rainfall. According to the REO, the Savannahs are still affected tremendously since the water in the Ireng and Takutu Rivers overflows along the banks into low lying areas. The Ireng and Takutu Rivers flow into the Rio Negro and Rio Blanca which in turn flow into the Amazon basin. Currently the Amazon basin is high from heavy rains and this has resulted in the flow backing up into the
One of the abandoned houses
Ireng and Takutu Rivers. Meanwhile, the Lethem market remains closed and the access road is still under water. A boat operator has been managing boat crossing for school children at St. Ignatius- Lethem
crossing. The Kumu Bridge is still under water, therefore a boat is needed to transport teachers and children to and from school. However, the back road Moco Moco Bridge is now accessible by
vehicles. Due to the crisis of the rising water in the last few days, some families were relocated to the Culvert City Nursery School, Christian Brethren Church Compound, some
Government buildings and homes of their relatives. They are still housed at these locations as they wait for the water to recede so that they can return to their homes. Kaieteur News understands that the
inclement weather is a result of the combination of the La Nina Phenomenon and the May/June rains. It is also expected that the heavy rains will continue until the end of June and even into mid July.
German citizen claims... From page 16 gate, she said a policeman told her: “You better tie it (her gate) up properly.” She said she responded: 'Why you don't go and wash you mouth.” At that point, Mrs Hahn said she proceeded inside her house and took a shower. As she came out to close her door, she said she noticed a policewoman standing outside. “At that very instant I don't know what happened. All I know I was grabbed by a police officer and was being punched and kicked about the body.” Mrs Hahn said that she soon realized there were two male police officers and two female officers. Mrs Hahn said she put up a fight by hooking her foot to the stairs, but she said a relative of Minister Ali kept urging the Police to “carry she down.” Mrs. Hahn said she was dragged down the step and out of the yard and was thrown into a waiting Police minibus. As she was being shoved into the vehicle a policeman pinned her down
with his feet. She bears marks of violence about her feet, back, legs, and abdomen. The woman said that she was then taken to the La Grange Police Station. There, she said she was being asked to sign a statement she did not see. Mrs. Hahn said that she angrily demanded to know why she was being charged. She said a female officer then said in an undertone that she was being charged for abusive language. As she protested the charge, Mrs. Hahn said a male Police officer became annoyed, saying, “This f***in woman, shut you f***in mouth.” At that she said that officer told another officer to throw her in the “wet cell.” The woman said that she spent a good few hours there screaming at the top of her voice, demanding her right to a phone call so that her mother could know where she was. Mrs. Hahn said that later a Police officer came and released her from the wet cell.
“All I know was that a next gate was being opened and I found myself in a cell with six other women.” Mrs. Hahn said that she spent the following day and night in jail, but on Friday morning, she and the others started protesting to know what was happening to them. Mrs. Hahn said that the police at La Grange said that her matter is a matter for the Leonora Police station and they had no information about her from Leonora. Mrs. Hahn said she realized then that she would be confined to jail over the weekend. With this thought she demanded to be heard before the court. She said she was taken to t h e Vr e e d - e n - h o o p Magistrate's Court, but after much confusion, the Police realised there would be no court in session there, so they took her to the Wales Magistrate's Court. These, she said, she was asked to plead to a charge of abusive language for which she pleaded not guilty. She is due to return to
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From the Diaspora... By Ralph Seeram Judging from the recent pronouncements from top PPP officials, it would seem that funds collected on behalf of the Guyanese people do not really belong to them. Proceeds from the sale of public assets do not have to go into the bank account of the Guyanese people. The people do not even have the right to know how much money they own, according to the PPP Government. The PPP still doesn’t get it. It still apparently has not realized why the Guyanese voters reduced it to a minority government. If it did it would not be giving the Guyanese some of the nonsensical explanations about the National Industrial and
Kaieteur News
Sunday May 13, 2012
Taxpayers’ money is not the property of PPP Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). Enough has been written in this newspaper about the Legal and Constitutional aspects of the use and disposal of taxpayers’ funds accrued by NICIL, so I would not even dwell on all the technicalities which incidentally are what the President Donald Ramotar and other Government officials are hiding behind. One does not have to be a legal scholar to determine what public money is and where it should go. Commonsense dictates that. The PPP Government is treating the Guyanese public as if they are stupid, as if they cannot see through the bulls**t (to use the American term) they have been telling them with regards to the NICIL
funds. Imagine the PPP government sold public assets such as Sanata Textiles Limited, Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation, the Duke Street property, the bauxite property, Guyana Stockfeeds just to name a few entities involving billions of dollars, and the PPP Government has the nerve to tell the Guyanese owners of these assets that they do not have a right to their money. For the last nine years or so, even to the present there is no accountability of how much money was collected, spent or may have been misappropriated. President Ramotar jumped into the fray by saying the Government is not doing anything illegal. The President is either confused, or following the line by the
Jagdeo administration of blocking, stonewalling and paying total disregard to the people’s concerns for their money. “We are not doing anything illegal” is what the President is quoted as saying. The President needs to go into any Guyanese “rum shop” and ask the “rum shop drinkers” if he is doing anything illegal with regards to the NICIL funds. I think the President knows the answer. President Ramotar came to office with some goodwill and people expect him to move away from policies of Bharrat Jagdeo regime to a more transparent administration. True, he has made some changes, but defending the actions in the NICIL debacle is definitely wasting the little goodwill he has left. Does the President really believe the Guyanese public buys that nonsense about not doing anything illegally? Public assets have been sold
for billions of dollars yet no one knows how much money has been collected, spent or unaccounted for. For that the President says the Government is not doing anything illegal. Now I want to look at this issue from a layman’s point of view because I am no legal scholar or accounting expert. So the Government sells asset A for $10B. Expenses involved $2B, leaving a net of $8B which sits in the NICIL account. It then sells asset B for $15B, with expenses say $3B leaving a net of $12B, so we now have $20B sitting in an NICIL account. It then sells asset C for $20B with expenses of say $4B leaving net of $16B. We now have $36B of taxpayers’ dollars sitting in an account not being used to the benefit of Guyanese, see where we are going with this. So my humble question is how long must the $36B sitting in the NICIL account be there before it is turned over to the
taxpayers? Does it stay there in perpetuity? One gets the impression that the Guyanese people have to beg the PPP Government for their own money, they have to beg for an accountability for their asset, and it’s at the Government’s pleasure to respond. If the PPP Government feels that the Guyanese voters are so stupid to accept their foolish explanations let them call snap elections, they will find out that they may even lose the Presidency. The time will come when some of the rascality that took place in the NICIL will come to surface and many may be wearing prison stripes. Some time ago when the Government released documents on the Marriott Hotel deal, it showed Winston Bras s i n g t o n dealing on both sides of the fence, negotiating for NICIL while being one of the principals on the Marriott side of the deal. It turned out that the Marriott will lease an acre of land per month for money that I cannot rent a parking space for here in Orlando for a month. These conflicts of interest and lack of Fiduciary responsibilities, in some jurisdiction would have Mr.Brassington rear end in prison, and who knows “when mouth open and story jump out” later there will be many who will have to do prison time that is if they have not yet flee the jurisdiction with their ill gotten gains. Ralph Seeram can be reached at email: ralph365@hotmail.com
Sunday May 13, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Weeks after giving birth…
With husband, Carey, and her four children. By Leonard Gildarie Growing up, I loved reading. I even left my school work so I could read. There were the Hardy Boys, Enid Blyton, Nancy Drew…yes, Nancy Drew. It was that bad. I devoured everything and even had my parents warning me of “hell to pay” on occasions when they saw one or two bad grades. I dreaded those lectures. I wish today’s generation could have felt the joy of being transported into that other world of make-believe. Years later now, I think there is a better understanding and tolerance of the idea that paperback novels and comics have indeed become collectors’ items. E-books are now becoming a popular thing that can be read on a piece of equipment called Kindle. The generations to come would not be able to experience the smell of books. I loved stories about human beings and their struggles to rise to the top. There are lessons to be learnt here…nothing comes easy. Even now, although the time is not much there for reading novels, I still would, as part of the job of a journalist, have to daily browse the news. Stories of Mark Zuckerberg and how he founded Facebook and Bill Gates and Steve Jobs with their battles
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
31-year-old mom of four, Patricia Bookie, has raced to the finals of the ‘Feel The Beat’ competition.
to the top computer world would top my list of some of the grittiest people that I admire. Being a leader or wanting to be on top of the game calls for guts, determination, discipline and luck. There have been a number of success stories in Guyana that I like. Dr. Yesu Persaud is one of them. From a little village called Grove on the East Bank of Demerara, Dr. Persaud has risen to the become one of the most influential persons in Guyana and the region, bringing fame to the country with his awardwinning rums from DDL, and his founding of banks, business organizations and a whole host of things. He is now pushing past 80 and still finds time to host a TV programme and run a multibillion-dollar business. Yesu is a gritty man. So is Patricia Bookie. I liked her story too. Bookie is a 31-year-old
mom of four and a finalist in local reality dance show, ‘Feel The Beat’. While still not wildly popular like GT&T’s Jingle and Song competition, the show has been holding its own. Bookie, who works in the Marketing Department of the flour company, NAMILCO, has not only beat out 200 fellow Guyanese who have auditioned to make it to the finals, she is the oldest competitor and is competing against one of her students. Bookie is part of the Crystalite Dance Company which is based in East Ruimveldt. But that is not the story. The mother of four on December 31st gave birth to a bouncing baby girl. Amazingly, a mere four or five weeks later, she was auditioning for one of her toughest challenges yet. She has shed several pounds and is at her fittest. In the run-up to the finals
which are scheduled to be held on May 20th, Bookie has been racking up the highest number of text votes on a number of occasions. Not bad for a mother of four who is competing against mainly teens and may have a very realistic shot at the $1M top prize. I managed to catch up with Patricia earlier last week. Her life has been centred on dancing for years now. Her husband, Carey Bookie, is the dance instructor of Crystalite. “I saw this competition as a means to ‘recover’ from my pregnancy. My husband, Carey, has been very supportive…as a matter of fact, he encouraged me to apply to the show.” The show has been one of sacrifice for the Bookie family. “My husband has been helpful. He cooks and helps to look at the kids.” Lately, the practice has been a gruelling five to six hours a day at Theatre Guild and elsewhere. “I have been allowed leave from NAMILCO so I can prepare for the show,” an appreciative Patricia disclosed. Her climb to the finals has been helped with a little experience. Bookie is a twotime winner of the National Interpretative Dance Competition Her little baby, just over four months old is still breastfeeding. The dancer has to ensure she is fed, then race off to rehearsals. Then there is the campaign to have friends and supporters to text in their votes in her favour. “Fortunately, I have some from the marketing field who are helping. And my friends and family are very supportive.” For Patricia, the competition has awakened
her even more. “You know, I must say thank you to GT&T, HJTV and the rest of the coordinators for making this show happen. We have many dancers who have a very real opportunity of showcasing their talents…opportunities that are not usually afforded to them. It can only benefit the dancers in Guyana.”
Patricia’s recent eyepopping performance during a dancehall routine during the competition was also a highpoint in the show. However, while the challenges to the finals have been tough, the hardest is still to come for the energetic mom at the finals later this month where it will be proved whether it was all worth it.
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Kaieteur News
VACANCY Kitchen assistant @ Charlestown- ages 18-35. Call: 614-1020 WANTED
WANTED
One cook, must know to cook Roti & Puri. Call 6477432
East Coast Guyoil pump attendants wanted (day and night), wash man, office assistant & sales girls. 6842838, 602-5031
One domestic @ 118 Farmer ’s Field, South Sophia. Call: 693-0821, 2194223 1 female cook to work in interior. Serious enquires only. Contact #225-2940 Live-in domestic must know to cook and 1 waitress, salary 50,000 monthly. Call:610-5043 Persons/family to live & take care of farm @ E.C.D, attractive salary offered. Contact: 690-1943, 691-8021 Two male shop assistants to work in Georgetown & the interior, serious enquiries only. Call: 225-2940, 225-0305 Urgently: chainsaw operator to work in the interior. Call: 626-0006, 231-3159 Live in attractive waitress contact 228- 5129 1 Tutor to teach Form 1, apply Bissan’s Trading, 94 King Street. Call: 227-7306 One live-in female to take care of elderly woman. Call: 253-3049 1 driver to drive in the interior. Must have bus and canter license. Tel# 688-0197 Manager’s Assistant general duties including Custom and Bond, Security Guards, accommodation available. Call: 676-6700 Female workers needed, 3 subjects or sound secondary education call 225- 7307 Waitress to work night shift @ Container Bar, Vryheid’s Lust Road, E.C.D. Tel: 6585357, 220-3810 Honest/Experienced sales clerk. Apply with written application Nanda’s Boutique, 223 Camp St. Tel 226-1621 Taxi Drivers at Princess Hotel. Contact 616-5419, 265-7075 Sales Girls & Porters. Apply with written application at Best Buys Food Supplies, 1E Dennis & Middleton Streets, Campbellville. Security Guards. Investigative & Tactical Services. 227 South Rd. Lacytown. Must have valid ID, NIS & TIN. Cooks, Waitresses and Bartenders to work in Kitty area. Call tel# 226-7054 or 623-9645
1 male or female to look after layer birds in the interior. Tele# 688-4905 Contract cars. Must be in Hire & Yellow. Base free. $3500 weekly. Call 660-9977
Be part of our world class customer care team. Join us now! Phone: 220-0401-3
Full time gardener/ handyman reference needed. Call: 226-0240, 225-3557
Vacancy exists for 3 guards, 2 males and 1 female, and a Mechanic for TM Trucks. Call: 642-0176, 699-4483
Sales representatives, country wide, for musical CD original. Tel: 267-1565, 6788193 Waitresses @ Diamond Gate Liquor Restaurant and Bar, Lot 18 Belmont Mahaica. Tel# 228-5013, 622-5599 Carpenter with own tools. Apply at Guyana Variety Store, 68 Robb Street. Tel no. 225-4631 1 female storekeeper. Must be computer literate. 1 female Bahir to work in the interior. Call: 231-3159, 626-0006 1 female to wash. Come in person to Dian’s Delli. Bar St., Kitty, opposite Kitty Market.
One driver needed with at least (5) years experience. Requirements CXC subjects, driver’s license & police clearance. Tel: 2272969, 225-8229. Hire car drivers & dispatchers wanted from East Coast. Contact 220-1000
Taxi Drivers and Carpenter. Call: 225-3234 Labourers and Porters. Apply Wieting & Richter Ltd. Sales representatives, country wide, for musical CD original. Tel: 267-1565, 6788193 1 driver to drive in the interior. Must have bus and canter license. Tel# 688-0197 Male & female between the ages of 18-24 years, for general work in stall 15 K&L Bourda Market. Skilled carpenters to work out of town. Must be able to work with limited supervision. # 615-7526 Labourers to work at Jettoo’s lumberyard & Sawmill @ Coverden Public Road, East Bank Demerara. Call: 2615041, 261-5042, 226-2756 Drivers with lorry license. Apply Wieting & Richter Ltd.
MASSAGE American Style Massage Service. Call 609-4036 Treat yourself to a relaxing massage. 622-6256
FOR SALE Brand new 2700 psi Honda Pressure Washer. Best price guaranteed. 614-8564 Games for PS2 $900, XBox 360 $2600, PS3 $2600. Call Junior 672-2566, 265-3231 1 Cabin Cruse 431’x8’. 1 InDord Hull 50’x13’ Boat. Tel: 622-5500 EBD
Live-in Maid/Nanny. Long term employment. Location: (Kuru Kururu) 35-50 yrs. 6561284.
1 Kawasaki Ninja Bike model 2009, 600 cc. C.G. 2468. Contact # 677-1218, 216-0317
Customer Service Rep. Cyberzone Internet Café. Telephone: 692-7171, 6482557. Must have experience.
PEN PAL Mixed male, age 52, with own home seeking female companion. Tel: 683-0040 (1) female, age 30-35 years of age, for serious relationship. Phone 690-9512. Serious callers only. WANTED Sales boy and girl. 615-3090 One live-in domestic. SatMon 639-7700 Experienced sewing machine operators. Tele no.: 220-4337 Waitresses @ Diamond Gate Liquor Restaurant and Bar, Lot 18 Belmont Mahaica. Tel# 228-5013, 622-5599 To buy 1-22 RB Dragline. Call: 616-0617, 663-3285 Scrap metal. Call 616-0617, 663-3285. Girls to work as waitress , age 18 to25 in Bar. Call: 256-4096 Intelligent live in to look after (1) female elderly & (1) middle aged person. Person Health Certificate required. Tel Maria : 226-8094
FOR SALE One Hilux Vigo (new) GNN series 231-5171, 619-7134
VEHICLES FOR SALE 99 Honda Civic Leather interior. Call:648-2075
Toyota Starlet 2 E Turbo engine with gearbox and ECU: Call: 624-7155.
Just arrived: Allion and Premio, tel: 624-2000, 6221610
NARS lipgloss, eyeshadow & Clinique Chubby Stick. Tel: 669-8374.
Leading Auto. Unregistered Allion, Premio, Allex, Runx, Verossa, Avensis, 2 ton Canter, 212. Tel: 677-7666, 610-7666
15-15-15 fertilizer. Call: 2662711, 609-4594 2x2x1.5MM, Hollow section $4500 VAT inclusive. Call: 220-6100, 680-5900 Peking ducks, call: 266-2711 / 609-4594 Used: QSC Amps MX2000 & MX3000, Roland sampler SP404, Rcf speaker: 12" & 18", celestion speaker: 15". Contact: 644-3390
Joiners & Labourers. Call: 699-9671
One live-in or out maid & experienced sales girl. Call: 264-3356, 253-3149, 668-3985 Experienced sewing machine operators. Tele no.: 220-4337
DRESS MAKING 6 weeks designing/sewing classes. Sharmela 225-2598, 641-0784
One Driver & one Salesman at Humphrey’s Bakery & Farm Products Ltd. Tel 2257864 Experienced Hair Dresser at Nalline Beauty Salon, Vreeden-Hoop Junction (Raymond Building). Attractive salary. Contact: 687-3341, 639-9884
45 plus years driver for week end duties. Tel: 22-71830
Sunday May 13, 2012
One 21 inches tv, slim white PS2 and 5 authentic game discs. Tele# 227-7175, 6445462 The CD Positive Messages in songs (a gift for mothers) Tel: 267-1565, 678-8193 American Ladders/Scaffold, 30ft/10ft, adjustable/ platforms. 20 ft heavy duty scaffold, platform/locking wheels. Call: 612-1486, 6468326 Generac Generator/American made, 7000w, fully enclosed; low noise. Propane/gas cylinder, ATS available. Call: 612-1486, 646-8326 Clean garden earth and builders’ waste, also Bobcat Rental Excavating clearing and Leveling. Call: 616-0617, 663-3285 Cheap earth delivery to spot, E.C.D, E.B.D. Tel# 627-9977, 698-0182 Computers for sale $38,000 Call: 227-3091,622-7036,6610515 Lenovo laptops brandnew $60,000 Call: 681-2111 Original slimming green coffee 800 $1300 W/sale and original slimming green coffee 1000 $2300 w/sale Call:6812111 True Shattaz fashion, closing down sale #689-3860 (1) New Model 212 Carina & RZ minibus in private & (1) 3Y foreign use engine Call” 678-0109,220-1693,658-7034
One ERF Hauler with 45 ft trailer (in-contract) & one Model M Truck. Tel: 6534455 1 Mitsubishi Fuso truck, 4 ton enclosed, 20 feet, new $5.2M. Call Salim 641-5075, 622-6746 New Air Brush Kit, gun, hose, compressor $35,000. 592-643-5720 Roofing shingles. Call: Mr. Skepmire . 227-5195 (8am to 5pm) Mixed breed, short foot puppies. Dewormed & vaccinated. #663-3397 Going cheap, foreign used Perkins Engines. 661-3043 Nissan Cefiro Car (Pearl white). Fully powered, AC, music. Yamaha Riva Scooter 125cc. #231-0786/625-1874 15ft Fiber glass boat $170,000 call: 260-0301, 685-1233 Baby chicks available weekly. Fully vaccinated. 371 Craig Public Road, EBD. Mr D Lallbeharry. Tel: 626-9589 Sale Sale Sale on all zinc sheets 40% off. All lumber 30% off. All pine lumber 8% off. Tel: 226-7054 Spares for washer, microwaves, fridges, stovetimers, gear boxes, pumps, etc. Contact 225-9032, 6472943 Now in stock, solar panel, 180 watts, at Trophy Stall, Bourda Market. 225-9230 Brand new blackberry torch 9800, under $100,000. Call: 676-7443 1 dragline 10RB. 687-6174 1 240 Massey Ferguson Tractor. 687-6174 Generator diesel, silent 27KVA 400 Gallon tank; key start like new $1.8 million. Call: 6214000, 690-6000 15ft Fiber glass boat $170,000 call: 260-0301,685-1233
Verossa PNN. Call:665-3067, 228-2609 1 Nissan Cube ( like Raum) PMM 1088, 1.350 M Neg. call 233 – 5557, 610 -1309 Mercedes Benz A-140 fully powered, sound system PMM series $2.8M neg. Call: 621-4000, 690-6000. 2005 H2 Hummer, 38,500 mileage fully loaded, chrome kit etc. Call: 6393100, 619-5400 Hilux 4x4 solid def pick-up, diesel, long base, excellent condition Call: 623-0243 1 special edition Toyota Runx PNN. 2 Nissan Wingroad Wagon. Tel: 6122522 Corolla Fielder just registered, AT 170 Carina. Price negotiable. Call 6149623 One Toyota RZ Longbase EFI, hardly used BKK series $1.6M. Call: Rocky 621-5902 Lexus LS400/Luxury, BMW 740IL/Luxury, BMW 635CSI/ Sports. Bring mechanic, make offer. Call: 612-1486, 646-8326 One EP71 Starlet, 1 AE91 Sprinter, Toyota Ceres & Fun Cargo, 1 Nissan Pathfinder PMM, 1 Honda Fit 2004. Call: 644-5096, 6971453 Unregistered Allion and Spacio. Tel# 697-0294 1 Premio PNN series, TV, camera. # 616-6000 2000 Ford Economy Club Wagon. Heavy duty, power steering, V8 50400CC. 7715388, 771-5387, 680-1198 2 & 3 ton enclosed canter, unregistered. 617-2891 Ford F150, 4wd, V8 engine. Including cab. Excellent condition. Contact Hans: 645-5596 One Toyota Short Base, enclosed canter, GMM series, hardly used $1.8M. Credit can be arranged. Tel: 673-6660 Lexus LS400/Luxury, BMW 740IL/Luxury, BMW 635CSI/ Sports. Bring mechanic, make offer. Call: 612-1486, 646-8326 1 Carina 192. No. HB 8358. Call: 663-2882 (Continued on page 56)
Sunday May 13, 2012
Kaieteur News
The Abigail Column Happily unmarried woman can’t take mom’s nagging
DEARABIGAIL, I am in a relationship with someone I graduated from school with, so we have known each other for a number of years. We are both divorced. Because I’m an only child, my mother has always been protective and controlling. She hasn’t recovered from my divorce. It happened more than 5 years ago, and constantly finds fault with my current relationship. She argues with me
almost weekly that I should get married because it “looks bad for her” that I live with this man, and “in the sight of God this isn’t right.” One minute she doesn’t want me in a relationship, the next she’s telling me I need to be married. I respect her beliefs, but don’t think we should get married just because she wants us to. I was married long enough to realise that a piece of paper doesn’t make it right, so why force the issue? I love my mother, but her nagging is making it extremely difficult not only for me but for my
relationship. How do I handle this? Stressed Out Dear Stressed Out, You may be an only child, but you are a child no longer. You are entitled to live your life the way you wish. While there are legal protections for a wife that a live-in does not enjoy, if you prefer not to formalize your relationship, you should not be pressured into it. The next time your mother starts in, tell her firmly you will not argue the point and change the subject.
Sunday May 13, 2012 ARIES (March 21 - April 19): You will be shown some visions of what could be today -- and you might not like what you see. But is it a problem of a bad reality or bad perception? Just because it doesn't look like things are going to turn out the way you want them to doesn't mean that you still can't be happy. ****************** TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Try to get away from the crowds today. Get off on your own and take a long walk outside. Let your thoughts wander, and you will come to some extremely important realizations about yourself. ******************** GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): Try to get away from the crowds today. Get off on your own and take a long walk outside. Let your thoughts wander, and you will come to some extremely important realizations about yourself. ******************** CANCER (June 21 - July 22): You might feel like you're banging your head against a wall today -- someone you're trying to break the ice with keeps on giving you the cold shoulder. ******************** LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): Take a break from pushing yourself right now -- you deserve it! Challenging yourself with more responsibilities at work might seem like a great way to get ahead, but it will really only increase your stress level right now. ********************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22): Give yourself a modest challenge that offers huge rewards today -- starting with your environment. Pick up around your home and find a new way to reorganize your
stuff. Getting clutter out of the way is terrifically satisfying, and it's a task you can turn your mind off to do. ********************** LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22): You should know by now that only an intellectual connection can create a solid foundation for a real relationship, whether it's a romance, a friendship, or a business partnership. ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21): This is a day of conflicting ideas and opinions -which could create tension at home, but could also create a sizzling hot connection in your social life. ********************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 Dec. 21): There's about to be a major change in your routine -- and it might be very hard for you to get used to it. ********************* CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19): If you think that you need to start making some lifestyle changes, then you do. When you feel the urge to mix things up, you cannot continue with your normal routine and have any sense of growth or progress. *********************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18): Someone is going to find you quite attractive today -although unfortunately, they might not be someone who you find very attractive. ********************** PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20): Without even trying, you will be daydreaming about the future today -- one word could send you off on a mental tangent full of ideas about where you want to live next, who you want to grow old with, or what kind of family you really want to have.
Page 55
Relatives of murder suspect call... (From page 10) son has two children that he cares for and she is certain that her son was not involved in any robbery/murder last Tuesday. “The police say is two boys on a CG and my son don’t ride no CG motorcycle. Police say was two tall boy, he is not tall either,” she explained. Xavier, 32, of Harlem, West Coast Demerara, and
John, of St. Cuthbert Mission, were drinking near the entrance of the popular nightspot when two men on a motorcycle stopped outside the premises. One of the men, who brandished a handgun, entered the establishment and pointed the firearm at John and Xavier demanding their money. An eyewitness claimed that after the gunman pointed
the gun at the victims and demanded money, they (victims) hesitated. This angered the bandit, causing him to “shoot at both victims.” “After he shoot at dem, he stand up watching dem li’l bit, then they pick up the bag and wallet and walk out to the road.” A source said that the victims were carrying a large sum of money.
DTV CHANNEL 8 09:25hrs. Sign On 09:30hrs. Turning Point 10:00hrs. Mother ’s Day Greetings 12:00hrs. Movie: Fifteen & Pregnant 14:00hrs. Movie: Mom, Dad & Her 16:00hrs. Movie: A Child Lost Forever 18:00hrs. Faith in Action 18:30hrs. Know Your Bible 19:00hrs. Greetings and Announcements 20:00hrs. Once Upon a Time (Season Finale) 21:00hrs. Desperate Housewives (Series Finale) 23:00hrs. Sign Off
19:00hrs – Round Table (Rebroadcast on Wednesday @16:00-17:00hrs) 20:00hrs – Kala Milan 20:30hrs – Close up 21:00hrs – Feel the Beat 22:00hrs – IPL #59 Rajasthan Royals VS Pune Warriors (Delayed) IPL #60 Kings XI Punjab VS Deccan Chargers Delayed) 03:00hrs – Movie
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NCN CHANNEL 11 02:00hrs – Movie 05:00hrs – Inspiration 05:30hrs – Newtown Gospel 06:00hrs – NCN 6 ‘O’ Clock News(R/B) 06:30hrs – Tomorrow’s World 07:00hrs – Voice of Victory 07:30hrs – Voice of Islam 08:00hrs – Lifting Guyana to Greatness 08:30hrs – President’s Diary 09:00hrs – Ravi D Show 10:00hrs – Bollywood 60 Minutes 11:00hrs – FACE TO FACE (Rebroadcast on Wednesday @17:00-18:00hrs) 12:00hrs – Perspectives 12:30hrs – GRA in Focus 13:00hrs – Dharma Vani 14:00hrs – Farmers’ Connection 14:30hrs – Catholic Magazine 15:00hrs – The Naked Truth 15:30hrs – Homestretch Magazine 16:00hrs – Family Forum 16:30hrs – Shape 17:00hrs – Guysuco Roundup 18:00hrs – NCN Week in Review 18:30hrs – Inside the Government (Rebroadcast on Wednesday @19:3020:00hrs)
MTV CHANNEL 14/ CABLE 65 06:30hrs Prayag Vanie 07:00hrs BBC World News 07:30hrs MTV Mother’s day Music Break 08:00hrs Christ for the Nation 08:30hrs Puran Brothers: Shiva Bhajans 09:00hrs Muslim Melodies with Al Madina Exclusive 09:30hrs Teleview Kutbah 10:00hrs DJ Stress Indian
Guides are subjected to change without notice
Page 56
Kaieteur News
Sunday May 13, 2012
Vibrant club executive...
LAND FOR SALE 32 Acres for sale, Lot 5 Content, E.C.D, $256,000.00(USD) Call: 813319-4219 or rpooran@tampabay.rr.com Land at block ‘E’ Sophia. Cultivated with permanent crops. Size: 160ftx80ft. Prices $2.7M negotiable. Call 6183093 Bazaar St., Parika. No agents. 661-3043 32 Acres for sale, Lot 5 Content, E.C.D, $256,000.00(USD) Call: 813319-4219 or rpooran@tampabay.rr.com
(From page 54)
CAR RENTAL Progressive auto rental, cars from $4,000 per day. Call: 6435122, 656-0087, www.progressiveautorental.com First Choice Car Rental cars $5,000-7,000 per day 6680306, 225-6337 Al’s Car & Pick-up Rental. Call: 698-7807
VEHICLES FOR SALE 2005 White Nissan Titan V8 engine with 6 CD changer and a/c. Contact: 682-9021. (GKK 9391) for further information.
SERVICES Permanent &Visitors Visa Applications Professional Immigration Consultant Room E-4 Maraj Building 225-6496/223-8115/6626045.
Toyota Tacoma, 4wd, 2.7L engine, very good condition. Contact Andrew: 638-8599
Supreme Repairs. All wiring, fridge, washer (AC), freezers, dryer, ect. Tel: 629-8136, 6532719
2004 Mazda RX8, body kit, black, unregistered, $3M. 617-2891
US & Canada VISA application services. Call 643-6630. Family discounts available.
Sale! Sale! Axela, Vitz, Toyota Succeed Wagon cheapest 616-7635 Corolla Fielder just registered, AT 170 Carina. Price negotiable. Call 614-9623 Quantum Auto. Allion – Silver & white with TV/NAV/ RCam. Grey Premio, Spacio, Fielders. 624-7684
SALON Make up courses, artist trained & certified in Trinidad: 6605257,647-1773 Qualify yourself in Cosmetology or nails, make up, Register, Limited spaces. Call Abby: 216-1950, 6197603, 666-5241
TO LET Harmony inn fully furnished self contained a/c apartments, Short term& long term Parfaite Harmony WBD Tel:694-7817 Four (4) bedroom apartment. Contact: 682-8875 E.B.D furnished 3 bedrooms house, 2 bathrooms, a/c, hot and cold, grilled, meshed, telephone, internet, parking, US$500 tel 697-4131 East Coast $55,000, Kitty $60,000, Alberttown $80,000, Bel-Air US$1500, Hotel US$5,000;
EDUCATIONAL Princeton College Forms 1-5, CXC adults’ classes’; $1500 a subject S.A.T/ Phonics etc. Call: 6905008, 611-3793 LIVEANDWORKINCANADA. GET CANADIAN CERTIFICATION AS A CAREGIVER.CALL227–4881 OR 416 674 7973 Imperial College – CXC Jan/ June 2013 exam. Day/ Evening classes, flexible hours. Contact 227-7627, 6835742 Private tutor – homeschooling CXC/GCE English A&B. Call: 649-4247 Advanced Diploma in Computer Studies for CSEC students 2012. $15,000 discount. MicroGraphics Technology. Vreed-En-Hoop 264-3057 Special Computer Classes for 2012 CSEC students. MicroGraphics Technology, Parika (Bollywood building) Tel: 670-5734 Practical electrical course $25,000 Call: 227-3091,6227036,661-0515 Computer starter classes as low as $4000 Call: 2273091,622-7036,661-0515
Diana 227-2256, 626-9382
1 2 bedroom house, 1 1 bedroom house, Good Hope, Essequibo. Call: 680-4990, 277-3033 Short term apartments. Tel: 667-1549 Fully furnished two bedroom apartment with internet in Linden. Short term. Overseas & local guests. 614-4415/4444704 (2) bedroom furnished house @ 31 Second Street, Liliandall Pump Road. Tel: 222-3838, 617-9004 One spacious 3 bedroom top flat at Lot GG Freeman St. East Lapenitence, G/Town. Call: 623-7683 Business spot Cummings & Middle St. Occupied by Brazilian Salon. Possession 1st June 2012 - $850 US monthly. Call: 621-4000, 6906000 FOR RENT Salon Chairs for rent. Exotic Glow Harbour Bridge Mall. # 233-5495/600-1969 Chairs for rent. Pauline’s Hair Salon, 177 Charlotte St. #6443555/680-1969
Clearance Sale!!! Unregistered Toyota (Scion) bB & Sienta. Come and make your offer!!! 643-6565, 2269931 Mercedes Benz 190E fully skirted, customized interior work need repairs $650, 000. Call: 621-4000, 690-6000 Cherokee Lorado, 4 doors AC windows, power locks PHH series $1,950,000. Call: 6214000, 690-6000 Mercedes Benz S300, fully powered, armored, DVD system $4.5 million. Call: 6214000, 690-6000 Hummer H2 sut Model 22" rims, DVD sound system. Call: 639-7700 Mercedes Benz A-140 fully powered, sound system PMM series $2.8M neg. Call: 621-4000, 690-6000. 1 Honda Civic Ferio. PKK series. Manual transmission. Price $1,100,000 neg. Contact #650-5567 One EP71 and 82 Starlet, 1Toyota Ceres and RZ Minibus,1Nissan Pathfinder, PMM Call: 6445096,697-1453 One RZ Minibus, BMM 1420 $2.5M Call: 615-7825 LIBRARY Closing down sale; text, university, novels & others from$100 up. Call: 223-8237
Now open KDRS Pharmacy at Mon Repos Mall 220-8675 nutritionist available every Saturday We refill HP cartridges for $1,800. Call:650-7699 Visa and Immigration forms prepared for Canada, USA and UK. Also Passport forms. Call 626-9857 Repairs, sales & spares, air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & Stoves. Ultra Cool: 225-9032, 6472943 Looking for a job? Office Domestic & need assistance, contact Angela: 694-0096 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer. Call: 231-0655, 683-8734 Omar. Roxy’s Catering. Creole foods, cakes, pastries, snacks, finger foods, etc. Call# 223-0095, 223-0092 or 689-5169 Hello, the doctor is back!! Have your gas stove repaired and serviced. Tel: 601-0595, 220-4073, 220-5785 Service & repairs to gas stove, deep fryers, washing machines, electric stoves. Call 686-6209. Get your VISA or get refunded. Call: 233-2338 House plan drafting for only $10,000. Building estimate for only $10,000. Call: 6949843. ONLINE SHOPPING NO COMMISSION, WEEKLY SHIPMENTS,AFFORDABLE RATES, FREE PRIVATE MAILBOX. TEL: 231-5789. FREIGHTLINKEXPRESS@ GMAIL.COM WE FILL OUT PASSPORT & VISA FORMS: USA, UK & CANADA. TEL: 2315789 DATING SERVICE
LEARN TO DRIVE B&C Driving School. Pickup & drop off. Contact 2250150, 680-6826, 229-7258
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For the best rates, call us on telephone number: 225-8458
From page 58 the statutes of FIFA are also concise on “binding decisions being revocable by a Court of Law”. Secondly, the ICC’s policy as it relates to non- governmental inference isn’t legally constituted and binding as yet, since a time frame has been set aside for implementation and subsequent enactment. So, in essence there is no comparison! Thirdly, within the context of local football, various courses; seminars and workshops were held in the areas of administration, coaching, refereeing, marketing, nutrition, physiotherapy, stadium management and security among others all of which were under the auspices of FIFA. Is the same applicable to cricket via the ICC, along with the annual subvention of USD $250,000? Fourthly, with the significant investment made over the years by FIFA, overlooked by CONCACAF and CFU, how many associations, affiliates and clubs have shown improvement? At the end of the day examples are always better than precepts! Finally, while I would agree that they were/are various shortcomings in the administration of football locally along with the disgraceful Training Facility under the FIFA Goal Project, that has funding amounting to USD $400,000 and is still goalless after a few years. This still is not a catalyst for the government to appoint an IMC. Rather, what should be the pertinent issue is for the clubs that are efficiently run in the respective associations to formulate comprehensive plans for transparency and proper accountability of the annual FIFA subvention, of which clubs must be furnished with a copy of the ACCOMMODATION Signature Inn Luxury Suites & Apartments 83 Laluni Street, Queenstown. Call for reservations 226-2145, 2275037 PROPERTY FOR SALE 20 X 40 two flat concrete building @ Kitty. All amenities. Price $28 M Call: 668 – 9512, 223- 2570 25 acre farm land with 4 bedroom concrete house. Located Parika Backdam. Tel: 615-8046 Enterprise Gardens. 3 bedroom concrete, EBD $15M, $30M Riverside, North $18.5M. Call: 2312199, 231-2200, 618-7483 1 three bedroom house Prashad Nagar, asking price $29M neg. Call: 227-2563, 684-2115 Business spot, 3 lots. Cummings & Middle Street, including store & glass cases, etc. $750,000 US neg. Call: 621-4000, 690-6000
Audited Annual Financial Report, via their associations. Wherein apart from rental of offices in association; payment of a staff and utility bills, what else is compatible, more so when nonproductivity exists in some associations? To the extent that there is no structured development encompassing competitions at under-11, -13, -15, -17, -19, -21 and -23! As a consequence and in all due fairness to the sport locally, the “riot act” in relation to loss of membership and nonfunding must be read out to the delinquents! And two timely reminders to my friend Richard, kindly ascertain when a local national team had defeated Venezuela in the 80’s at the GDF Ground, Camp Ayangana, if the correct score was 12-0! And if indeed it was a Venezuelan national team, or a provincial lineup? And from an administrative perspective, during your tenure as President, Victoria Kings, who upon winning the 12thedition of the Annual Kashif and Shanghai K.O, 2001-02, at the MSC ground, Linden, the same year the majestic Kings couldn’t have found the entrance fee of $50,000 to participate in the CFU Club Championship, after carting the winner’s prize of $500,000. Do we still need a governmental involvement with an IMC? Or rather a collective voice with a “vote of no confidence” providing cronyism, nepotism, intellectual dishonesty and unprofessionalism can be highlighted! And person(s) of Prince’s ilk remain deeply rooted in the stands! Since his tenure at the helm of Victoria Kings, contributed significantly, to the continued underdevelopment of football nationally! The club had failed in its efforts for sustained progress and stability, due to a lack of an effective and structured nursery programme, along with the requisite leadership. But rather had preferred to lure players away from their initial clubs with pledges of financial remunerations. By the way, did the Kings on an annual basis submit a financial statement to their governing body along with the minutes of its AGM? By relevant comparison during my tenure as Secretary, Fruta Conquerors, the club was and still maintains its sound nursery development programme. In addition to the relevant documentation i.e. Financial Statement, Minutes, Competitions Reports and most importantly a standard procedure in the distribution of prize monies won, with the players receiving 70% and the club 30%! Respectfully Yours, Lester Sealey.
Sunday May 13, 2012
Kaieteur News
Page 57
“England v West Indies - Lords Cricket Ground - Test No. 1 – Nowhere to hide anymore!” Colin E. H. Croft To paraphrase 41st President of USA, George Herbert Walker Bush, better of two Bushes who were USA Presidents, who would be better remembered had it not been for his immediate successor, William Jefferson Clinton; “West Indies are in very deep doo-doo!” To say that West Indies’ preparation, physical and mental, for Test No. 1 next Thursday at the very picturesque Lords Cricket Ground, have been shambolic is like confirming that interestingly warm rain will continue to fall in United Kingdom. Those are bare facts! Three selected players, Marlon Samuels, Assad Fudadin and Narsingh Deonarine not joining the squad until more than a week into the tour had elapsed is also fact, but I would not blame West Indies’ organization too much for this. There is very much happening in United Kingdom now! For London 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially “The Games of the XXX Olympiad” – ‘XXX’ means 30 and does not refer to adult sexual content – even with blanket television coverage planned, there would be in excess of 30,000 overseas press representatives in UK to cover the games! Add industrial manifestations at every inbound facility and extremely stringent immigration, customs and security circumstances of getting into United Kingdom these days, to understand and appreciate that West Indies touring squad was simply caught up in the massive melee. People have been pouring into London like its proverbial rain. London’s major airports Heathrow, Gatwick, Stanstead and London City – are bursting at the seams. Last week I had to go to France by fast train. Even trains from Europe are filled to capacity! West Indies’ squad was only selected three weeks ago, after Australia’s tour to West Indies ended. It sometimes takes three months to get required visas to get into especially United Kingdom now, with security requirements for Olympics! Whatever, West Indies are still in deep trouble! Immediate polar changes from 25 degree Centigrade ranges in the Caribbean, to temperatures nearing zero degrees C in United Kingdom would not have helped players who have not played much in the cold!
Back in the day when every player in West Indies touring teams to England were also plying their trades for counties, that transition was easily completed. With so few West Indians operating in England anyway – none selected are officially with counties this year – it would always have been very difficult. In its first game v Sussex, more than seven-eights washed out, West Indies did just enough in 34 overs played – 90 for 3 – to suggest that they are not only going to struggle with coming to terms with weather but with bowlers’ moving deliveries too. At time of writing, in its 2nd game, a four-day fixture v England Lions, West Indies had already lost 13 wickets, while still being way behind England Lions’ 341. In its 1st innings, only Darren Bravo, 51, and Marlon Samuels, 32, looked fairly organized, West Indies making 147 all out! By the time you read this, West Indies could well have already lost, in three of four days, to England Lions. If that becomes reality, then that bodes even worse as to what could transpire at Lords. Let us hope that West Indies survives well and shows needed fortitude for Test No. 1! West Indies team for that
Test on Thursday could be interesting. There are so many questions that Robert Haynes, West Indies selector on tour, Coach Ottis Gibson and Captain Darren Sammy are probably having severe headaches already, the tour having only just begun! Gibson is on record saying that “last time we played at Lords, I was in England’s camp – Bowling Coach – that game lasting two and half days. Let us hope we can carry Test No. 1 into its fourth day.” For West Indies to last four or five days in Tests in England, its batting will have to click immediately, if not sooner! Shivnarine Chanderpaul, herculean in his spare self, is the least worry of all, even though he did have his hand damaged in that warm-up game v Sussex. He will play even if his hand has to be amputated! A present West Indies batting line-up without Shiv is simply unthinkable! Denesh Ramdin is certain too. Hopefully, he will break nothing. He seems very injury prone nowadays. His presence, as wicket-keeper, is as massive a cog in this untried cricket wheel as the fulcrum of tried and tested cantilevered “London Eye”, Europe’s tallest Ferris wheel! Denesh must move well too! Darren Bravo has probably
adopted better than anyone, his only two innings to date 19 not out and 51. As former England all-rounder Derek Pringle, writing for LondonTelegraph newspapers suggested, “Bravo, who clearly shares the DNA crucial to batting of his cousin, Brian Lara, unfurled some spectacular drives to the boundary off back foot and front!” However, also confirming my assessment of Darren a few weeks ago, after Australia’s tour, Pringle went further: “Another pleasant drive brought his 50, followed by a horrible miscued hack, to be caught at mid-on.” Darren Bravo has the tools. Now, he needs that utmost concentration to display them well! Marlon Samuels has looked very organized and will play. His laconic appearance, experiences and maturity must now, more than ever before, portray that steely determination that he must have, to have come through his perils and allegations in recent years. Oh, for Chris Gayle to be one opener come Thursday! Adrian Barath and Kieran Powell have shown much immaturity and susceptibility
to swinging balls, edging regularly and being ‘Leg Before Wicket’ (LBW), distinct signs of not knowing where to, and how, the ball is moving. Both will probably play! Kemar Roach, “Colossus of the Caribbean”, will again have to carry West Indies bowling attack on his relatively small but obviously strong shoulders. Much depends on his fitness and form if West Indies are to be anywhere near surprising England this series. Roach’s total heath is absolutely vital in this tour! Though rested in that 4day game against England Lions, Darren Sammy will definitely play at Lords. His inclusion would probably come at the expense of offspinner Shane Shillingford, as West Indies batting needs as much bolstering as it can get for this 1st Test and beyond. Conditions are also quite wet! Because of that batting need, Narsingh Deonarine might still be considered, even if he has not yet played a game in England this time. Last time West Indies played a Test, against Australia, his batting and bowling featured
Colin E. H. Croft heavily. With probably no Shillingford, Deonarine will probably make Test No. 1. The two Edwards, Fidel and Kirk, are West Indies biggest problems. Fast bowler Fidel is still not 100% fit, so his place can be taken by Ravi Rampaul, who has bowled well in his outing to date, while batsman Kirk looks so much out of touch that only bare necessity and numbers allow him to be selected at all. My XII for Test No. 1: Darren Sammy, Adrian Barath, Kieran Powell, Kirk Edwards, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Shiv Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Denesh Ramdin, Fidel Edwards, Kemar Roach and Ravi Rampaul. Come Thursday next, these will have to produce the goods. There is nowhere to hide! Enjoy!
Nash: WI cricket is a structure designed to make you fail India invite Pakistan
to Champions League AFP – India on Saturday invited Pakistan to take part in the Champions League Twenty20 tournament this year, breaking new ground in the stalled cricket ties between the arch-rivals. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which met in Chennai on Saturday, gave the go ahead to Pakistan’s participation in the tournament which features leading domestic Twenty20 teams from around the world. “The BCCI has decided to invite a team from Pakistan to play in the Champions League to be held in India in October,” BCCI chief Narayanaswami Srinivasan told reporters after the meeting. The BCCI’s recommendation will be forwarded to the governing council of the Champions League which is owned by the cricket boards of India, Australia and South Africa, Srinivasan added. India and Pakistan met in the Asia Cup in Bangladesh in March and the World Cup semi-final in India last year, but
regular tours have been frozen since the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, blamed on Pakistan-based militants. India postponed a tour to Pakistan scheduled for January 2009 in the wake of the Mumbai carnage, which left 166 people dead and many hundreds injured. The latest move by the BCCI comes a month after Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, who was on a private visit to New Delhi, urged Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to consider reviving cricket ties. Srinivasan, asked if this was the first step towards reviving relations with Pakistan, said: “Today, the decision is limited to the Champions League. I don’t want to say anything beyond it.” Pakistani teams did not feature in the first three editions of the Champions League, an offshoot of the hugely popular Indian Premier League (IPL), which began in 2009. Pakistani players have also been left out of the IPL after taking part in the inaugural season in 2008.
WICRICNEWS – WICRICNEWS website has posted excerpts of an interview with West Indies batsman Brendan Nash. Nash was very candid with his views on the regional with a stinging comment about the structure here. In the piece Nash noted the issue of transparency; “The hardest thing in West Indies cricket is the lack of transparency,” Nash said. “I think I speak for a lot of guys when I say they are unsure what they need to do and why some people are selected, whether they are just from the right island, or what. “I’m not sure where I am but I made it clear I’m still available when I asked for a No Objection Certificate to represent Kent. Some guys might not have scored the runs to warrant selection, but maybe the West Indies see them as the future and hope they will feed off Shiv Chanderpaul’s experience. I feel I still have role to play…” Continuing his thoughts on the regional game the Jamaican all-rounder pointed, “Looking back on my five years in West Indies cricket, it is a structure that is designed to make you fail. I’m glad to say I succeeded but it is why a lot of players like me look for opportunities to play abroad. “Trinidad has a strong local set-up, largely because they have oil money and a lot of good players, but they think their way is the right way. Barbados are passionate about their cricket and proud of their history but that has made them a little stubborn and arrogant. “Ottis Gibson (West Indies coach) may try to create his own culture and coaching methods but they don’t get passed down. Players come into the West Indies squad who have done things differently with their islands.
Brendon Nash
The move up to Test cricket should be a comfortable one but it isn’t…” On his interaction with Chris Gayle, Nash spoke of his feelings of the West Indies batsman; “Chris Gayle was there and his first words were, ‘You are one of us now – if anyone gives you trouble, let me know’. He was very different from how I thought he would be and I have a lot of respect for him. He doesn’t give much away but he doesn’t like losing. “I remembered fielding 12th man at the Gabba for Australia against West Indies and Brian Lara saying to me, ‘I hear your parents are Jamaican. Why don’t you come and play for us?’ I was a bit starstruck and just smiled…”
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Kaieteur News
President’s / Jefford Track & Field Classic...
YK Investments & Pawn Shop on board again They’ve been from the inception and according to Managing Director of YK Investments & Pawn Shop, Harry Yenkana, the entity will continue to support the President’s / Jefford Track & Field Classic. Yenkana, an avid sports enthusiast told the media that the Classic is a welcome event for the sustained development and highlight of the country’s athletes and he had no hesitation in making the decision to remain on board. Yesterday during a simple presentation at the entity’s location on Regent Street, employee Michelle Alleyne made a presentation on an undisclosed sum to Coorganiser Edison Jefford in the presence of Yenkana. Jefford in his response thanked Yenkana for his continued support, adding that the Organisers are indeed heartened by members of the business community who consistently pledge their assistance for ventures that seek to sustain the development of sport in the country. He promised Yenkana a high-class event that will meet the requirements of all.
The Classic which will be staged next Sunday, at the Mackenzie Sports Club has evolved over the short period of its existence and this year promises to be even bigger with the addition of Guyana’s distance star Marian Burnett, who resides in the USA as the main attraction, while athletes from Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname and Barbados among the countries listed to send competitors to the event to tackle the leading local athletes. Among the top locals expected to participate in the Classic are women’s 100 metres champion Alisha Fortune, Chavez Ageday, Stephan James, Tevin Garraway, Kevin Bayley, Elton Bollers, Jevina Straker, Juanita Hooper, Neisa Allen, Tiffany Carto, Shauna Thornhill, Natasha Alder,, Alita Moore, Alika Morgan, Janella Jonas, while the Mining Town will be represented by Winston Caesar, Nathaniel Giddings, Bevon Noble and Parish Cadogan. The winning club is set to take home $500,000, runner-up $300,000 and 3rd place $100,000, while there will be gate prizes specifically intended to give back to the fans, especially those from the community. The international races also have special prizes on offer for the top three finishers.
>>>Letter to the Sports Editor<<<
Vibrant club executive and meaningful association representation is needed in football DEAR EDITOR, Reference is hereby made to the above caption as it relates to a letter captioned “The government should become involved in football just as it has in cricket” by Richard Martin D Prince, in your newspaper publication of 06-04-12. Editor, while Mr.
Prince is free to express his own view (s) publicly, which is his constitutional and democratic right, so, too, is mine which I expect to be entertained for my rebuttals and proposals/ recommendations. Firstly, the statutes of FIFA are more concise with
non-governmental interference, in the product of football. While apart from being the world’s largest spectator sport; also is compassionate and emotional, in addition to having more affiliates globally than any other sport. Further, (Continued on page 56)
Sunday May 13, 2012
Lewis Hamilton loses Spanish pole because of rules on fuel McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton has been excluded from qualifying at the Spanish Grand Prix after stopping his car out on the track at the end of qualifying . Hamilton qualified on pole but will start from the back of the grid. He was told to stop because there was insufficient fuel in the car for him to get back to the pits and provide a sample, as required by the rules. The stewards rejected McLaren’s argument that not putting enough fuel in the car was “force majeure”. The F1 rules require the car to return to the pits with one litre of fuel on board running less fuel gives a performance advantage. Although in this case the advantage gained in no way accounted for Hamilton’s 0.578-second advantage over second placed Pastor Maldonado of Williams, the stewards felt they had to penalise McLaren. Their ruling said: “A team member had put an insufficient quantity of fuel into the car, thereby resulting in the car having to be stopped on the circuit in order to be able to provide the required amount for sampling purposes. “As the amount of fuel put into the car is under the complete control of the competitor, the stewards cannot accept this as a case of force majeure.”
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton took pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix A McLaren statement said: “We accept that the stewards did not agree with our interpretation of force majeure. Our aim is now to maximise the points we can score.” McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh had argued that the size of the margin was a reason for Hamilton to be allowed to keep his position. “It was a massive margin by the situation within F1 at the moment and he undoubtedly deserves to be there,” Whitmarsh said. McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe later tweeted: “To all our fans: so sorry about this error. We are more gutted than anybody. An amazing performance by Lewis throughout Q, ruined.” Hamilton said: “Today’s qualifying session was one of the best I’ve ever driven - the
whole car was just rolling so smoothly - it felt fantastic. “To hear that I’d been excluded from qualifying, was of course extremely disappointing. “Looking ahead I think it’s clear that it’s going to be an incredibly tough race for us. Even so, as always, I’ll never give up and I’ll give it everything I’ve got. Whatever grid position I start a Grand Prix from, I’ll always race my heart out.” The decision gives Venezuelan Maldonado the first pole position of his career, with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso promoted to second place. The rules on fuel were changed by F1’s governing body, the FIA, after a similar problem with Hamilton’s car at the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix. Rules on fuel Article 6.6.2 of the
Guyana’s ‘Golden Jaguars’ WC Qualifiers launched From back page importance of what they are doing and I feel that they will go out there and play their hearts out for us so we have to give them that needed support. We have to believe, we have to believe that we can do it and I call on the people of this country to start to mobilize and rally around them,” Dr. Anthony stated. He referred to them as heroes and called on all Guyanese and more directly the media to make them into household names. Dr. Anthony paid tribute to the work of Shabazz, adding that the Ministry and by extension the Government have recognised what he is doing, pointing out that had it not been for his efforts, maybe we would not have progressed to this stage. He assured that the Government has always worked with Federations to ensure that they are successful whenever they host major events and pledged similar support for the GFF in Guyana’s upcoming engagements against
the mighty Mexicans, Costa Ricans and El Salvadoreans during their WC qualifiers. He urged Acting GFF President Franklin Wilson to include the Government in any Local Organising Committee (LOC) setup, especially when it is on record that they possess the requisite knowledge and skill to prepare for events of such magnitude. “I am issuing a call here today to the GFF to meet with the Government to discuss the areas they may need assistance and we would be more than willing to offer our expertise and personnel that could make the hosting of the matches a success,” Dr. Anthony said. Shabazz, whose remarks followed those of representatives of Ansa McAl under their Stag brand, GT&T, Bakewell, Demerara Distillers Ltd, SponSports, and Ashmin’s gave what was undoubtedly the most poignant presentation of the Launch. He started out his touching remarks by reflecting on his initial sojourn to Guyana
which he said was kind of sad after witnessing the amount of players with raw talent and passion, but no facilities to harness it. Shabazz disclosed that his next stint in Guyana saw him come as a Caribbean man, one who came to use sport to lift the image and fortunes of Guyana and the Region at large. “We are as good as those in Europe and Australia and all the other big countries in the world and I could give as an example Lloyd, who led a team from the Caribbean that managed to beat the English, Australians and all of them,” Shabazz said. Known for his motivational speeches, Shabazz exuded the passion for the ‘Golden Jaguars’ that sometimes contradicts his Trinidad and Tobago nationality. He spoke of previous remarks made by former and current influential figures in the sport in the Region, informing that they never believed that a Coach from these parts could lead a team from
the Caribbean to this stage of the World Cup. “What I saw on my return was the coaches and players at the bottom suffering despite all the sacrifices they make, and that was a big problem for me because the politicians think about power and not the people.” Shabazz said he was encouraged by the different approach he witnessed from the new GFF where a group of people were willing to work together for the common good of the team and pleaded with them to continue to take care of the players. Sport according to Shabazz could cross continents and connect people, adding that the athletes are the most important asset. “I was in Kenya sometime ago and no one knew Eric Williams, Forbes Burnham or Cheddi Jagan, but almost everyone knew Clive Lloyd, Dwight Yorke, Brian Lara etc,” he emphasised. The TD spoke of the illusion of some who feel that it is a team that qualifies, inform-
ing that contrary to that belief, it is a nation that qualifies. Shabazz stressed the need for Guyana to rally around the ‘Jaguars’, before using September 11, 2011 as a vivid example of how a collective approach could reap rewards. “What the Trinidadians saw was not a fractured Guyana, but a Stadium full of Guyanese rooting for one purpose, despite the fact that it was an elections season and everyone knows the history of this country around that time. If we approach the upcoming games as a collective people we would not be scared to play Mexico, Costa Rica of El Salvador,” Shabazz felt. According to the TD, Guyana’s football has a dream. Wilson in his presentation extended thanks on behalf of the GFF to all the sponsors and the Government, including a special commendation to former President Bharrat Jagdeo, who according to him was instrumental in instigating the relationship
between the two parties under his stewardship. He also paid special recognition to the business community who according to him came on board at strategic times to inject their support and the GFF is indeed grateful for their timely intervention. Special thanks were also extended to the clubs, coaches, players and the media for their respective support over the years. During the proceedings, all present was privileged to hear a beautiful rendition of the theme song ‘Yes they are Guyanese’ by Adrian Dutchin and Jomo, while Lisa Punch did two stanzas of the National Anthem. Many present described the occasion as befitting the performances of the ‘Jaguars’ and could serve as added motivation for the team to produce their best. The locally-based ‘Jaguars’ were also in attendance along with the coaches. Tickets for the games go on sale from tomorrow, at Ashmin’s.
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Rohit helps Mumbai thwart On their way up, Chennai take KKR at Eden Gardens Delhi down
Yahoo! Cricket – Kolkata, (IANS): Riding on a scintillating maiden ton by Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians trumped Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs in their Indian Premier League match at the Eden Gardens on Saturday, ending their sevenmatch winning streak. Sharma fired an unbeaten 109 and stitched together an unbroken 106-ball 167-run second-wicket partnership with veteran Herschelle Gibbs to carry the Mumbai franchise to an imposing 182/1 after electing to bat. In reply, the Knight Riders lost two early wickets and thereafter never seemed in serious pursuit of the rival total, managing only 155/4 at the end. However, in spite of the loss, the Knight Riders continue to be second with 17 points from 13 outings in the league table. The Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, have moved up to the third slot with 16 points from 13 outings. With Saturday’s victory, Mumbai Indians have won seven out of eight matches against the Knight Riders. Chasing a stiff 183-run target, Knight Riders had a disastrous start losing their skipper and the in-form Gautam Gambhir (0) in the very first over, while Pragyan Ojha got the better of Manvinder Bisla (1) off the next. The double setback brought together Manoj Tiwary and old war horse Jacques Kallis who played sensibly trying to consolidate the innings, but coul dnot match the asking rate on a slow pitch where the ball kept low, and turned in the latter session. Tiwary had to depart in the 10th over when he was trapped in front by a Kieron Pollard delivery. Kallis meanwhile went about with his business executing some exquisite shots.
Hilfenhaus' first spell of 3-0-14-3 ended the contest, exposing Delhi's weak lower order.
Mumbai Indians batsmen Rohit Sharma (L) and Herschelle Gibbs run between wickets With 77 required of the last 5 overs, it looked increasingly difficult for the Knights who before this game had won seven matches on the trot. With Kallis and the dangerous Yusuf Pathan at the crease, the crowd were hoping for some fireworks but the Mumbai bowlers bowled well to contain them. With Lasith Malinga conceding just six singles of the penultimate over, it was virtually all over for the home team. Malinga (0/27) was the most economical bowler for Mumbai while Ojha, Pollard and Patel took a wicket each. Earlier a classy century studded with dazzling strokes by Sharma, with able support from Gibbs, powered Mumbai Indians to a daunting total. Sharma hammered the bowlers all around the park reaching his fifty in just 29 balls and got to the magical three figures of 52 deliveries in the 17th over.
Mumbai suffered a big jolt losing Sachin Tendulkar in the third over. Sachin (2) who had the stadium roaring after he came out to bat, got stumped off a turner from Shakib Al Hasan. A deafening silence fell across the stadium when the giant screen flashed ‘out’ signalling Tendulkar’s departure. The crowd, realising it could well be one of the last appearances of the little master on the historic ground, rose in ovation as the maestro took the long walk back. Sharma and Gibbs then was involved in a rollicking partnership that took the score past 100 in the 12th over, frustrating Gambhir’s efforts to break the stand by juggling his bowlers. The pair scored 106 runs off the last 10 overs with 50 of them coming in the last five. Scores: Mumbai Indians 182 for 1 (Rohit 109*, Gibbs 66*) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 155 for 4 (Kallis 79, Yusuf 40*) by 27 runs.
Yahoo! Cricket – In the IPL, there can be no bigger boost to a team’s momentum than beating the table toppers. That’s what Chennai Super Kings did yesterday. The defending champions seem to be getting their act together after an up-anddown run in IPL5. In their previous game, Chennai beat Rajasthan Royals in a spectacular finish. Today, they brought that momentum to a home game against Delhi Daredevils. Two-time winners Chennai are prone to peaking late. In 2008 (when they were finalists) and in 2010 (when they won), they had left matters till their last league match. In 2009 (when they were semifinalists), it was a tight race, but a six-game winning streak in the middle of the tournament did enough to take them over the line. It was only last year that they looked certain all the way of making the cut. Chennai are now in fourth place, with 15 points in 14 games. They have two games left. That means they will have to take their calculators to Dharamsala, where they play their last league game against Kings XI Punjab. It was at the same venue in 2010 when Dhoni launched an angry assault in Punjab’s Irfan Pathan’s last over. The 18 runs Dhoni scored in that over put Chennai in the
knockouts. Dhoni’s form this season – 235 runs, average of 26, no fifties – is less than special. Great time for the Chennai skipper to find form. HILFENHAUS WRECKS DELHI Dhoni has been concerned with his team’s ordinary run in IPL5. This was best revealed in his decision at the toss today. Dhoni prefers to bat first the Chidambaram Stadium. Today, he chose to bowl after winning the toss. He reasoned that Delhi are good chasers, with a power-packed line-up boasting of Virender Sehwag, David Warner, Mahela Jayawardene, among others. Only two of Chennai’s toporder batsmen — Faf du Plessis and Subramaniam Badrinath — have passed fifty in an innings in IPL5. The decision to bowl was inspired more by their poor batting form than Dhoni’s faith in his bowlers. Nonetheless, the bowlers did a spectacular job, led by Ben Hilfenhaus, and it helped prove one point: the explosive top-order notwithstanding, Delhi have a weak lower order. Delhi captain Virender Sehwag has been in murderous form this season, and Hilfenhaus presented him a gift first up – a full ball on his pads. Sehwag whipped it to fine leg for four. The
second ball would be one of the highlights of the tournament. The ball shaped into Sehwag, swung away late past Sehwag’s back-foot defensive shot, and knocked the side of the off-stump. The perfect out-swinger, the kind Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle had been bowling in plenty to India’s batsmen this summer. Having mauled Deccan Chargers in their last game, David Warner mistimed Hilfenhaus to mid-off and Naman Ojha was caught behind off the glove. Mahela chipped Albie Morke to midon. The contest had ended in just 5.2 overs. It was Chennai’s game from this point. It was a slow wicket, but a target of 115 was no challenge. Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay settled matters with a 75-run opening stand. Vijay had averaged a shade under 11 in IPL5. But as was seen by his beautifully-struck six over extra cover off Varun Aaron, Vijay’s delectable timing seems to be returning, as is Chennai’s form. Perhaps we had seen the two finalists of IPL5 yesterday. Scores: Chennai Super Kings 115 for 1 (Vijay 48*, Hussey 38) beat Delhi Daredevils 114 for 5 (Nagar 43*, Hilfenhaus 3-27) by nine wickets.
Sri Lanka won’t host Pakistan-Australia series LeBron James wins... ESPNcricinfo - Pakistan are searching for alternate venues for their limited-overs series against Australia later this year after Sri Lanka backed out of hosting it. The Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) is scheduled to be held in August, clashing with the dates of the proposed Pakistan-Australia series. “We are looking for other venues to host Australia,” Subhan Ahmed, the PCB’s chief operating officer, told ESPNcricinfo. “We were in negotiations to finalise
Australia series in Sri Lanka but due to their Premier League which is to be held in August directly clashing with our plan, we have to find another venue.” In March, the Sri Lanka board had agreed in principle to host the series. At that time, there had been no decision on the SLPL. The proposed first season of the league had been cancelled last year and it was only earlier this week that a new deal was signed by the Sri Lanka board to hold the SLPL this August.
Nishantha Ranatunga, the secretary of SLC, explained the decision to pull out was because of the amount of cricket being played in Sri Lanka. “We will not have enough grounds and facilities with the SLPL being played. That is one reason,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “Also, if we are playing too much cricket, the wickets will not be in good condition for the World T20 (in September).” The Pakistan-Australia series was scheduled to comprise five one-dayers and
three T20Is to help the sides prepare for the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. Pakistan had originally considered Australia and South Africa among the venues to host the series. Pakistan have had to play their home series in neutral venues since an attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009. The UAE has been their location of choice recently; they played a full series against England there earlier this year.
From page 60 trophies with the Cavaliers - receiving 225 of a possible 244 first-place votes in those seasons. The NBA MVP trophy is named for Maurice Podoloff, the league’s first commissioner. Heat assistant coach Bob McAdoo won the award for the Buffalo Braves in 1975. McAdoo said James had to deal with ‘’absolute hate’’ last year over his decision to leave Cleveland sign with Miami, and some believe the repercussions kept him from getting as many MVP votes as he may have deserved a year ago. That’s no longer a problem. ‘’He’s already a Hall of Fame player. That’s in the bag,’’ McAdoo said. ‘’If you ask him, a world championship or an individual award, he’ll take the world championship every time.’’ That quest will resume Sunday, shortly after Stern hands James the MVP trophy for a third time. ‘’I’d give all three of them back for an NBA championship,’’ James said. ‘’It’s all I care about. It’s all I know.’’
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Sunday May 13, 2012
Grizzlies beat Clippers LeBron James wins 90-88 to force 7th game 3rd NBA MVP award
Memphis Grizzlies forward Quincy Pondexter, center, puts up a shot against Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul, right, and forward Caron Butler LOS ANGELES (AP) This time, the fourth quarter belonged to the Memphis Grizzlies. Long the domain of the Clippers’ Chris Paul, it was the Grizzlies who rallied in the closing minutes to beat Los Angeles 90-88 and force a decisive seventh game in their playoff series. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph worked their inside-out game to perfection on a night when Paul and Blake Griffin were limited by injuries and the Clippers’ bench couldn’t quite put them over the top. ‘’This one has to hurt,’’ Paul said. ‘’If it doesn’t hurt, it means you don’t care.’’ Gasol scored 23 points, Randolph had 18 points and 16 rebounds, and Rudy Gay and Mike Conley added 13 points each to help the Grizzlies win for the first time in the Western Conference series at Staples Center and stave off elimination. Griffin scored 17 points despite a sprained left knee that limited his jumping ability, and Eric Bledoe added 14 off the bench to lead the Clippers, who blew an eight-
point lead in the fourth along with a second consecutive chance to close out what would have been a landmark playoff victory for the beleaguered franchise. Paul scored 11 points playing with a strained right hip flexor and a jammed right middle finger. The Clippers are seeking just the third playoff series win in franchise history. Game 7 will be Sunday in Memphis. Only eight teams in NBA history have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a sevengame series. Top-seeded San Antonio awaits the winner in the conference semifinals. Tied 66-all starting the fourth, the Clippers scored 10 straight to take their first lead since the game’s opening minutes, led by Bledsoe’s six points. They went on a 17-4 run, including 10 straight points, to take an 85-80 lead. Gay scored five in a row as the Clippers missed and Randolph came up with a big block. Conley hit a 3-pointer and Randolph tipped in the ball to close out the spurt. Griffin made two free throws before Randolph
scored for an 87-82 lead. Conley fouled Paul, and he missed the first and made the second to leave Los Angeles trailing 87-83 with 56 seconds left. The Clippers were forced to keep fouling, and the Grizzlies made 3 of 8 to stay alive. The Clippers’ Caron Butler missed a 3-pointer with 14 seconds to go as red-clad fans headed for the exits before Randy Foye hit a 3 with 3 seconds left. Paul blamed himself for two fourth-quarter turnovers that led to Grizzlies baskets. Memphis opened the second half on a 12-8 run to extend its lead to 54-46, with Randolph having six points and Gasol four. Los Angeles answered with Paul bookending a 14-6 spurt that tied the game at 60. Griffin and DeAndre Jordan got in two huge dunks before Paul’s jumper from the right corner brought the Clippers all the way back from an eight-point deficit earlier in the quarter. Paul said he began the game favoring his injured hip, while Griffin was trying to feel out his bum knee. Butler’s 3pointer gave the Clippers their first lead, 63-62, since the game’s opening minutes. Griffin took the ball away from Gasol and fed Bledsoe for a layup that tied the game at 66 going into the fourth quarter. The Grizzlies led by nine points in the first half, when they outrebounded the Clippers. Paul twice drew the Clippers within one in the second quarter before Gasol’s three-point play extended Memphis’ lead to 42-38 at the break. Paul and Griffin combined for 12 points and six rebounds in the half, with Paul playing 18 minutes and Griffin 15. The Grizzlies had 13 turnovers in the half, when neither team shot well.
MIAMI (AP) Calling the honor ‘’overwhelming’’ but pointing to a ‘’bigger goal,’’ LeBron James on Saturday became the eighth player in NBA history to win the MVP award three times. James accepted the trophy and will get to show it off to Miami Heat fans Sunday afternoon when he’s presented with the prize again by Commissioner David Stern before Miami faces Indiana in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series. ‘’Heat nation, we have a bigger goal,’’ James said. ‘’This is very overwhelming to me as an individual award. But this is not the award I want, ultimately. I want that championship. That’s all that matters to me.’’ James won the award for the third time in four seasons. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone have won at least that many MVP trophies. Abdul-Jabbar won six times, Jordan and Russell five times each, Chamberlain four times. Now, they’re the only players with more than James. ‘’We love you,’’ Heat President Pat Riley told James during the ceremony. ‘’Not just because of this, but because of what you mean to our organization.’’ James received 85 of a possible 121 first-place votes from a panel of sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league, as well as one collective fan vote on NBA.com. He finished with 1,074 points, topping Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant (889 points, 24 firstplace votes), the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul (385, six first-place votes), the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (352, two first-place votes), and San Antonio’s Tony Parker (331, four first-place votes). James credited several of the league’s best players for being part of his inspiration to play at the highest level. ‘’We do not take LeBron James for granted, not here in this organization,’’ Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. And he apparently does not take the organization for granted, either. James’ voice broke a couple of times as he spoke, and he confessed he was more nervous than he anticipated. James relayed a story about his reaction when the news broke publicly Friday night, telling family he was with at the time that ‘’this is crazy.’’
‘’I see my two sons, I do what I do and I try to perform at the highest level every night, and a big part of the reason is those guys. I don’t want to let them down,’’ James said, pausing for a brief moment as he looked at fiancee Savannah Brinson and his sons. ‘’Secondly, my teammates, like I said. The reason I’m up here today is because of those guys. If those guys don’t sacrifice what they sacrifice every single night ... I wouldn’t be up here.’’ Moments later, he asked
about it in that sense - three in four years,’’ Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. ‘’And there could have been one last year. It just shows how great of a talent, how great of a player that he is. Obviously, as an organization, we’re excited, especially coming off of last season and everything that happened and was said.’’ Many in the Heat organization thought James should have won the award a year ago as well, when he dealt with constant fallout from ‘’The Decision’’ to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers as a free
LeBron James, right, chats with his son LeBron James Jr. after having accepted the NBA MVP trophy the entire Heat roster to join him on the stage, and they huddled behind him. ‘’These 14 guys right here, they give everything,’’ James said. ‘’And they give me everything.’’ James averaged 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists - making him only the fourth player with those totals in at least two seasons, according to STATS LLC, joining Oscar Robertson (five times), John Havlicek (twice) and Bird (twice). Add James’ 53 percent shooting and 1.9 steals per game into the mix, and the club gets even more exclusive. Only Jordan had a season with numbers exceeding what James did this season in those categories 1988-89, when he averaged 32.5 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and 2.9 steals on 54 percent shooting. ‘’It’s amazing to think
agent and sign with Miami, where he, Wade and Chris Bosh formed a ‘’Big Three’’ that has been celebrated at home and reviled in just about every other NBA arena. James has said he played more out of anger and to silence criticism than anything else last season. So this season, his mindset changed, with him trying to revert to old ways, first as a superstar-in-waiting at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, then during his seven seasons with the Cavaliers. It worked. ‘’I wanted to get back to who I was as a person,’’ James said. It’s the first time the Heat hosted an MVP celebration. Shaquille O’Neal won his only MVP award before coming to Miami, and James won the 2009 and 2010 (Continued on page 59)
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Guyanese football coach Oh no, Asafa! - Sprinter blames jetlag for loss to resurgent Gatlin receives prestigious accolade for football diligence Justin Gatlin beats Asafa Powell in Diamond League
DOHA, Qatar (CMC) — Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell blamed jetlag for his loss to resurgent American star Justin Gatlin after he conceded an early-race lead to finish second in the 100 metres at the season-opening Diamond League meet. The 29-year-old, who has never won a major title, had a fantastic start and seemed to have the race won after 75 metres at the Qatar Sports Club. However, Gatlin produced a late burst to nip Powell on the line and take victory in a time of 9.87 seconds. “The jetlag is in my legs. I tried to go, but my legs just wouldn’t go there,” said, Powell, who was timed at 9.88 seconds. “I’m still happy with the time. It was an OK
race, considering that I’ve only been here two days, travelling from Jamaica.” The race was Powell’s first of what is expected to be a crucial season, with the London Olympics running off in July. For all his success, he is still without an individual Olympic medal. On Friday, fellow Jamaican Lerone Clarke clocked a personal best 9.99 seconds to be third, while another Jamaican Nesta Carter trailed in fifth in 10.05. Meanwhile, Olympic and former World champion Melaine Walker stormed to a world-leading time in the women’s 400 metres hurdles. The 29-year-old, who could only manage silver at the Daegu World Championship last year,
clocked 54.62 seconds to finish ahead of fellow Jamaican Kaliese Spencer in 54.99. Another Jamaican former World champion, Brigitte Foster-Hylton, was also in winners’ row as she won the 100 metres hurdles in 12.60 seconds. The win was her second straight following her triumph at the JN Invitational in Kingston last week. There was no such luck for Olympic and World 200 metres champion Veronica Campbell-Brown who was nipped by American Allyson Felix in the 100 metres. Felix got home in 10.92 seconds with Campbell-Brown behind her in 10.94. Olympic champion ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce finished third in 11 seconds flat.
Fans to enjoy ticket price deals for Digicel Series
- Under 16s and Over 60s get free tickets for all matches ST JOHN’S, Antigua – West Indies cricket fans will once again enjoy affordable prices for the Digicel Series West Indies v New Zealand. The nine match series comprises two Digicel Twenty20, five Digicel One Day Internationals and two Digicel Tests. Tickets for the two historic T20s in Lauderhill, Florida will only cost US$20 for the grounds and US$30 for the stands. Fans in Jamaica will pay between JA$800 to JA$1800 to view the ODI action. It will cost Kittitian fans as low as EC$10 and up to EC$30 to enjoy any of the three ODIs to be played at Warner Park. The two Digicel Tests will be played in Antigua and Jamaica and the costs for tickets will vary from less than
US$4 to US$70 for season tickets. Tickets will go on sale two weeks before first match day in each venue and Under 16s and Over 60s will be issued free tickets once stocks last. Party stand prices will be announced locally in each host venue country. Full ticket price listing available at windiescricket.com/tickets Local Ticket Office Opening Dates Florida – TBC Jamaica ODIs – June 18 St. Kitts – June 25 Antigua – July 9 Jamaica Test – July 16 Digicel Series 2012 – West Indies v New Zealand Schedule Digicel Twenty20 Series June 30 – First Digicel Twenty20 – Central Broward Regional Park, Florida, USA
July 1 – Second Digicel Twenty2- - Central Broward Regional Park, Florida, USA Digicel One Day International Series July 5th – First Digicel ODI – Sabina Park, Jamaica July 7th – Second Digicel ODI – Sabina Park, Jamaica July 11th – Third Digicel ODI – Warner Park, St Kitts July 14th – Fourth Digicel ODI – Warner Park, St Kitts July 16th – Fifth Digicel ODI – Warner Park, St Kitts July 20th – 22nd New Zealand Warm Up Game – Antigua (Opposition TBC) Digicel Test Series July 25th – 29th First Digicel Test – Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Grounds, Antigua August 2nd – 6th Second Digicel Test – Sabina Park, Jamaica
Peter Barry may have migrated to the United Kingdom but his heart is still in Guyana. The young coach recently departed these shores after a scouting mission to identify possible talent for scholarships in his new hometown. The efforts of this young football administrator has earned him many accolades in the past and more recently he has scored another first after he was among a number of local sports people that were honoured at the 5th PRO-ACTIVE London Awards for Sport & Physical Activity. The Awards, sponsored by GLL, are the only regional awards which celebrate the contribution of thousands of people, the majority of whom are volunteers, and who make it possible for so many people to take part. A report out of the South London News dubs Barry, who resides in the Borough of Croyden, as committed and tireless in his dedication to coaching even before he became a qualified coach. The hard working coach has been described as diligent and committed to football coach and since 2000, has been coaching football for the benefit of young players in New Addington with no financial assistance or support from anyone. “Peter has helped numerous young people to achieve high standards many of whom have played at semi-professional level, his most notable player being Sean Scannell currently a professional footballer at Crystal Palace FC,” read the report. In addition, Peter is a member of the Youth Offending Team at Croydon Council and uses football as a tool to engage with young people with varying challenges. The Guyanese has
Barry shows off his award moments after receiving the accolade been accredited with a simple philosophy of impartiality, demonstrating utmost respect even where it is not reciprocated. Barry said that he is humbled by the chivalry extended by PRO-ACTIVE South London, an entity that has funded his Level 1 and 2 Football Coaching programme. The young coach is the founder of Solidrock Academy and over the years has aided in the qualification of numerous volunteers who eventually progressed to become Level 1 coaches. The young Guyanese is continuing his good works in Croydon schools and organises competitive football matches utilizing his personal funds.
Serena Williams to play Victoria Azarenka in Madrid final Serena Williams will play world number one Victoria Azarenka in Sunday’s final of the Madrid Open after they both enjoyed straightforward last-four wins. American Williams, 30, was taken to a tie-break in the first set of her game against Czech qualifier Lucie Hradecka. But she breezed through the second set, breaking Hradecka three times to wrap up a 7-6 (7-5) 6-0 victory. Azarenka, who is chasing a fifth title in 2012, hit 29 winners in her 6-2 6-4 thrashing of Agnieszka Radwanska. The 22-year-old Belarussian, who was beaten in last year’s final by Petra Kvitova, has now defeated Polish player Radwanska in all six of their meetings this year. She broke her opponent’s serve six times and clinched the win with a drop shot on her second match point after just 79 minutes of playing. Azarenka has only beaten Williams once in seven meetings but the Australian Open champion said: “I was much younger and just
Serena Williams
Victoria Azarenka coming on the tour [for many of our matches) but I have always been competitive against her. “It’s going to be a different story this time.” Williams is in fine form though, having beaten Maria Sharapova in the last eight and easily overcoming Hradecka who is ranked 105 in the world. The first set went with serve but Williams edged the
tie-break and then immediately broke in the opening game of the second set to take the initiative, while Hradecka, who made 22 unforced errors in the game, faded. In the men’s semi-finals, former world number one Roger Federer takes on Janko Tipsarevic while Tomas Berdych faces Juan Martin del Potro.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday May 13, 2012
Powell hundred gives West Indians a lift
Shivnarine Chanderpaul Although competition is slim for the honour, this was far and away the West Indians’ best day on tour as Kieran Powell led a determined batting effort to keep England Lions in the field and facing the prospect of a tricky finalday run chase. Powell, who hit just his second first-class hundred, put on century partnerships with Darren Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul as the visitors closed 183 ahead. There were low
expectations when they resumed on 28 for 3, still 166 behind, but the batsmen started to learn from their mistakes of the first innings in a performance that offered hope for a competitive Test series when coupled with their strong bowling attack. If Kemar Roach, Fidel Edwards and Ravi Rampaul can be given decent totals to bowl at West Indies could provide stern opposition and at least now a few of their batsmen will enter the series with runs
under the belt. Powell, a tall left-hander from Nevis who has played six Tests and lived in the UK for two years while attending Millfield School, was given a life early in the day on 17 when he edged low to a wide third slip where Nick Compton put down a tough chance to his right. He often kept the slips interested but batsmen deserve a little luck when they show application in a season where the ball has dominated. His scoring rate increased during the second half of his innings as he milked the spinners, especially Samit Patel whose reputation was not enhanced during his 20 overs, ahead of the second new ball. Powell also used his feet to drive Joe Root for a straight six and reached his hundred from 217 balls with a slogsweep off Patel. However, it was spin that ended his stay when he tried to force Patel off the back foot through the off side shortly before the new ball became available. It had been an innings that assured him an opening berth
Locals to impress at IAAF World Athletics Day Meet Tevin Garraway along with other local athletes in Guyana will set the Police Sports Club ground track on fire today when the officials indicate the start of the IAAF World Athletics Day Championship from 9am. The Championship which comprises of two categories, under-15 and under-18, will see the athletes competing for prizes which includes a trophy. The Inter Schools segment for the U-16 athletes will be allowed to compete in one track and field event; 80m, 150m, 1000m and 2000m race walk, long jump, shot put and discus throw. Events in the Youth category of Championship for under-18 athletes for the boys are 100m, 800m, 3000m, long jump, javelin, 3000m walk race; for the girls100m,400m, 1500m, long jump, discus, shot put and 2000m race walk (girls). Athletes in this category will only be allowed to participate in one event. Podium athletes in each category (Inter Schools and Youth) will be rewarded with medals while the School with the most points in the Inter Schools Category will be awarded with the IAAF trophy. Last year, the local athletes who had the chance to continue to gauge their
Jevina Sampson
Shaquane Daniels
training and preparation, impressed the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) when the meet was staged at the same venue. Multi-schools’ champion, Jevina Sampson, who won the Under-15 Girls’ 150m race in a time of 19.6 seconds was one of the athletes that impressed the Association. Kevin Ramlall won the male version of the race in 18.7 seconds with Juwan Westfield second in 18.8 seconds. Cuddy Holder finished third in 19.2 seconds to initiate a day of good tests for some of Guyana’s leading youth and junior athletes at the Sports Club. In the U-15 Boys’ 80m, Jason Yaw, who won the U18 boys 100m at the LinWest Games in 11.4 seconds outsprinted Tyrell Peters and
Rondel Austin to win the event in 9.4 seconds. Peters was second in 9.6 seconds and Austin third in 9.8 seconds. Leslyn Dublin won the female version in 10.9 seconds. Cortez Fraser won the U18 Boys 100m in 11.0 seconds with Keon Lynch second in a time of 11.1 seconds. Both Christopher Hyderkhan and Tevin Garraway had 11.4 seconds to end up in a tie for the cellar podium positions in the race. Mowana Maison of Mercury Fast Laners had 12.9 seconds to top the female race with Shaquane Daniels of Running Brave, second in 13.2 seconds and Alita Moore of Police Progressive Youth Club, who is not eligible for the competition, third in 13.6 seconds.
for the Lord’s Test and means at least one of West Indies’ top three will go into the match with a substantial score to their name. The Lions had opportunities to make earlier inroads but were not at their best in the field. Along with Powell’s let-off, Bravo was missed twice; a regulation chance in the gully on 19 by Root and a tougher chance to Ian Bell at slip against Patel on 51. However, between the lives both batsmen played some pleasing shots especially through their favoured off side and Bravo went to his second fifty of the match with a lofted straight drive off Patel. Jack Brooks, who has impressed throughout, broke the fourth-wicket stand when he bowled Bravo round his legs with a helping hand from the batsman, who got an edge into his thigh pad. Chanderpaul, though, rarely fails twice in a match and helped Powell take their team
into a lead that had appeared an unlikely prospect at the start of the innings. Brooks tested him with a hard-working spell but Chanderpaul, like Powell, did not find many problems against the overs of spin leaving James Taylor to perhaps rue the absence of a specialist slow bowler for the first time in the game. Chanderpaul went to his half-century from 106 balls and was becoming increasingly fluent during the evening session as he regularly pierced the off side between mid-off and cover. His innings came to a surprising end with a piece of misjudgement when he padded up to Stuart Meaker, who had earlier bowled a good spell of reverse swing, at which stage the lead was still under 100. However, unlike in the first innings the Lions could not hustle through the lower order. Marlon Samuels, who regularly alternates between periods of extreme slow and
brisk scoring at the crease, started by reaching 3 off 28 balls before cutting loose with four boundaries in quick succession off Matt Coles and then an onslaught against Jade Dernbach. Samuels and Dernbach had shared a few words on the second day and it was battle rejoined when Samuels took him for 15 in an over including a monstrous stand-and-deliver six over deep midwicket. Samuels fell to a top-edged pull - not the first West Indian batsman to go in such fashion during the game - when Coles replaced Dernbach and Shane Shillingford gloved a hook down the leg side, but the visitors will have ended the day feeling much better about life even if they are not feeling a great degree warmer just yet. Scores: West Indians 147 and 377 for 8 (Powell 108, Chanderpaul 77, Bravo 57) lead England Lions 341 (Taylor 118, Bairstow 50) by 183 runs.
Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport Annual Three Stage Cycle Road Race...
Team Coco’s rider takes top honours as event gets underway Frank Traveiso, representing Team Coco’s of Miami, rode a brilliant race from Corriverton to New Amsterdam and registered 1:14:38secs to capture the honours in the first stage but it was Cveli Santos with a timing of 2:18:38secs that rebounded to take the second stage from Rosignol to Carifesta Avenue when action in the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport Annual Three Stage Cycle Road Race got underway yesterday morning. Traveiso’s teammate, Ivan Dominguez finished second in the first leg while Jamaican, Marloe Rodman, representing Heatwave finished in the third place. Guyanese, Alonzo Greaves crossed the finish line in the first leg just behind Rodman. Raynauth Jeffrey salvaged some pride for the Guyanese contingent when he finished
behind Santos on Carifesta Avenue, while Maikel Matos and Yomani Pol of team Coco’s occupied the 3rd and 4th place slots. The latter cyclist had taken the overall honours in last year’s edition of the race. Meanwhile, much was expected of Jude Bentley, whose cycling exploits are well known. However, reports are that the rider crashed out shortly after commencing the second leg and had to abort the race. Activities continue this morning when the riders commence the third stage from the Mining Town of Linden and conclude in front of the old Ministry of Housing plot, Homestretch Avenue. Up to press time the organizers had not calculated the overall leader and that bit of information will be divulged at the conclusion of the race today.