Kaieteur News

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

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An election in India holds importance for Indo- Guyanese in the Diaspora

All Hindu Leaders must unite for Deepavali

DEAR EDITOR, Several Indo-Guyanese Americans are keenly following elections in the state of Bihar, India from where their indentured ancestors hail from because of the potential benefits that could accrue to Guyanese.

Bihar state wants to reconnect with its diaspora far flung around the globe to assist with its development as well as to help them connect with their roots.

Bihar is the least developed among Indian’s 29 states and desperately needs an influx of development funds with potential for huge rates of return.

Many in the Bihari Guyanese diaspora (from the US) want to trace their roots and some leave for India this week to celebrate Diwali. The political parties in Bihar have promised to assist the diaspora trace their roots; several Guyanese have taken advantage of a program to find their roots.

A monument for indentured laborers is also planned regardless of which party wins the election with the government extolling the virtues of hard work by Biharis around the globe.

The Bihar elections have assumed national (Indian) and global significance. The major foreign media (CNN, ABC, N.Y Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, London Times, etc.) are providing coverage of the elections to see if Prime Minister Narendra Modi is still an electoral magnet that he was in April 2014.

If the ruling party (alliance led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi) at the center (in charge of the country) wins, it will be an endorsement of its plan to

further liberalize and modernize India. This will boost trade with other countries helping their economies and leading to the development and enrichment of India.

A wealthy India will commit more funds (as promised by Modi at the UN and at the India-Africa summit) to aid poor countries (in Caricom like Guyana and Africa) in their development.

The elections is critical for the ruling BJP at the center; a victory in Bihar will allow it choose a list of new members to India’s upper house or Rajjya Sabha.

The BJP has a majority of seats in the Lower House or Lok Sabha but is a minority in the RS where reform legislation is often stalled by the party’s opponents to stymie its development plans.

The legislatures of the different states elects members to the RS whereas voters directly elect members to the LS as well as to the state’s assemblies.

The BJP has not been doing well in state elections since the general elections of April 2014.

Because it is a very large state with security challenges, the election has been staggered in five phases (dates) for seats for different areas to move

personnel.

The final phase is on November 5 with counting of ballots slated for Nov 8; all voting is electronic making counting quick and smooth.

The chance for fraud is slim.

The elections commission is very powerful with power to confiscate campaign money beyond a minimum in an election worker’s possession, election paraphernalia that violates codes, disqualifying candidates, and prosecuting those (including candidates) who violate the laws.

There are two contrasting campaign views attracting voters: economic welfare (increase in old age pension, handouts, etc.) of Nitesh Kumar versus promises of development, free education and jobs of Modi who also promises the construction of several modern mini cities modeled after Singapore.

Increasingly in India and round the globe, people are turning towards selfdevelopment. There is a large swathe of floating voters who will decide the outcome.

Vishnu Bisram

DEAR EDITOR, The celebration of Diwali as the “victory of good over evil” refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance, the ignorance that masks one’s true nature.

As we illuminate our homes with lights and firecrackers, it is an expression of obedience to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity. From darkness unto light — the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity.

Diwali will be observed on the 10th November, 2015. As most of us would know; Diwali is celebrated on the night of Amawasya. Hence, we must be aware of the timing that the Amawasya Tithi starts and ends in order to correctly determine which night falls between the Tithi for us to celebrate. According to the calculations of Panchang or Patra, Amawasya starts at 11:54am on November 10th and

continues through the night of November 10th until it reaches the end time which will be 1:46pm on November 11th. Therefore how can we light Diya and perform Maha Lakshmi Puja on the 11th November, 2015 when Amawasya (the darkest night) would have already passed on the night of the 10th November?

We appeal to leaders of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha to maintain the tradition of calculating the correct Tithi so that we can unite for the sake of our Hindu brothers and sisters and prevent segregation amongst our people. We need to demonstrate the universal nature of Satya Sanatan Dharma and how it is based on eternal truth that can be applied to anyone from any background. It is such a

profound culture that we need to show that it is not only for a few Hindus, but for the upliftment of all humanity.

We are a part of the hope for the future. We should have confidence in what we can do because history has shown that we have already made a difference. In this way, if we all become Ambassadors of Sanatan Dharma then you will see a great coalition that brings a bright future wherein the Spiritual Truths that have been found and presented in the Sanatan Dharma will gain respect and be accepted by many more millions of people across the planet. This could certainly change the course of history and manifest the spiritual dimension in the world.

Guyana Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha

Correction and apology In the caption of our lead letter yesterday on the DiwaliI date by the leading Hindu organizations and Pandits, we mistakenly put Diwali as being on November 11. The correct date is November 10.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 01, 2015

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Did Mr. Jagdeo live in Guyana the past twenty three years?

Stray animals will continue to cause fatal accidents

DEAR EDITOR, One must ask whether a special type of political psychosis exist in the universe that leads men who have lost an election to make ridiculous statements about areas of governance where their own record is nothing short of catastrophic. One is referring to former President BharratJagdeo and the APNU-AFC’s clean-up campaign. One is reminded of silly statements made by the PPP on the issue of social cohesion when for 23 years that Party achieved nothing in the area of nation building.

From his utterances (KN 26/10/ 2015).it would appear that fixing the economy and fixing the wretched capital, towns and villages of Guyana are mutually exclusive stages of Guyana’s development.

One always assumed that the purpose of economic growth is to improve the quality of life of citizens, not ignore it.

Mr. Jagdeo’s dismissive attitude to the rights of taxpayers to public services that protect their health and general well-being is however not surprising at all.

We contend that there is no excuse for denial of basic sanitation services to any population anywhere.

Guyanese have been paying

taxes since before independence, and those taxes entitle them to services required to be provided by the state.

Those services include garbage disposal and the maintenance of a safe and healthy environment for families to carry on their daily lives, and raise their children.

But behold, Mr. Jagdeo’s ideology leads him to think that “cleaning” the City, Towns and Villages of Guyana is “expenditure” ( KN 26/10/ 2015). Of course it is, however that is not the point.

The state’s obligation to provide basic services to its taxpayers/citizens is at issue.

He proceeds to denounce APNU-AFC for the amount of planned “expenditure” to clean Georgetown. All we can say is that 23 years of decay will cost a lot to repair.

The hypocrisy is that his Party allegedly allocated G$ 1 billion ‘expenditure’, the purpose was to clean-up Guyana.

Evidently, and given his posture today, this was a political gimmick to fool the electorate. For the duration of his presidency Georgetown was allowed to shamefully decline into a state of absolute squalor. However, the general elections of 2015

was approaching, so that the cost of the so called clean-up by the PPP in 2014 was presumably not “ expenditure”. What should we call it?

Part of his is governance ideology seem to be something like this. Pay your income, consumption, property, capital gains and other taxes, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annually as required. The state will collect those taxes and do what it pleases, while your city, towns and villages descend into squalor, because you have to wait for the economy to grow before it can provide you with services, even though you have already paid for those services. You can live daily in filthy conditions, no problem, and one day when the economy is doing well and the state is good and ready it will clean-up.

Mr. Editor, remember, the citizens do their jobs and pay their taxes.

The only question for Mr. Jagdeo is how long must Guyanese wait for the state do its job?

The things which he picks to make an issue of are so ridiculous that they raise the incredible possibility that he lived somewhere other than Guyana during the past 23 years.

Why make an issue of areas of governance where your own record is abject failure? It seems rather dumb.

Ivor Carryl

DEAR EDITOR, The stray animals on our roads should be a cause for concern to all motorists and all other categories of road users, but the (NDC’s) Neighbourhood Democratic Councils, The Town Council and the Guyana Police Force should show more concern because of the onus and responsibility reside with them to implement the laws that seek to ensure that our roads are free from stray animals that are likely to cause and are contributing to the traffic accidents of all types including fatal accidents.

While the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act, Chapter 51:02 caters for animals to be on our roads, they are on the road legally only when they are being ridden, driven or lead. That is to say, or meaning that the animal is saddled or a rope attached, held by the person in whose charge the animal is in, so as to have that level of control. The Overseer of the N.D.C. who is the Finance and Administrative Officer, must take the necessary action as stipulated under the Local Government and District Council Act, Chapter 28:02

and the Town Clerk who is the Finance and Administrative Officer of the Town Council (Municipality) must use the authority vested in them under the Municipality and Town Council Act Chapter 28:01 pertaining to stray animals. It is time for these persons to say what action, if any and the result yield.

Both 28:01 and 28:02 deals extensively with the impounding and redeeming of strays.

As for the police, the Standing Order gives clear guidelines to the Pound Keeper who is the Subordinate Officer of the Police Station in relation to impounding and redeeming of strays brought in. But the most critical role of the police must play is ridding the road of stray animals, enforce the laws relating to the Brands Act, and while my observation and subsequent comments are made by driving on the Essequibo Roads where a lot of animals without brands can be seen, the same can be said of other regions.

A few years ago the Ministry of Home Affairs had assembly a Stray Catching Unit; they did some work in

Region Four and Five. I am not sure if any work was done in Region Two, and if this unit is functioning. The Brands Act speaks of the application of a brand, the making, the registration, the use and the custody, the purpose and a lot more, including the penalty of not using same as required by law. It is reasonable to say that the owners of these stray animals mostly cows, on purpose do not brand them so as to conceal their identify (the owners) in the event of an accident involving their animals and therefore ownership cannot be established. This means prosecution cannot be pursued.

The N.D.C. and Town Council have an equal role to play, the owners also; not forgetting the general public who always have sometimes, more information than the police. While cattle rustling is not prevalent in Region Two, and many owners of animals may not find it necessary to brand them. the laws are clear and must be maintained.

Archie W. Cordis Former A.F.C. Councillor Region 2

DEAR EDITOR, I write with a feeling of total disgust at the spiraling crime rate and more so the way bandits have been violently desecrating our women folk, it would appear that when bandits enter a house their intention is not just to rob people of what was hard earned but to violate and disgrace their victims.

Some months ago I read that after bandits secured their booty they then turned their attention on the female occupant of the household and took turns raping her while her children slept in

another room.

This uncivil conduct by these youthful rogues must be stopped.

They took their time in carrying out their heinous crime, then, calmly left the scene. So far we have not heard of any one being arrested for this nefarious action.

Another young man raped and killed his great aunt in the sanctity of her own home, while her granddaughter slept, I have lost count of the many women young and seniors who have been desecrated and killed in the

process of a robbery or just as a victim of family circumstances.

I dare say we need more action against the crime generally and more so on women related crimes because the according to the media report on police release, rape has increased a whopping 19%.

Today the papers reported on the “kick down the door”of Mrs Elizabeth Harper’s daughter, and the violent abuse perpetuated against her on the East Bank, Demerara when criminals Continued on page 69

These young violent men may not be human after all

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

Russian airliner with 224 aboard crashes in Egypt’s Sinai, all killed

A woman reacts next to Russian Emergencies Ministry members at Pulkovo airport in St. Petersburg, Russia, yesterday. REUTERS/PETER KOVALEV

Reuters - A Russian airliner carrying 224 passengers and crew crashed in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula yesterday after losing radar contact and plummeting from its cruising altitude, killing all aboard.

The Airbus A321, operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia under the brand name Metrojet, was flying from the Sinai Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St Petersburg in Russia when it went down in a desolate mountainous area of central Sinai soon after daybreak, the aviation ministry said.

A north Sinai security source said initial examination showed the crash was due to a technical fault, but gave no detail. The plane, he said, had landed in a “vertical fashion”, explaining the scale of devastation and burning.

The Russian Embassy in Cairo said it had been told by Egyptian officials the pilot had been trying to make an

emergency landing at ElArish. “I now see a tragic scene,” an Egyptian security officer at the site told Reuters by telephone. “A lot of dead on the ground and many who died whilst strapped to their seats. “The plane split into two, a small part on the tail end that burned and a larger part that crashed into a rock. We have extracted at least 100 bodies and the rest are still inside,” the officer, who requested anonymity, said.

Sinai is the scene of an insurgency by militants close to Islamic State, who have killed hundreds of Egyptian soldiers and police and have also attacked Western targets in recent months.

Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, launched air raids against opposition groups in Syria including Islamic State on Sept. 30. Security sources said there was no indication the Airbus had been shot down or blown up.

Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail was heading to the crash site in the Hassana area 35 km (22 miles) south of the Sinai Mediterranean coastal city of Al Arish with several cabinet ministers on a private jet, the tourism ministry said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a day of national mourning for today.

The passengers included 214 Russians and three Ukrainians.

Speaking at a news briefing in the central Asia republic of Kyrgyzstan, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry described the crash as a tremendous tragedy and loss.

Emergency services and aviation specialists searched the wreckage for any clues to the crash. One of two flight recorders was quickly found, but wreckage was scattered over a wide area.

The security officer said 120 bodies had been found intact.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 01, 2015

China faces mounting pressure over maritime claims WASHINGTON (AP) — Pressure on China over its claims to most of the strategic South China Sea went up a couple of notches last week.

First the U.S. sent a warship, in its most direct challenge yet to Beijing’s artificial island building. Then, over Chinese objections, an international tribunal ruled it had jurisdiction in a case brought by the Philippines on maritime claims.

Neither action appeared likely to stop China in its tracks, as it seeks to assert its control over resource-rich waters that it considers vital to its security. Beijing is expected to put a higher priority on what it sees as its strategic interests than its international reputation.

But it could damage China’s efforts to win more respect on the global stage as it emerges as an economic and military power.

The United States, which has had little success to date in its five-year effort to put diplomatic pressure on China over its uncompromising pursuit of claims to more than 80 percent of the South China Sea, is hoping that makes a difference. It welcomed the tribunal decision and said it expected Beijing to abide by the final

ruling next year. Although the tribunal was set up on the basis of a provision of the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea that both the Philippines and China have ratified, China has boycotted the proceedings. On Friday its Foreign Ministry declared that the ruling on jurisdiction was “null and void” and would have no binding effect on China.

The Philippine case, which was filed before the tribunal in The Hague in January 2013, contends that China’s massive territorial claims are invalid under the convention. The tribunal on Thursday decided it has jurisdiction in the case.

The tribunal will also examine whether a number of Chineseoccupied reefs and shoals — including an artificial island that was skirted by a U.S. warship this week in a freedom of navigation maneuver that riled Beijing — do generate, or create a claim to, territorial waters and an economic zone. A U.S. ally, the Philippines, contends that they do not.

“The fact that the tribunal did not reject jurisdiction on anything in the case brought by the Philippines, and could end up ruling against it on all these counts, introduces uncertainty

and anxiety for China,” said Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

Malcolm Cook, senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, said that outside of China, many maritime law experts feel the Philippines has a strong case and are skeptical of the legal basis for China’s expansive claims, which it says are rooted in history. China roughly demarcates this vast area on maps with a nine-dash line.

Despite China’s latest legal setback, both Glaser and Cook didn’t expect it to change course.

“The Chinese navy has a very strong interest in gaining greater sea control over the South China Sea and this interest and its pursuit will likely not be affected by tribunal rulings,” Cook said.

In all, six Asian governments have overlapping claims in the South China Sea, straddling some of the world’s busiest sea lanes and in areas with rich fishing grounds and potential undersea oil and gas fields. China’s massive construction to transform at least seven shoals and reefs into islands in the disputed Spratly Islands have ratcheted up tensions.

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

Kitty businessman shot, robbed Owner of Street Styles, Carl Inniss, was last night robbed and shot mere minutes after exiting his business place at 207 Barr Street, Kitty.

Reports are that as part of his normal routine, the man exited his business around 18:21hrs and was headed to his car when he was attacked. “He said that he was coming back for me to prepare his Halloween makeup about 7,” a teary eyed woman said.

She said that shortly after she heard what sounded like a loud fire cracker.

“When I heard the sound me ain’t take it for nothing but then I hear the neighbour shouting for help and when them girls go downstairs he was on the ground.”

She said he was shot to his right leg near his knee and was also slashed across his face.

The perpetrator(s) carried away his bag containing the day’s earnings from the boutique and other items.

He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where up to press rime he was being prepared for surgery after an X-ray. Medical professionals said he may have suffered a fractured leg as a result of the gunshot.

Outside of the Trauma room those who gathered after hearing of the news expressed dismay at the current crime situation and also spoke about a previous robbery that he was the victim of.

Shot: Carl Inniss

YCG collaborating with CUSO Int’l to support women entrepreneurs

The owner of Beautique Salon and Cosmetology School, Tracy Bailey, is one of the close to four dozen women who have been benefiting from Youth Challenge Guyana (YCG) women’s entrepreneurship programme.

The programme, according to YCG Executive Director, Dmitri Nicholson, is one that was first introduced in 2012 but has been benefiting from continuous efforts aimed at improving the methods of support directed to women entrepreneurs.

For this year alone 42 women have been supported by the non-governmental organisation. “We have had several meetings with the women that we are working with, trying to find ways to help them work together in clusters to meet with distributors and suppliers so that they can reduce the cost to do business,” said Nicholson.

He said, “We have been helping them to improve their record keeping and customer relations and we are already seeing results.”

Part of the women entrepreneur programme is to help women better understand how to market their products efficiently in their own communities and to attract the right type of customers. YCG has also been providing mentorship.

According to Nicholson, “We have worked to not only network them with each other but other women entrepreneurs to support women own businesses.”

But there are plans apace for the even more support to be offered to women entrepreneurs who own small to medium sized businesses. And this is likely to be realised with the support of Marianna Zakala, an intern from the voluntary organisation, CUSO International.

Zakala who hails from Toronto, Canada, is just out of school. She said, “I am coming from a previous internship working with small to medium enterprises in business and doing business development.”

Her undergraduate study was in gender and her post graduate was international development.

“What I am going to be doing is working one on one with the women and mentoring them on how to do financial management, how to do marketing, how to improve customer services and find solutions for each of their problems and overcoming any difficulties and also providing moral support because it is challenging sometimes,” said the CUSO intern. She will also be organising workshops for the entrepreneurs over the next couple of months.

Zakala is expected to leave next April and according to her, interactions with the local women thus far, offer “promise.”

Bailey, an entrepreneur for the past 18 years, is among the women slated to benefit from Zakala’s contribution.

The support, which is expected to include tactics to sustain a business in a dwindling economic environment, is what

she is particularly looking forward to.

This is in light of her belief that “right now the economy is dead....In the salon business you offer weave, extension, natural hair and relaxing (among other things) but a lot of people don’t come and get these things done any more because they can do that at home themselves for a fraction of the cost.”

However, she like a number of other women, who are already registered in the women entrepreneur programme, are convinced that the support they will receive will help them plot a workable way forward.

Among the support that Bailey for instance has already benefited from is advice on how to keep a paper trail of her business activities in order to determine whether she is making a profit or a loss. This has been working well for her, she admitted.

And as part of her efforts to embrace her corporate, social, responsibility, she has

plans to offer her services voluntarily share with young single parent mothers her skills of the cosmetology trade. Bailey understands all too well what it is to be a single parent.

Her hope is that with support from some corporate entities she will be able to volunteer her service in the near future. “If they provide the products I can teach a few young single parent women and even some young men for free for a period of about three months and then hopefully at the end they can start their own businesses too,” said an optimistic Bailey.

Those who are desirous of being a part of the YCG women entrepreneur programme can do so by contacting YCG’s office on telephone numbers: 225-0129 or 223-7884.

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Dem boys seh...

Sharma to audit Soulja Bai Last year when dem still had money in de budget Donald and he Ministers had to find a way to share out de money.

Dem sit down at Cabinet and wuk out a strategy. Jagdeo who was not a Minister was also at that Cabinet meeting and he come up wid de idea fuh tek money fuh cleanup de country.

Luncheon announce that Donald put one billion dollar pun de table fuh de clean up. Dem seh dem buy shovel, spade, fork and hoe. Dem even buy a frontend loader like if one front end loader can clean up de whole country.

De elections come and de furniture man, Bulkan, go into de office wheh de Whittaker de minister use to sit down, he call a meeting fuh de Boardroom.

When he and de people go inside dem see dem same spade and shovel pun de chair. He couldn’t tell old shovel and spade from new ones. In fact all look old, like if Noah did use dem to dig a canal.

Is then he understand why dem use to hold all dem meeting at de Sleep Out. When Furniture Man Bulkan see all dem spade and shovel he wonder how Georgetown was still stink so he call de Sharma, Not See Hen, not Jaipaul but de Audit Man. He tell him to check up pun de billion dollar. Sharma barely check three bills and he see money short. He ask fuh receipt fuh dem spade and shovel and dem can’t give him.

When he ask dem fuh bring de spade and de shovel dem bring some handle and some spare wheel belonging to de front end loader. De same time dem bring de wheel is de same time Bee Kay send fuh a check fuh de wheel wha he sell to dem.

De Pee Ess collect more than $300 million fuh clean up de country area. De place still flooding and garbage still deh stockpile and de Pee Ess can’t account fuh de money. He get send home. But dem boys seh that the one home rich.

Soulja Bai got to be a fool fuh let people go away wid de money. That is why de Audit Man seh that he got to audit Soulja Bai because he and all cleaning up and he spending plenty millions.

People now lining up to get job wid de Furniture Man, even if is to polish dem spade and shovel wha Whittaker and de Pee Ess lef.

Talk half and don’t borrow no tool from Bulkan, de Furniture Man.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 01, 2015

Guyana, Barbados renew cooperation pact

Foreign ministers, Maxine McLean of Barbados, and Carl Greenidge of Guyana, sign the agreement.

Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, has renewed a cooperation agreement with Barbados that will see joint operation of tourism services in the two countries, and training of Guyanese in maritime engineering.

Greenidge on Friday signed the third Memorandum of Understanding for the Guyana/Barbados Joint Commission, with that country’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Maxine McLean.

This agreement will build on the last MOU, signed in 2013, that saw Barbadian students being able to study at the Guyana School of

Agriculture, and Guyanese currently continuing tourism services and management studies at a premier Barbados hotel, Crane Resort.

In the one-day meeting, Guyanese and Barbadian officials reviewed progress made over the past two years and decided on additional future programmes.

“The review undertaken suggests that not only have we moved forward, but there is great satisfaction with the progress achieved, the quality of the cooperation whether it is in relation to the students that went to Crane, and those to GSA,” VicePresident Greenidge said at the signing of the MOU.

During a reception for the Guyana delegation, hosted by the Barbadians, Greenidge had said that the current circumstances make for an encouraging time, for stepped up collaboration between the two countries, “and we need to take advantage of the opportunity that this conjuncture affords us”.

Against the backdrop of international oil exploration firms claiming to have found rich fossil fuel deposits in Guyana’s offshore, Greenidge said, “We hope that we could do a lot more with services in the future. As Guyana starts to move more rapidly towards the post-exploration phase in the oil industry we will find

Chief Executive Officer of Barbados Port, David Jean-Marie shakes hands with Guyana’s Director General of Maritime Administration, Claudette Rogers, after signing the port agreement. the need for hotel and other accommodation.

More banking facilities will clearly be needed, [and] services in the oil port sectors for example.

“These are all areas in which Barbados has an established track record in which it has been able to maintain a quality of delivery, or output of services, that would serve Guyana very well.” Barbados Foreign Minister McLean said Friday, “It is critical that we maintain the very close links that have characterised the relationship between our two countries in very tangible form.

“The exercise will not only benefit the two respective governments, but very broadly touch several critical economic sectors of our respective countries.”

Guyana’s Director General of Maritime Administration, Claudette Rogers, said that included in the maritime

agreement is for “training with regard to engineers. This is of particular concern to Guyana because we have a dearth in that particular area... in terms of whatever practices Barbados can offer Guyana.”

Barbados’s Harbour Master, Richard Alleyne, said, “The highlight with regards to the port was the signing and the sister port arrangement between the two ports.

“What this arrangement will provide for will be a close working relationship with the two ports ... to bring both ports up and forward.”

Additionally, he said the Guyanese and Barbadian port officials “looked at exchange of pilots, and them having serve periods of attachments in terms of training in the area of engineering... Both ports will benefit”.

Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, Indranauth Haralsingh, said,

“Guyana is fashioning our hospitality institute after the Pom Marine College here in Barbados”.

He said the college’s Director, Bernice CritchlowEarle will be visiting Guyana, “to advise on how we can fasttrack this and implement in a phased way”.

He said that the two countries “agreed on a Guyana road show for Guyana tourism operators to create linkages with operators in Barbados so they can work together to promote tourism in both countries and offer multi-destination tourism packages... to look at investment opportunities; familiarisation trips between tour operators and media on both sides.” He said the two teams will work towards offering a varied tourist experience, “having had the sun, sand and sea in Barbados and then coming over to Guyana to have the eco-tourism, the adventure and the community-based tourism experiences which include the indigenous tourism experiences.”

Senior Director at Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., Neville Boxhill, spoke of there being “greater cooperation between Barbados and Guyana in the building of our tourism industry”. He said that there will be joint tourism trade shows and marketing.

“Generally Guyana and Barbados will be working together to further the tourism industries in both countries.

“Perhaps one of the first things we will look at is how we can improve airlift between our nations...[to] expand both international tourism into our two countries as well as traditional tourism between our countries.”

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

Quick response by Firemen saves Crescent Mall A mid-morning fire at the Crescent Mall in Co-Op Crescent, Linden believed to be of electrical origin left one store completely destroyed and another scorched.

The quick response of the Fire Service averted greater disaster.

One eyewitness, Kenton Jennings, aka ‘Peek a Boo’, said that it was around 9:45 hours he and his friend were on the road when they saw the smoke and went into action.

“Me and Paul de just putting up de tent when we see de smoke and at de same time a lady came crying and say me daughter shop burning. So right away we run and get into action.”

Jennings said that he and his friend ran in the building and saw fire under the door of the store on the upper floor so they broke the door. By this time the fire tender arrived and even though the firemen were disoriented for a moment they were able to control the fire.

Another tender arrived to assist the first one but while some firemen were inside fighting, others were outside drawing water from the Demerara River.

The owner of the store, Rushell Adams, of 1934 Lover’s Lane, Amelia’s Ward, was in Georgetown at the time of the fire. According to Adams’s mother, her daughter sold only brand name clothing.

“Just de other day she get two barrels of brand name clothes. We lose ‘bout $5M in goods.”

A very emotional Adams said the only electrical equipment in the shop were a television set and a surround system. She blames the faulty electrical wiring in the building for the fire.

She said, “Every time de salons around put on their dryer or anything we lights does go off. We tell dem so many times and dem ent do nothing. When we peep in de point by de door was sparking.”

Crescent Mall in flames

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 01, 2015

Suriname withholds information on renewed claim to New River Triangle - But Greenidge remains optimistic of resolution

President David Granger

By Abena Rockcliffe While Suriname has not got aggressive with Guyana over the dispute surrounding the New River Triangle, ominous signs are around.

The country is refusing communication with Guyana to clarify its stance.

Nevertheless, Minister of

Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, thinks that it is more than likely that a resolution will be met, soon.

The disputed area is known in Suriname as the Tigri area and in Guyana as the New River Triangle. It has been under Guyana’s control since 1969.

Greenidge told the National Assembly on Thursday that the relations between Guyana and Suriname continue to improve markedly.

“I am happy to announce that the members of the Guyana Border Commission and the Integral National Border Commission of Suriname have met four times for fruitful discussions and plans are afoot to convene a fifth meeting in Georgetown.

“In this framework, the Parties are exchanging and

examining historical documents that could assist the Commission in arriving at a consensus on resolving the outstanding issues related to the Guyana/Suriname Border.”

Nevertheless, Suriname’s President recently told that country’s National Assembly that the “Tigri” issue will be placed “back on the agenda.”

The meaning of that statement is still unclear.

Observers are wondering whether there is a strategy to come against Guyana at a time when it is consumed by the aggression of Venezuela.

According to Greenidge, Guyana sought an explanation as to what is meant by the statement “back on the agenda” but was given none and so remains at a loss.

However, Greenidge is saying that he would treat the

Suriname and Venezuela’s claims as two distinctly different issues.

The Foreign Minister said, “In the Suriname case, these are two quite different issues.

I would go as far as to say in the case of our western border (Venezuela) that you have a controversy because you have a clear and unambiguous arbitral award to which there are other parties, and the boundaries are very clear.

“While there is not a similar treaty or award capturing the border, we have over the years had agreements and understanding with Suriname which constitute a de facto acknowledgement of those borders but notwithstanding that you have a dispute.”

Greenidge then made mention of the joint commission which is due to meet before the end of the year. He said that on the agenda of that commission is work upon the dispute over the border including the new river area.

“It is my view that that forum is one where the matter

can be resolved and we will pursue discussion on that forum on the understanding that it can be resolved,” said Greenidge.

Recently when President David Granger addressed the Parliament, he said that Guyana has never been in doubt as to the shape or the extent of the territory to which it succeeded upon independence on 26th May 1966. He added, “The Netherlands could not have bequeathed to Suriname at that country’s independence on 25th November, 1975 what it did not possess.”

President Granger said that Guyana is confident that the boundary between Guyana and Suriname was definitively established by 1936. He added that there is an agreement as to what constitutes the territory of Guyana and what constitutes the territory of Suriname despite the fact that there is no formal treaty that encapsulates that agreement.

“Suriname, in the absence of a formal treaty, sought to seize Guyana’s territory,” Granger stated.

Being the historian he is, President Granger noted that

Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge

Suriname’s claim was based on an arbitrary, municipal, legislative resolution passed in October 1965 by which the Staten changed the name of Guyana’s New River to ‘Boven Corantijin’ or Upper Corentyne.

He chronicled, “Inter-state relations over the past 50 years have encountered testing times. The Suriname government in Operation Schoon Schip (Clean Sweep) in 1985 expelled over 5,000 Guyanese (and Haitian) workers, on the pretext of Continued on page 68

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 13

No political interference credited to GuySuCo’s turnaround - Dr. Clive Thomas For years, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) had been performing poorly.

Several sugar estates were failing to meet weekly and annual production targets and the management of the State-owned company, among other factors, was blamed for the industry’s poor health.

But since the APNU+AFC coalition has taken hold of the reigns of governance, GuySuCo seems to be making some improvements; the kind which has its new Chairman, Dr. Clive Thomas elated.

GuySuCo recently reported that several estates have not only been meeting weekly targets but surpassing them. Even the controversial $200M Skeldon Factory has improved in its daily production.

In mid October, the corporation said that Skeldon saw its highest daily production since its commissioning in 2009. It recorded 515 tonnes of sugar, surpassing its previous highest of 501 tonnes which was achieved in September 2012.

It said, too, that with just two and half months left in the year, sugar production is on course with almost 78 percent of the target completed.

With regard to production, GuySuCo disclosed that it produced 10,254 tonnes of sugar for the week ending October 16, surpassing the 10,000 tonnes mark for the third time this crop.

Estates at Skeldon, Albion, Blairmont, East Demerara and Uitvlugt have all surpassed their weekly targets while Rose Hall Estate achieved 97 percent.

In mid-October, it was reported that the industry also

other areas. He however declined to divulge what those are at this time.

The economist said, “But for the time being, I would say that I am pleased with the performance of the Corporation.

It is proof of what good management can achieve It’s a different kind of environment we have now; a healthy environment which encourages the staff, and fosters proper practices unlike what took place in the past.”

“I am pleased with the GuySuCo Chairman, Dr. Clive Thomas recorded its highest daily production of 1,785 tonnes of sugar surpassing its previous highest of 1,699 tonnes which was also achieved earlier in this crop.

The Uitvlugt Estate completed its second crop for 2015 on Saturday October 17, 2015 and produced 7,847 tonnes of sugar surpassing its target by 733 tonnes.

“Further, the estate produced 16,428 tonnes of sugar for the year surpassing its year’s target by 1,065 tonnes.”

GuySuCo also announced that it has awarded its junior staffers and rank and file employees on the seven estates a total of $285.7M for their achievement of 26 weekly production incentives for the first crop, 2015.

For the second crop, the Corporation has doled out $531.5M for their achievement of 47 weekly production incentives.

The new GuySuCo Chairman, Dr. Clive Thomas, told Kaieteur News that he is happy with the recent success of the sugar industry in some areas and noted that several plans are in the mainstream to help develop

Hundreds of cases of highend liquor for sale by GRA The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is set to sell a container of high-priced liquor via bidding, the body said yesterday.

In its advertisement published yesterday in Kaieteur News, GRA said that it has a 40-foot container filled with vodka and whiskey with no claims made for it.

The Customs Act allows for GRA to sell off items which no claims have been made for.

Among the items for bidding are 739 cases of Absolut Vodka, 49 cases of Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky, 25 cases of Johnnie Walker Double Black, 25 cases of Hennessy, 50 cases of Coffee Patron, 100 cases of Jagermeister SE and 99 cases of Tequila.

The bids close on Wednesday and are to the submitted to GRA’s Camp Street headquarters.

According to GRA, prospective bidders should be free from all tax liabilities and should present their passports or national identification card.

The successful bidder, the tax authority said, will have to take care of the delivery and pay either in cash or manager’s cheque to the “Guyana Revenue Authority”.

GRA is not allowing any inspections before the sale.

way the Skeldon factory seems to be improving. And I know that it can do more. But this is a good sign for the industry.

GuySuCo’s recent success is also proof that political interference was a severe toxic element in the industry and to the Corporation. That is done with. “ In the past, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and even the Alliance for Change (AFC) had been extremely critical of the manner in which the State-

owned company was being handled under the previous regime.

It was often said that the Corporation had been badly wounded by poor financial management, illinformed investment decisions, conflict of interest and corruption at the point of procurement.

The then APNU+AFC opposition had also highlighted that the roots of these problems lay at the interface of the then PPP Government, its former Board of Directors and

Management.

One APNU member had said, “The poor performance of the c o m p a n y, i t s ( f o r m e r ) Board and management are not a coincidence.

It is self inflicted and arises in part from reckless and socially irresponsible behaviour.

In one swoop, over less than 20 years the Board has managed, no doubt at the prompting of the PPP, to create a de facto homogeneity that is dysfunctional and poisonous.”

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 01, 2015

Officer fingered in alleged sexual assault of female rank elevated to Deputy Commander The mother of a young female Police Constable is beginning to lose faith in the organization to which she entrusted her daughter almost a year and a half ago.

The woman, whose daughter has alleged that she was the victim of sexual molestation by her Officer in the district in which she was

working, is not too convinced that there will be justice in this mater despite the assurance that an investigation was done by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).

In fact, it’s been almost two months since the incident and to date it does not appear as if charges will

be laid against the Officer.

In fact, the Police Force has elevated the said officer to the post of Deputy Commander of the very Division in which the incident reportedly took place. For her part, the female Constable was posted to a city police station where she is reportedly being ridiculed by

- victim’s mother demands justice some of her colleagues for reporting the matter.

With nowhere to turn, the female Constable’s mother sought out the media, this newspaper in particular, to express her concern.

She said that since the matter involved a senior rank of the Force, she sought to have an audience with Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud but her efforts have so far been futile.

Except for a statement on the matter from Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, many have been silent, including local women’s groups which have in the past been vigilant against alleged sexual misconduct against females by persons in authority.

The elderly woman, who is physically challenged and is unable to walk freely, told this newspaper that she is determined to get justice for her daughter.

In an exclusive interview with this newspaper, the woman said that her daughter joined the Guyana Police Force 15 months ago. Not long after graduating from the police college, she was posted to the out of town community near the border with Brazil.

The woman said that she was not too worried when her young daughter was posted there, since her father, the late ASP Ronald Charles, was a member of the Force as well as her daughter’s uncle who is also a current Assistant Superintendent of Police.

“I had no problem with them sending her there because I know she could take care of herself and I thought that the exposure would be good for her.”

She said that her daughter is not the type to be easily influenced by “bad elements”. “They take one year investigating her before she became a police (woman).”

She recalled that some time in early September, she received a telephone call from her daughter, informing her about the incident.

She recalled that it was a Sunday and her daughter said that she was off-duty and was at her quarters preparing to do some laundry when another rank went over to her and told her that the officer (name given) wanted her to fill in for another Constable at the station since he had to go out.

Not wanting to disobey the order, the young enthusiastic female Constable left her washing and went across to the station, but did not meet the

officer there.

While at the station, the officer called and instructed her to come to his quarters to meet him.

“Remember it’s an Officer and she decided to comply,” the woman related.

According to the woman, when her daughter arrived at the Officer’s quarters, having walked through the broiling heat of the location, she was in beads of perspiration.

The woman explained that her daughter told her that the officer’s quarters does not have much furniture, so when the Officer invited her daughter to have a seat, her only recourse was to sit on the only chair that was in his room.

The woman said that the Officer offered her a beer which she graciously accepted since she had become thirsty as a result of the intense heat.

She said that the Officer told her daughter that he wanted his hair dyed and his uniformed pressed since he was required to attend court the following day.

“As an Officer, again, she decided to comply, so she started pressing the clothes after she had finished drinking the beer,” the woman said.

The Officer then started a conversation with the Constable.

“He start telling her, so long she come up there and if she ain’t got no boyfriend yet and if she had sex.”

The woman said that her daughter related that she was surprised by the conduct of the officer but continued to press the uniform, while “keeping her guard up.”

“She told him that she ‘ain’t come up here for that’.

She said that while pressing the clothes, this man just advance to her and start rubbing her. She said, ‘Mommy, I never feel no way so in my whole life, how this thing happen’.”

While all of this was taking place, another who knew she had left go to the Officer ’s quarters, came calling for her.

However the officer himself went out to the rank, and reportedly told him that the female constable had already left.

“She said she hear the Officer telling the rank, ‘She is not here, she left and gone already’.”

The woman said that her daughter became afraid, especially when the Officer came back into the room and began grappling with her, trying to kiss her.

The female cop told her

mother that she resisted the Officer’s advances.

Sensing that the Constable’s colleagues would be looking for her, the Officer left the quarters, and using this window of opportunity, the female cop left the ironing and fled.

She immediately contacted her uncle, who is stationed at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary.

“She so ashamed about what happen that she didn’t tell anybody; she only call her uncle. He’s the first person she call and then she call me and tell me what happened.

She tell me that she was coming home. ‘Ah coming out from hey’. So I say, Lord is what is this now?”

Kaieteur News was reliably informed that the file on the matter was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions with a certain recommendation from the OPR. However, it was sent back to the police with a request for clarification on certain aspects, which according to a source, have nothing to do with the allegation made by the victim.

She said that she read this newspaper’s report about the alleged incident and felt comfortable that something was being done about it.

But she waited for that to happen and so far it has not.

So with nowhere to turn to, the cop’s mother came to this newspaper.

“I am wondering why it taking so long because I reading about other matters that come up already and I am not hearing anything.”

“This thing happen in the Guyana Police Force, so if my daughter does not get justice what will the public think about the force?”

She said that she is surprised that the Officer at the centre of the matter is still on the job. As a matter of fact he is now a Deputy Commander, especially since the ranks who went to his quarters to enquire about her daughter have also been transferred to a remote interior location.

“That is victimization, man!” she lamented.

“What is the Force trying to tell me? What picture are they portraying there when you do something like that? I don’t feel they should have this man working; they should have him under some disciplinary action. If it was a Corporal or so, you believe they woulda have him there?”

The woman said that she went to seek a meeting with Commissioner Persaud but Continued on page 71

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 15

NYPD Detective gets colourful send off on home soil

Guyanese immigrant, the late Randolph Holder Jnr. 33, killed while executing his duties as an NYPD officer in Harlem, was laid to rest on home soil after stirring tributes yesterday.

He was accorded a full Military funeral that featured both the Guyana Police Force and New York Police Department. In respect of the departed, NYPD ranks withstood the early morning downpour outside the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, Brickdam.

While most remained reserved, one female relative had to be restrained as she desperately attempted to embrace the late detective’s remains amidst sorrowful cries.

Scores of Guyanese turned up at the funeral, some because they knew him as a youth and others out of curiosity, but all to bid farewell to the average Guyanese boy who died a hero and was promoted posthumously to detective in New York.

The celebration of the life of the NYPD detective was

officiated by Monsignor Terrence Montrose at the Brickdam Cathedral.

President David Granger was among the attendees to the funeral of the late Guyanese immigrant and a police officer for five years, in the New York City Police Department (NYPD). Also present were US Ambassador Perry Holloway and his wife, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjatan, and Police Commissioner Seelal Persaud.

President Granger knew Holder’s grandmother, Elizabeth Lovell, since he was a young boy living in the Corentyne.

Tributes were also done

by Mayor Hamilton Greene and the APGI USA & Guyana Ex-Police Association.

Holder’s relatives remembered him as a brave and respectable young man whose desire was to serve and emulate his father and grandfather, both of whom were police officers in the Guyana Police Force.

They said that he had always requested that his body be returned to Guyana for burial if anything were to

happen to him. That wish was granted. His aunt recalled his boyhood days growing up in Lodge and eventually with his grandmother Elizabeth Lovell.

A letter of condolence from Congressman Donald Payne Jnr ,was also read. US based songbird, Lisa Punch, the reigning Miss Guyana World rendered her original Song “One last Time” as part of the service.

After the funeral service, the body was taxied to the Square of the Revolution.

Thereafter, the ceremonial march was led by the Guyana Police Force along Vlissengen Road and finally into Le Repentir Cemetery.

Along the route from the Church to the Le Repentir, onlookers were seen waving flags while commending the Guyana Police Force ranks for their representation musically, and their march in accord. The sentiment most expressed by those in attendance was, “This is a proper military funeral, we boys did us proud.”

Most hair rising at the (Continued on page 65)

A relative gets emotional at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception (New York Times photo)

A scene from the Celebration of the Life of NYPD detective Randolph Holder Jr. (inset) at the Cathedral

Page 16

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 01, 2015

Mental Health is everybody’s business - CMO

By Romila Boodram Five years ago, Nadine Gomes anxiously awaited each text and call. Still, her stomach turned every time her phone would ring or vibrate and every time there was a knock at the door.

Sometimes, she would even turn her phone off at night-- the fear of getting that life-altering news too much to bear.

She lived with that terror for a week as her beloved son, Terry Gomes, a boy whom she says “played cricket, wrote poems and told his mother endlessly how much he loved her,” disappeared.

He struggled with mental illness for more than two months.

In January 2010, after Terry had gone missing for about a week, her phone rang.

A Police Corporal was at the other end of the line. She immediately called out to her husband to share the call.

“I never wanted to be alone to find out whether something happened to Terry,” she said during a recent Skype interview from her home in Queens, New York where she moved two years ago.

It was the call she feared

Acting CMO, Dr. Jeetendra Mohanlall the most. Terry, just 18 was gone. He had drowned in a trench at Plaisance, East Coast Demerara (ECD), she learned.

Her life, like the lives of parents too numerous to count who have also lost children to mental illness, was forever changed. Terry was her only child.

According to the mother, Terry was just a happy child but this gradually started to change when he met his first girlfriend.

“He was happy. They went out like any other young couple. They dated for about a year and then he found out that she had another life on

the internet. One day he went by her and she wasn’t at home so her mother let him in the house,” Gomes recalled.

She added that her son asked to use his girlfriend’s computer and when he logged on there were all these messages from a guy in New York. There were abortion messages, marriage messages and vacation messages.

Gomes said that her son then found out his girlfriend of one year was actually a married woman. “While her papers were being processed, she was having an affair with my son and he had no idea.”

According to the mother, her son stopped eating; he stayed at home all the time and listened to very loud rock music. “In the nights he would cry. He hardly came out of his room. We tried to talk to him but he wouldn’t let us in. I had no idea what to do. My son was depressed.”

She said that this behaviour continued for four months. “I took him to a clinic in the village and they said that they had no social worker or psychiatrist to help.

I sat and cried. I was losing my son and I didn’t know what else to do.

Terry later disappeared

from home and his mother was subsequently informed that he had drowned.

Terry Gomes’s death has exposed the lack of a proper mental health care in Guyana.

He had no access to social workers and there is no department which deals primarily with counseling.

Also, the sudden passing of Human Rights and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) activist, Zenita Nicholson, by way of a suicide has also reminded us of the significant gap that exists in our mental health system.

At present, Guyana has at least five doctors who deal with mental health in the country. All are based in Georgetown and at the New Amsterdam Psychiatric hospital.

However, the country has 10 Administrative regions.

This means that at least eight regions in Guyana do not have access to psychiatrists.

Anthony Autar, Managing Director of the Guyana Foundation, a NonGovernmental Organization said that Zenita’s death has shown that even the caregivers need care and support.

“The needs, locally, are so vast that often times those involved in counseling/ advocacy are overburdened and unable to invest in the self care needed to maintain balance and deal with

Zenita Nicholson and her daughter personal life challenges,” Autar said.

Social workers at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) explained that there is indeed a need for a mental health department.

“At least every region must have access to a mental health department where persons can go and be counseled. If not a psychiatrist, there must be social workers to help people.

Mental illness cannot be seen, it is mental illness. Some people aren’t open about their illness but we must look out for the signs,” a social worker said.

Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jeetendra Mohanlall, explained that mental health is everybody’s business and people should pay attention to any changes in their loved ones’ behaviour.

He said that the Ministry of Public Health is doing a lot of work to develop this area.

“As we move forward, the demand will be more but this is an area we are working on continuously,” Mohanlall stressed.

While the acting CMO has acknowledged that there is indeed a lack of adequately trained professionals in this field, he said that the ministry is encouraging young doctors to make a career out of mental health.

The most commonly diagnosed mental illness in Guyana is schizophrenia. In 2008, the suicide rate for males was 33.8 per 100,000 people, while for females it was 11.6 per 100,000 people.

Neuropsychiatric disorders contributed an estimated 13 per cent of the global burden of disease in 2008.

Zenita Nicholson was laid to rest yesterday

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 25

Low Back Pain: Understanding the basics is the key to improvement

By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Almost everyone gets back pain at some point. Low back pain can be scary but it is almost never serious and would usually go away on its own. The cases that require surgery or urgent care are rare.

When lower back pain becomes serious then one can be left with unbearable pains or debilitating symptoms.

When should you visit your doctor with low back pain? * Recently had a fall or an injury to your back * Have numbness or weakness in your legs * Have problems with bowel or bladder control * Have unexplained weight loss * Have a fever or feel sick in other ways * Take steroid medicine,

such as prednisolone, on a regular basis * Have diabetes or a medical problem that weakens your immune system * Have a history of cancer or osteoporosis * Your back pain is so severe that you cannot perform simple tasks * Your back pain does not start to improve within 3 to 4 weeks What causes low back pain?

In some cases, doctors may not know what causes your low back pain. Pain can happen if you strain a muscle or hurt a tendon or ligament.

But if that is the cause of your pain, doctors have no way of knowing it for sure. Pain can also happen if you have: * Damaged, bulging, or torn discs * Arthritis affecting the joints of the spine * Bony growths on the

The police are on a roll. They are cracking cases like nobody’s business. The reason is the approach. They are talking to people, really talking and people are talking back.

This is going to be the case when the police solve a long outstanding murder case. The killer would have been living among us all the time. ** Criminals are getting younger each day. Life as a criminal is not getting easier so despite an adjustment young criminals are going to increase their domain. They are going

vertebrae that crowd nearby nerves * A vertebra out of place * Narrowing in the spinal canal * A tumor or infection (but this is very rare) Should I get an imaging test, like an MRI? Most people do not need an imaging test. Most cases of back pain go away within 4 to 6 weeks — or in even less time. Doctors usually do not order imaging tests before then unless there are signs of something unusual.

If your doctor does not order an imaging test, do not worry. He or she can still learn a lot about your pain just from looking you over and talking with you. Plus, treatment can start right away, even without an imaging test.

What can I do to feel better?

The best thing you can do

to roam further but the rural community is not as docile as their counterparts in the city.

In one case a gang is going to attack a household but police action aided by a community group would cause the criminals to run around in a location they do not know. The result is expected. ** There is going to be another road fatality east of the city. A careless and a less than attentive pedestrian would collide. The figures would continue to climb.

is to stay as active as possible — even if you are in pain.

People with low back pain recover faster if they stay active. Walk as much as you can. If you stopped working because of your pain, try to get back to your normal routine soon. But do not overdo it.

When you start to feel better, ask your doctor about exercises that can help strengthen your back. These exercises can help you get better faster and might make it less likely that you will have pain again.

How is back pain treated?

A small number of people end up needing surgery to treat back pain. But most people do well with simpler treatments, such as: Ï%Medicines – First, you can try pain medicines that you can get without a prescription. If these do not work, doctors can prescribe

stronger pain medicines.

Sometimes, doctors suggest a medicine to relax the muscles (called a “muscle relaxant”). * Physical therapy to teach you special exercises and stretches * Spinal manipulation, which is when someone like a physical therapist or a chiropractor moves or “adjusts” the joints of your back * Acupuncture, which is when someone who knows traditional Chinese medicine inserts tiny needles into your body to block pain signals * Massage * Injections of medicines that numb the back or reduce swelling What can I do to keep from getting back pain again?

Stay active and learn exercises that help strengthen and stretch your back.

Swimming is one of the best

Dr. Zulfikar Bux exercises to strengthen muscles and ligaments of the back. Learn to lift using your legs instead of your back. And avoid sitting or standing in the same position for too long.

Medicine has advanced and one should not have to suffer long periods with back pain. Your doctor may opt to treat you in a step by step fashion until a proper remedy is found for your back pain.

Patience, adherence to treatment and preventive exercises are your best bet when it comes to relieving your back pain in the long run.

Page 26

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 01, 2015

Facing the fear of death…

An 11-year-old cancer patient tells her story

A nurse at the GPHC’s Oncology department attending to Shelly

By Romila Boodram It is no secret that being inflicted with cancer could result in a long and hard battle, and leave an indelible impression on the patient and everyone close to that person.

For many it is the worst possible news- knowing that you could die at anytime.

Telling an adult, he or she has been diagnosed with cancer, is like “a judge giving someone the death sentence.”

According to one medical practitioner at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), by only saying, “Sir or Madam, you have ca…!” can cause some patients to faint.

With this in mind, imagine having to explain to young children, who may not have even heard of cancer before, that they have the dreaded disease.

But at age 11, when many would have been starting a new chapter in their life, Shelly Debyden’s life fell apart.

The Port Kaituma, Region One resident was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and it was at stage-two heading to stage three.

This type of cancer begins in the ovaries. Women have two ovaries, one on each

side of the uterus in the pelvis.

The ovaries produce eggs. They are also the main source of a woman’s female hormones, estrogen and progesterone.

The eggs travel through the fallopian tubes to the uterus. Here they may be fertilized by and developed into a fetus after sexual intercourse.

Four months ago, little Shelly underwent surgery at GPHC to remove one of her ovaries. At present she is taking chemotherapy.

“The doctors said that they take out one of the ovaries and they are trying to save the uterus so when she is ready to conceive, she won’t have any difficulties,” the child’s grandmother, Celestine DeFreitas explained.

As of early last year, Shelly was a normal child. She would do chores to help her mother and four siblings. She attended the Port Kaituma Primary School and had many friends who she would talk and joke with.

When she was at home, she was mischievous and troublesome. In her spare time, she played games with her siblings and friends in the neighbourhood. But in August 2014, her life took an

unexpected turn.

She went home one day and complained of experiencing severe abdominal pain but her mother thought that it was because she was “jumping around” with her friends earlier in the day.

After the pain continued, Shelly was taken to the Port Kaituma Hospital. However, because the hospital is not equipped with the relevant medical personnel and equipment to do proper diagnoses, she was given regular panadol to ease the pain.

A few weeks later when the pills finished, little Shelly was again rushed to the hospital.

There she met with another medical officer, who after examining her notified her mother that Shelly has a lump in her abdomen.

She was later rushed to the GPHC where she did an ultrasound and several other tests.

It was later confirmed that little Shelly was battling with stage two ovarian cancer. The cancer was heading to stage three.

For most people with cancer, their life changes dramatically. Going through Continued on page 49

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 27

== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==

The face of ethnic chauvinism Dr. Baytoram Ramharack wrote the following in a June 10, 2015 letter to the Stabroek News; “Not being a psychologist or psychiatrist, I would not venture so far as to convene on Kissoon the label of a self-hating Indian, as some have done, but I am more inclined to believe that perhaps Mr Kissoon lacks an understanding of a rich cultural tradition or that he may have rejected an important element of himself that defines his cultural background. After all, on more than one occasion, he proudly revealed to us that “I am not an East Indian” (end of quote).

Ramharack’s statement is pregnant with instincts of ethnic chauvinism and amazingly, Ramharack used the racist imprints of bigoted people to condemn me.

He employs a perspective that carries with it a crude and superficial understanding of how culture and socialization work.

Ramharack is insulting to humans who see people as people and not racial species.

He descends to the level whereby he judges other people of being devoid of cultural essence if other humans speak up in defence of another culture First, Ramharack cites statements of others who accused me of being a selfhating Indian. This is funny because Mandela retained as

his confidential secretary a white woman who was the secretary of the apartheid president and never touched white ownership and businesses when he was president yet I have never seen a statement by any Black citizen in this world who accused Mandela of being a self-hating African.

Let us break down Ramharack’s words. Who are the people that referred to me as a self-hating Indian? Do you think it was just an omission that Ramharack didn’t cite even one name?

He couldn’t cite even one name because all of them are frenetic, Indian defenders of the ethnic status quo when the PPP ruled. If it wasn’t such a serious discourse of the Guyana tragedy we could have referred to Ramharack’s adumbration as a cartoon rather than a letter to a newspaper.

Imagine I am being accused of being a self-hating Indian by people who are so racially prejudiced that you earn their wrath if you speak up in defence of other ethnic communities.

I did my research painstakingly before I penned this column. The self-hating Indian accusations can be found in the letter pages of the Guyana Chronicle under Mark Ramotar editorship and the Guyana Times. Ramotar is still at the Chronicle.

Every one of those

missives had bogus names as signatures. No doubt they came from PPP leaders and the people employed by GINA to write letters denigrating PPP critics. And of course the mill of so-called Indian-rights activists, some very rabidly racist and one of whom is now a powerhouse at the Guyana Times. So we come back to the question – who are the people that have labeled me a selfhating Indian? Are they friends and colleagues of Ramharack?

Secondly, my de-cultured life, as Ramharack puts it. For emphasis let us quote Ramharack again on my background; “… perhaps Mr Kissoon lacks an understanding of a rich cultural tradition or that he may have rejected an important element of himself that defines his cultural background. After all, on more than one occasions, he proudly revealed to us that ‘I am not an East Indian’.” It would be nice if Ramharack could tell us what is a rich cultural background?

Any school boy muchless a sociologist can e a s i l y define a rich cultural background and I doubt it would meet with acceptance

by Ramharack You see for Ramharack a rich cultural background means immersion in one’s own ethnic culture with little admiration for other cultures.

Ramharack would deny that a

rich cultural background is one in which the individual’s life has been permeated by many other ethnic influences and cultural strands.

A Guyanese who grew up in Hindu culture a n d practiced that culture and its religion has to be a better person and more culturally oriented than a Guyanese who has a Hindu background but was also exposed extensively to African Guyanese, their culture and religion and Portuguese Guyanese and their culture and religion.

There are no ifs and buts about it.

For Ramharack, an Indian like me who was born into Hindu culture growing up in Wortmanville cannot be a pure Indian because I was tainted by other types of cultures.

Ramharack in his letter was preaching not only sociological fictions but dangerous racial superiority doctrines.

Once an Indian who is not a pure Hindu speaks out against discrimination of other races, we are either self-hating Indians or not cultured

Frederick Kissoon enough.

Thank God, Ramharack’s friends are out of power in my country

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 01, 2015

Social Protection Minister calls for greater education on Breast Cancer among men -As Ministry hosts awareness walk and vigil In recognition of breast cancer awareness month, the Ministry of Social Protection held a vigil and walk which kicked off at the St. G e o rg e ’s C a t h e d r a l o n Thursday.

There, Minister of Social Protection Volda Lawrence added her voice to the calls for increased sensitization of men about breast cancer, noti n g t h a t t o o o f t e n breast cancer is given “a female face” when the reality is that men are affected too.

Acknowledging that the disease indeed affects more women than men, the Minister observed that breast cancer is often dismissed by men because they embrace the myth that only women are diagnosed with breast cancer.

“Too many times cancer takes on a female face but we know that is not so…men have breast cancer too,” the Min i s t e r s a i d a f t e r l e a d i n g a n a w a r e n ess walk from St. George’s Cathedral to the Public Buildings Compound for a candlelight vigil.

She added that because of this misconception, men fail to address symptoms early and hence are often diagnosed in the very late stages of the disease. Lawrence noted that this results in a lower success rate and families being left without their breadwinner or main source of income or worse yet, their loved ones.

“So this is why Social

Protection has taken the step to empower people…so many families find themselves in distress…I implore all of us, especially mothers to speak to your male off spring about cancer in the home…awareness should be a topic wherever we go. We must speak to women who have not heard about breast cancer as well…we need to pay greater attention to our overall health,” she said.

Lawrence reminded that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Ministry is partnering with the M i n i s t r y o f P u b l i c Health and non-governmental organization s t o i n c r e ase awareness and promote regular self examination and early detection of breast cancer.

She noted that it is important to remember those who have lost the battle to the disease. For this reason, she reminded that the Ministry felt it particularly necessary to host a candlelight vigil and a palm pledge to support those living with cancers.

Commending the initiative was breast cancer Survivor, Mitzy Ca m p b e l l , who noted that the Ministry’s reach in communities gives it a strategic advantage to join the public awareness drive.

Ms. Calender of the Periwinkle Club, another cancer survivor, shared her experience having being diagnosed with breast cancer about 10 years ago. “I found a lump while bathing one morning

Minister of Social Protection and others during the Breast cancer awareness walk on Thursday and had to have a lumpectomy and it showed I had stage four cancer.

Usually at that stage people don’t live very long, but I decided to fight it. I had chemo and I didn’t give up,” she said, urging others to do the same since faith in God is critical to survive breast cancer.

In Guyana breast cancer

is the most common form of cancer reported among women, especially Indo Guyanese women and the incidence of death is higher in women above age 65.

Dr. Melissa Denhaarte, who works on the health of adolescents and the elderly at the Ministry of P u b l i c Health, noted that the majority of cases come from

Region Four.

She said between the years 2003 and 2012, cancers ranked as the third leading cause of death locally, with 6500 news cancer cases diagnosed within that period. Of that number, 60 percent of the cases were detected in women.

The treatment rate seems low, with 6.44 percent of the women diagnosed during that decade receiving treatment.

Unfortunately, 52 percent of the persons diagnosed with cancers during that pe-

riod died.

She noted too that early detection can save lives and urged regular self examination, as well as the need to pay greate r a t t e n t i o n t o other factors such as family and personal history, age, and diet and take measures to reduce sedentary lifestyles, smoking and alcohol consumption.

The vigil included songs from the Messengers and Shannon Beaton, a Queen’s College student and poems from Eden Corbin and Corwain Cyrus.

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 29

MY COLUMN

The stutter has halted, things are happening For the past two months I have been hearing about a slowing down of the economy. The comment by politicians is that people are skeptical of the new government and therefore they are cutting back on investment.

That is not the only Doomsday prediction. The politicians on the other side say that rice is going to take a beating and that the rice farmers will have to eat their rice.

Once more the politicians in the People’s Progressive Party are crowing that the government is killing the rice industry.

The truth is that none of these things are true. When I spoke with some business people they said that indeed, with the elections in the air they did slow down their imports.

This was due to the legacy of violent elections in the past.

They have not come to grips that since 2006 elections have been peaceful.

At the same time some of the products that actually bring in money were stuttering. Gold price had plummeted so the economy had lost some of its momentum.

Bauxite was already a low earner and sugar was not as lucrative and lumber which was under focus continued to bring less and less royalty.

Now all that is changing.

There are two major gold companies in operation.

These have already begun production and their volume will more than compensate for what the alluvial miners lost with their cutback in

production. So gold is once more going to be the shining light.At the same time, Christmas has always been the period when businesses make most of their profits.

This year is going to be no different.

Already one is seeing the effects of the investment in Christmas and the growth of the economy. When Bharrat Jagdeo said that people were not spending, not even to the point of buying cars at the same pace they did he knew what he was saying. People were not going to use the banks as they did.

And the reason was clear.

There were those who feared being sacked by people who shared an opposing political view.

However, a cursory examination would reveal that car sales have picked up. It still takes about a year for Guyana to sell 10,000 cars.

But it is more than people buying things and spending money on entertainment.

It is about people seeking homes and as fate would have it they are still pursuing that goal. But there are those private entities that are working their staff like slaves and paying them slave-like wages. T hat is why things appeared to be slow because these people had hardly any money to spend.

But for the greater part any slowdown was there before the elections. The problem was that many people were not paying their dues to the government and using that money to give a false sense of affluence.

Just the other day, I

noticed that people, who owed the government, were allowed to keep the money although the government department won the case in court.

Three of them owed the national radio station some $11 million. This money found its way into the entertainment centres and gave the impression that things were so good.

However, there is much more to economic growth. It is about a better standard of life at the same time as we produce.

There was a time when any casual observer would have realized that Guyana had fallen on hard times. People were not maintaining their homes so houses that once gleamed under a coat of paint looked rundown.

The vehicles on the road were old and they rattled along. Children were going to school with little in their lunch kits.

There were the smugglers, who raked in money because legal imports were down. That changed.

Today there were the hiccups after the elections but precious little changed because people were upbeat.

They kept spending so the economy held its own. Now that Christmas is around the corner the nation will see a boost in the economy.

I saw the containers bringing in consumer items and I hear people talking about really enjoying this Christmas.

But what is around the corner? The government has been able to find markets in place of the one it lost in Venezuela. There has been no

talk of price but from the look of things rice is set to bring in money once more. And this is happening even as oil prices are low.

This means that there is money to do more things.

We cannot help but notice the expenditure on the cleanup campaign. A clean city does wonders because people feel uplifted and with that feeling there is always the case of people doing things that make economies grow.

The strike in the sugar industry did not hurt too much. It did not slow down the upswing in the economy.

The government is going to do just that bit more to make things continue along that upswing. It is going to put some more money into the economy by actually giving people a pay rise.

And for all the talk about a slowing down of the economy I could not help but notice that the international airlines are falling over themselves to provide more flights to and from Guyana.

Surely this does not signal a faltering economy. And to support the growing airline industry is the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan

Adam Harris International Airport.

The immediate future sure does look good. At least it feels good.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 01, 2015

Dedicated rehab students are faces behind new medical NGO

From left: Vanessa Wickham, Neil Barry and Jana Edghill are all physiology students and executive members of the University of Guyana Medical Rehabilitation Students’ Association.

By Desilon Daniels They function under the banner ‘University of Guyana Medical Rehabilitation Students’ Association’ (UGMRSA), young people who split their time between studying and making an indelible mark on Guyana.

The most senior of them can be found in rehabilitation institutions, not only in Georgetown but also in West Demerara. Each week, they turn out at the Georgetown Public Hospital, the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre, the Palms Geriatric Home and the West Demerara Regional Hospital to lend their hands to making a difference in the lives of those they interact with. And, each week, they return home, satisfied that they had succeeded in both minor and major ways.

At the helm of the new association are six young people, all eager to transform their in-class knowledge to real-life changes. They are all under the age of 30 and come from different backgrounds.

However, despite these differences, they are all linked by a common goal: to better the lives of Guyanese through rehabilitation services.

Three of the six executive members of UGMRSA sat down with Kaieteur News for an interview and shared this goal. The members present were Vice-President, Neil Barry, a fourth year student; Secretary, Jana Edghill, a third year student; and Public Relations Officer, Vanessa Wickham, also a fourth year student. They all specialise in Physiotherapy and Barry and Wickham will be amongst the first batch to graduate next year under the revised Medical Rehabilitation Programme which currently offers Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech and Language Therapy.

During the interview, the

trio explained that the association had been conceptualised about a year ago and officially formed this year. Barry explained that the University had a process for the registration of the organisation. This process included students listing their names as members and electing an executive body as well as an association coordinator. This list was finalised, submitted, and the University subsequently authorised the association.

Barry added that though the bureaucratic process had taken some time, the executive body had not seen it as a hindrance to the association’s creation.

Initially, the association began with 25 students.

However, this number grew during a recent induction exercise and saw 35 other students joining the fold.

While training was not a part of this induction exercise, training is mandatory as a member of the association.

Barry explained that all members of the association receive specialised training courses, organised by the body.

“When we do have activities, persons are actually prepared for them. For example, very soon – next month – we have practical sessions with orthopaedic doctors so that students can better understand orthopaedic conditions and how to manage them.”

Additionally, he indicated that sessions with medical imaging will be a part of the training to improve the students’ understanding of reading a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

In medical rehabilitation, understanding MRIs is a plus since globally the current trend is to use MRIs to identify injuries, particularly sports related injuries.

“That’ll help to take

Guyana forward in being on par with the way the rest of the world does things.” Eye care sessions for sports accidents are also on the agenda, Barry said.

Meanwhile, now 55 members strong, the executive members are not surprised that there is full participation by the entire student population of the Medical Rehabilitation Programme.

The programme was initially launched in 2010 with four students as the Rehabilitation Sciences Programme but now it is known as the Medical Rehabilitation programme and has 55 members, all of whom are members of the UGMRSA. The executive members shared that their only surprise is at how quickly the programme’s numbers had grown.

Barry said, “I think everyone understands the needs for the association and the benefits it could have so that right there has been motivation for all the students.”

Edghill added, “That’s also why I don’t think it’s surprising; we, especially as the executive body, have made it clear that it is very important to have an association like this. Our president is always talking about strength in numbers and we believe in that. It’s something that drives this association and we did a very good job of motivating persons to come on board with us.”

However, the association does not only have its sights set only on the student body.

Rather, they are hoping to extend a hand to other professionals in the medical rehabilitation field.

“That’s something that we want to look at in the long term,” Barry said.

“We want the association to serve the needs of the rehab Continued on page 35

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 31

Education is the key to employment and enterprise (Address of His Excellency Brigadier David Granger, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, to the 17th Award Ceremony of the President’s Youth Award Republic of Guyana, Saturday October 24, 2015.)

The Cooperative Republic of Guyana congratulates the 2015 class of awardees under the President’s Youth Award: Republic of Guyana (PYARG) scheme.

This youth development scheme began in 1998 with the aim of providing young people with the opportunities for personal development, wider exposure to their country and the chance to meet and interact with other young people from other parts of the country while committing to community service.

Awardees, today, must be commended for having passed through one or more of the various levels of the PYARG. It is axiomatic that the future must belong to the young people. What this really means is that young people will inherit the earth. It is for you to grasp the opportunities that Guyana offers.

PYARG is meant to prepare you for the future: · Youth development must equip young people with the right education, the right attitudes and the right values to go out into the world and become

productive and useful citizens. · Youth development must overcome the challenge of unemployment. Young people are leaving school and are facing great difficulties in securing satisfactory employment. · Youth development must give birth to a new generation of entrepreneurs, leaders and pioneers who are prepared to explore new avenues and opportunities in our economy.

Youths are the ones with the imagination to innovate, initiate and investigate.

They are the ones with the interest to communicate, network and exchange ideas through the new media.

They have the intuition, energy, passion to propel change and pursue their personal goals. They have the independence to explore and travel.

The President’s Youth Award: Republic of Guyana, therefore, must be engineered to ensure that those who graduate with awards are better equipped to create employment, usually selfemployment.

The scheme, if it is to make an effective contribution to youth development, cannot ignore the issue of youth unemployment.

The Scheme, since its inception 17 years ago, has emphasised a five part programme of activities: · Vo l u n t e e r i n g : undertaking service to individuals or the

community; · Physical Training: improving in an area of sport, dance or fitness activities. · Skills Development: developing practical and social skills and personal interests. · Expedition: planning, training for and completion of an adventurous journey. · At Gold level, participants must do an additional fifth Residential section, which involves staying and working away from home for five days, doing a shared activity These activities are valuable. They are laudable.

They help to mould character.

They may be necessarily qualities for youth development but, given the changes taking place in the world today, they may not be sufficient.

Guyana is not an island unto itself. It faces challenges on its borders which it has not been able to resolve in 50 years.

It faces competition from other countries which can produce our traditional commodities – rice, sugar, bauxite, gold, timber, fish – in greater quantities and at lower costs and distribute them to markets around the word more efficiently.

Guyana, equally, cannot expend scarce resources on youth schemes which do not actually benefit the youth.

The so-called President’s Youth Choice Initiative, for example, established 15 years

ago wasted millions of dollars.

What is there to show for the effort?

Guyana, if it is to survive, must change its approach to youth development. The emphasis must be on education, education and education.

Education is essential in order to provide our young people with the knowledge they need to seek and secure jobs successfully.

It is increasingly clear, however, that while we may be graduating thousands of persons every year from various youth development programmes, many have been able to find satisfactory employment.

Many young people migrate to neighbouring countries of further afield.

Many remain and slide into unemployment.

Guyana, further, suffers from high unemployment and school dropout rates. The report of the Caricom Commission on Youth Development – ‘Eye on the Future: Invest in Youth Now for the Community Tomorrow’ – noted, among other things, that the primary education dropout rate was “at a staggering height.”

Joblessness among young people in the Caribbean Community at an average of 23 per cent was higher than many other developed and developing countries.

PYARG’s focus, therefore, has to be on the type of education that prepares youths for employment. Most

particularly, youths must be exposed more intensively to information technology and entrepreneurship to enable graduates to start-up their own businesses and become independent.

The job market is increasingly influenced by technology, especially, information technology.

Modern communications transmit information at the speed of light around the world. Machines are replacing human beings.

Automatic banking machines are becoming substitutes for bank tellers.

Accounting software has made a number of clerical positions in accounting departments redundant.

Young people, in such an environment, must become more entrepreneurial.

They must be able to create businesses in the areas of services, small-scale manufacturing and agriculture.

A principal objective of the government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana is the creation of more jobs for more young people.

We want young people to be inheritors of not just any future but of a good life.

Education, employment and entrepreneurship must be

President David

emphasised as a critical aspect of youth development. Youth schemes such as the PYARG must place greater stress on education if it is to satisfy the needs of our large youth population.

Education will help to secure a better future for those who graduate from the PYARG. I wish all of you who are graduating today at the Bronze, Silver and Gold levels all success in the future.

I look forward to you becoming exemplars of the great promise that young people hold for our country’s future.

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Kaieteur News

SUNDAY SPECIAL MURDERACCUSED RIDDLE WITH BULLETS – FRIEND SHOT IN LEG – FRIEND SHOT IN LEG

A lone gunman early Saturday (October 24, 2015) allegedly walked up to former murder accused, 30-year-old Stanley ‘Steve’ Lovell and pumped about a dozen bullets into him, wounding one of his friends in the process.

By the time the shooter’s clip was empty, the Prashad Nagar, Georgetown resident lay sprawled and lifeless on the bonnet of his motor car, bearing registration number, PMM 3825.

The shooting occurred at Regent and Bourda Streets, Georgetown about 3:00 hours.

The injured man has been identified as 21year-old Anthony Lall, a welder of Bent Street, Wortmanville. He was shot in the left leg and is currently a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

According to reports, Lovell and Lall had just left a popular night spot in the city and were about to purchase breakfast at the Bourda Market when the gunman struck.

Police said that investigations have so far revealed that Lovell, a car rental agent was sitting on the bonnet of his motor car when he was confronted by a male who was armed with a handgun. The duo had an exchange of words after which the shooter opened fire on Lovell, hitting him to his chest, head, arm, foot and abdomen. The gunman then escaped in a waiting motorcar.

Detectives recovered 14 9mm spent shells at the scene of the shooting. It is believed that Lovell’s friend was struck by a stray bullet. From all indications, the 30-year-old car rental agent was the sole target.

SLUGGISH ECONOMY DID NOT START FIVE MONTHS AGO – PRESIDENT GRANGER – WARNS OF LONG HAUL ON RECOVERY ROUTE President David Granger

The new coalition Government is fast approaching six months in office and it has not

all been honeymoon.

The economy is continuing its struggles from a string of poor performances at the sugar estates (with a hint of fortunes reversing), falling gold prices and a rice market that is causing rice farmers major headache.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP), in opposition for the first time in over two decades, has been more than reluctant to allow the coalition time to settle.

With the Venezuela border controversy taking centre stage, there has been growing complaints about the slowdown in the economy.

On Friday, during a recorded interview with media workers, President David Granger was grilled about the perception that the economy is on a downturn.

He agrees that the manufacturing sector is sluggish but insisted that the economy could not have slowed down in the last five months. Rather the decline started way before that. ”We need to look at the structure of the economy and as I often said, we depended on the six sisters for the last 100 years.”

The Head of State would of course be referring the main foreign earners – sugar, rice, gold bauxite, diamond and timber. ”And we have had some structural problems, as long as we have to continue to depend on those six sisters, we are going to be susceptible…going to be vulnerable…and we are going to suffer from the fluctuations that will always affect commodity prices.”

According to Granger, it is a fact that gold prices have come down considerably after a four-year record run.

The new administration, after a number of appeals by miners, had agreed to drop the fuel tax and has granted waivers on a number of spares and supplies for the sector but it may not be enough as prices remain low and costs high.

MONDAY EDITION MOTHER, NEWBORN DIE HOURS APARTAFTER C-SECTION After 12 fruitless years of trying to have a baby, 33-year-old Liloutie Ramlall had all but given up on her dream of becoming a mother.

So when doctors told her that she was pregnant a year later, she and her husband, Nizam Khamis were stunned to learn that they were going to be parents at last- and that Ramlall much longed-for baby (a boy) was due in a matter of months.

A happy Ramlall spent the last few months shopping for her son and at times hoped that the baby would come sooner while her husband would visit her often from Canada.

Early on Tuesday, Liloutie Ramlall started to experience labour pains and her relatives rushed her to a private hospital in the city.

It never entered their thoughts that when she walked into the medical institution, 33 weeks pregnant, they would not see her walk out back.

The Greenfield Beehive, East Coast Demerara woman delivered a little boy but later bled to death in the Operating theatre.

Her son was born in a critical condition and was rushed to another hospital with a better equipped Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) but he too did not make it.

On Wednesday last, a post mortem examination done on the body of the 33-year-old woman revealed that she died from Hypovolemic shock and rupture of the spleen due to a caesarean section.

The baby died from neonatal respiratory distress, a condition which made it hard for the baby to breathe.

What is unclear at this point is how the woman’s spleen got ruptured while undergo

ing surgery.

Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton said that his ministry has already launched an investigation into the deaths of the mother and her baby.

MAN RELEASED FROM SURINAME PRISON, PRIME SUSPECT IN FATHER’S MURDER

Released after a nine-year stretch in a Surname jail, a Linden ex-convict is now the prime suspect in the murder of his 82-year-old father, Andrew Reid, who was battered to death in his Canvas City home on Saturday.

Detectives are trying to locate Mark Reid, who they believe can provide them with details of his father’s death. Police said that Reid, who lives at Amelia’s Ward, has not been seen since his dad was slain.

But Kaieteur News understands that he turned up briefly Sunday afternoon at a Potaro Road, Mackenzie house at which a relative of the murdered man has been staying.

According to a source, the man enquired whether it was true that his father was dead. ”He said ‘Is wha ah hearing, is wha going on?’ We were afraid because you could see the anger on his face,” a source said. ”We said yes (his father is dead) and he say he has to fly out the country.” The suspect then left, the source said.

Mark Reid was reportedly released less than a year ago from a Suriname prison.

The body of his father, Andrew Reid, of Lot 543 Canvas City, Linden, was found on the floor of his bedroom with a gaping head wound at around noon on Saturday.

His wedding ring was missing, as well as gold chains and two rings belonging to his wife.

While the bedroom was ransacked, there was no sign of forced entry. Indications are that the pensioner could have done little to defend himself, since he was infirm and his legs were badly swollen.

Esther Reid, the murdered man’s reputed wife, told Kaieteur News that she last saw him alive at around 09.00 hrs, when she left for Church. She returned at around 12.45 hrs, and immediately sensed that something was amiss, since someone had loosened all the window blinds.

TUESDAY EDITION IT IS YOUR FAULT!….EU RAPS EX-PRESIDENT RAMOTAR OVER SUSPENSION OF EUROS 25M – SAYS PARLIAMENTARY SUSPENSION WAS THE CAUSE The European Union (EU) is refusing to take blame for the state of Guyana’s sugar industry. Monday it criticised the suspension of Parliament last year and the subsequent lack of oversight for withholding more than Euros 25M in budgetary support.

EU’s Ambassador, Jernej Videtiè, who made the statements in a Letter to the Editor Monday, was responding to one written last week by former President Donald Ramotar, and carried in a newspaper closely aligned to the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

Sunday November 01, 2015

According to the former President, the EU did not deliver 25M Euros that the country earned last year. The monies came from an agreement with the EU to help Guyana recover from sugar price cuts.

Earlier this year, EU announced that it had frozen the monies until a Parliament was in place along with the necessary oversights to ensure that the monies are well spent.

The previous Government, in face of a noconfidence motion last year over unauthorized spending, prorogued Parliament.

In January, Ramotar announced a May 11th date for fresh elections. His party went on to lose the elections by a narrow margin.

Ramotar, in defending the sugar industry’s performance last week, said he hoped that the EU releases the monies.

However, according to Ambassador Videtiè Monday, it was in fact the previous government of Guyana that did not deliver on the terms of the agreement with the EU. He said, in the letter, that the PPP Government made little progress last year in public finance management reforms. By effectively suspending Parliamentary oversight of the budget through the prorogation of the Parliament late last year, the previous Government forced the suspension of the payments.

GAWU, GUYSUCOAT LOGGERHEADS OVER PAY INCREASES …AS GOVT. CALLS STRIKE ACTION POLITICALLY MOTIVATED

Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder, is of the view that current strike action organized by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) is politically motivated since the sugar industry is now performing under a newly installed Interim Management Committee (IMC). According to Minister Holder, “One of the problems with the sugar industry is that it has been used as a political football, and you have seen the result of that is the reduction in productivity over the years, and the putting of square pegs in round holes by the former Government.”

He has since advised that the coalition, A Partnership for National Unity plus Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government has taken a hands-off policy allowing managers to manage. ”We have put in an interim management team; you have seen that productivity has gone up. In fact we have surpassed targets over the last three or four weeks,” the Minister stated.

Minister Holder believes that GAWU, having seen that, is now on the defensive and being a political organization is trying to disrupt that process.

He further explained that the Commission of Inquiry (COI) that was established to look into Guysuco’s affairs had a GAWU representative as one of its (Continued on page 33)

Sunday November 01, 2015

(From page 32) members. ”So although the results of the COI have not yet been taken to Cabinet, GAWU is aware of it because it had a man on the Commission.

This man was part of the results, so I suspect what’s going on here it’s political and that the government does not want to get involved in this kind of thing.” ”We want management to handle it and we want GAWU to be responsible individuals. Look at what they are going to do to the industry,” Minister Holder explained.

Meanwhile the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has formally responded to GAWU calling for a cessation of the strike action.

In a letter addressed to Seepaul Narine, GAWU’s General Secretary, GuySuCo lamented that the strike action was firstly not in compliance with established procedure.

Kaieteur News

PANAMA, PORTUGAL WILL REPLACE VENEZUELAN RICE MARKET- HOLDER -DISCUSSIONS BEING HELD WITH MEXICO, HAITI AND BAHAMAS

WEDNESDAY EDITION RAMOTAR RESPONDS TO EU AMBASSADOR: SUSPENSION OF BUDGET SUPPORT MONIES WAS POLITICAL INTERFERENCE -SAYS EUROPE BUILT ON SLAVERY

Donald Ramotar In what is turning out to be a full-blown quarrel, former President Donald Ramotar has accused the Delegation of the European Union (EU) of political interference over the suspension of over Euros 25M in budget support.

A significant part of the monies had been earmarked to help Guyana deal with the EU’s price cuts to sugar and eventual opening of the market to other players.

The monies were frozen by the EU earlier this year, with that body saying that the absence of a Parliament in Guyana and its necessary oversight mechanisms were the reasons for doing so.

The suspension had come when Guyana was preparing for General Elections, which were eventually held on May 11th.

Ramotar in a letter Wednesday, disputing EU’s Ambassador Jernej Videtic statements that proroguing of Parliament last year did not help the situation, was highly critical of the EU’s role in Guyana. ”The indisputable fact is that Guyana did meet the conditions required for disbursement; the technical officers at the EU Delegation and the EU’s contracted technical experts were satisfied that these conditions were met, they confirmed this in writing to my Government at the time, but the disbursements were subsequently withheld with absolutely no legitimate basis. Indeed, with all that has transpired since, it is now evident that the withholding of these grants was an act of political interference,” the former President said.

Ramotar also had issues with the Ambassador’s statements that the EU was responsible for overseeing the disbursement of the monies which comes from its taxpayers.

Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder is assuring those involved in the rice industry that all is not lost with the loss of the Venezuelan market and that Guyana is doing business with other nations on a larger scale.

Commenting on the issue Wednesday to GINA, Holder noted that Guyana currently sells rice to 50 countries around the world, and too much of an issue is now being made out of the collapse of the Venezuelan market. ”As a matter of fact, currently, the Portugal market is as big as the Venezuelan market, about 30 percent or so (of rice exports), I think too much of a big thing is being made out of the lapse in the Venezuelan market,” the Minister said.

He noted that currently the Government of Guyana was pursuing the Panama market, in addition to discussions with Mexico, Haiti and the Bahamas being held.

Recently, President David Granger had announced that the government will be stepping up its efforts in finding markets for Guyana’s rice as he lobbied the international community on his various overseas engagements, with increased emphasis placed on the role of the Foreign Service. ”When I was at the United Nations (UN) in September, I met some Heads of Government and I raised the possibility of rice sales to those countries. That is the task that I have given to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to go and seek new markets for our products including rice,” Granger had said in a recent interview with Kaieteur News. ”Venezuela only took 35-40 percent of our rice,” Granger continued. “Guyana has never been wholly dependent on Venezuela’s market. So we continue to search.” ”I am looking for markets for rice…the main focus of Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry is for economic diplomacy, I want to sell rice, I want to sell rum, I want to sell plantain chips, I want to sell (other produce)” he had also said. Kaieteur News understands that Guyana’s negotiations with Panama bore fruit and an increased market arrangement with Panama was brokered, for which shipments have begun. The shipment has been increased from 4000 to 7,200 tonnes.

THURSDAY EDITION GUYANA LIGHT-YEARSAWAY FROM BEING BLACKLISTED …AS FATF LAUDS APNU+AFC GOVT. OVER POSITIVE STEPS TAKEN-WILLIAMS Guyana under the coalition government of A Partnership for National Unity plus Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) is light years away from being blacklisted by the International Financial Action Taskforce (FATF).

This was the report given by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, as he Tuesday updated media operatives on Guyana’s recent assessment by the international body.

Guyana, he said, can be considered as grey-listed but that the political will and commitment on the part of the new government was lauded.

FAFT, he said, lauded the APNU+AFC Government for achieving in a matter of months, something which the previous administration was unable to for 15 years.

The Minister said that Guyana was recognized for having implemented fully, five of the recommendations of the international body.

There is still some more work to be done in three other areas.

The recommendations, he noted, came about as a result of a mutually agreed action plan, agreed to by Guyana and FATF. Grilled on the outstanding matters in order to meet all of the requirements as required, Williams said that they include among other matters, “the question of identifying, tracing and freezing of assets.”

He said that work is also to be done as it relates to accessing the assets to be frozen.

He spoke of a provision in the relevant legislation whereby the Director of Public Prosecutions can apply to freeze a person’s assets within seven days after receiving the relevant complaints.

This, he said, is compounded by the fact that the reporting entity against suspicious transactions is prohibited from engaging the matter by five days.

He said that this leaves a position where the reporting entity is prevented from attending to a matter and the time within which the DPP has to apply to freeze the assets which in itself presents an anomaly that has to be rectified.

HIJACKED ‘RED HOUSE’ LAND HAS TO BE RETURNED – AG …YOU CANNOT USE PUBLIC OFFICE TO ROB THE STATE—AG WILLIAMS The 99-year lease that governs the use of land on which sits the heritage building known as Red House will be quashed. Government is also looking to have the building used to commemorate not just one former President, the late Cheddi Jagan.

This is the position of the A Partnership for National Unity plus Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government, according to Attorney General, Basil Williams.

He did say that government was looking to have the matter between the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the new government

Page 33

resolved. He spoke of a meeting between the PPP and himself on the matter.

Williams was adamant that the land on which Red House sits, has to be returned to the State.

On the matter of the actual building, Williams said it ought not to be used only for the late President Dr. Jagan. “We have other past Presidents.”

Not wanting to speak specifically on whether criminal charges would be laid, Williams suggested a settlement of some sort, but is adamant that what transpired in relation to leasing Red House lands to the PPP was in fact unlawful.

Asked if none will be held responsible, Williams denied that this was his position but repeatedly referenced a possible use of Guyana’s plea bargaining legislation in order to have the matter resolved.

He decried the lease, saying that it was in fact a device used to “hide from the eyes of equity, the true nature of the transaction.”

Williams posited that it was in fact a de facto giveaway of the land, since a 99-year lease is akin to transport. ”If you had to do a transport for a 99 year lease for that kind of property you are talking about tens of millions of dollars,” said Williams.

The Attorney General told media operatives that the previous administration used the guise of a lease, “and charged a peppercorn rent.”

FRIDAY EDITION PRADOVILLE 2 SCANDAL… DPP CLEARS WAY FOR PROBE INTO CRIMINALASPECT The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, has given the green light for a full blown investigation into the criminal aspect of the contentious Pradoville Two deal.

This is according to Head of the State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU), Dr. Clive Thomas.

Kaieteur News understands that SARU recently wrote the DPP requesting that the matter be investigated and she has since handed over the case to the Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud, for further investigations to begin.

Dr. Thomas said that he is pleased with the fact that the DPP’s office has acknowledged SARU’s request and has since acted expeditiously in that regard.

“After our request, the DPP wrote back to me saying that her office is constitutionally mandated to look into the criminal aspect of this case and said that with my permission (Continued on page 34)

Page 34

(From page 33) she would forward it to the Commissioner of Police. I wrote her back saying that we have no objection and this was done,” said Dr. Thomas.

In addition to calling on the DPP to investigate the matter, SARU had also put in a formal request at the Ministry of Public Security to probe the criminal aspect of the Pradoville Two deal.

In early October, SARU completed a report which stated that in 2010, the Bharrat Jagdeo Cabinet made a decision authorizing the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) to privatize State lands.

NICIL is the body tasked with overseeing the privatization of State assets.

It reportedly spent more than $200M to develop the sea front community without the knowledge and blessings of the National Assembly and other relevant bodies.

The said lands were then secretly sold to the former Ministers and known friends and associates of the previous regime.

At the time of the sale, the report said, the lands were grossly undervalued and sold at a price substantially below the market value, thereby depriving the state of its full benefits.

BERBICE BRIDGE CO. BUCKLES, AGREES TO LOWER TOLLS Days after Government said that it was buying out shares in the Berbice River Bridge Company Inc (BBCI), the company has announced that it will be accepting an offer by the administration to pay a subsidy in order to effect a proposed toll reduction in the charges to cross the bridge.

According to a formal announcement Thursday, the management of BBCI indicated that they have submitted a proposal to the coalition government, accepting a proposed subvention towards reduction of the toll.

It was noted that the Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, stated that indeed the proposal was sent by the company, indicating their willingness to accept the subvention, being offered by the government, and that the document is with Cabinet currently being reviewed.

“It is expected that before the end of the week, feedback will be given.”

It w a s n o t e d t h a t D r. S u r e n d r a Persaud, who is a representative of the BBCI’s Board of Directors, said the proposal covers multiple aspects of the relationship between the BBCI and the administration.

“Our proposal deals with the subsidy and other aspects of the relationship of the bridge company and the government, reduced into a legal framework…

While it is open to be amended, government still has to perform due diligence by ensuring they agree with the

Kaieteur News

clauses of the proposal,” Dr Persaud said.

Egbert Carter, BBCI’s Chairman, has indicated that while much was said regarding the inability of the company to readily accept the subsidy proposal, there was need to first notify the shareholders and “now that they would have agreed, we can accept the proposal made by the administration”.

The BBCI had first rejected the government’s offer of the financial support on the premise that its shareholders were not consulted on the matter.

The government, in an effort to relieve the travelling public from paying high tolls, had implemented at a subsidized cost river taxis operating on the Berbice River.

SATURDAY EDITION NCN GIFTS HITS AND JAMS, OTHERS $11M IN DEBT WRITE OFFS The previous Board of Directors of the National Communication Network (NCN) made a decision which cost the cash-strapped company millions of dollars.

In 2014, acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NCN, Michael Gordon, decided to take three “delinquent” companies to court over millions of dollars in outstanding payment for advertisements.

Those companies were Kashif and Shangai, Hits and Jams, and Wireless Connections.

Kashif and Shangai Inc. owed the stateowned network over $2M. While, Hits and Jams and Wireless connections owed just about $8M and $1.7M respectively.

Collectively, the companies owed NCN over $11M.

The NCN management, after exhausting other means of retrieving the money, moved to the courts.

Contacted Friday about the issue, NCN’s current CEO, Molly Hassan, told Kaieteur News, “What you are saying is true and correct.

But the board decided not to pursue judgment and instructed the CEO to advise NCN council, who was Jaya Manickchand at the time, of the decision not to pursue.

When asked why the decision was made to quash the matter, Hassan explained that she was not at NCN at the time the matter was taken to court and did not know whose directive it was to go.

But she learnt that the board had “deliberations” after the judgment was handed down.

Former NCN CEO, Michael Gordon said that the decision to move to the court was his. Gordon said that the court was his last resort to get the companies to pay up.

Sunday November 01, 2015

During the presentation of the report, the officer described Jordan, the proprietor of Jordan’s Spare Parts at High and Broad Streets as a very generous man, according to people who knew him.

However, the Probation officer was sub-

HIGH STREET BUSINESSMAN GETS 18 YEARS FOR SODOMISING BOY, 7 A High Street Charlestown businessman has been jailed for 18 years, on a conviction of buggery. Kevin Jordan, 56, of Lot 524 Republic Park, East Bank Demerara had faced a High Court trial for sodomising , a seven yearold boy.

The incident occurred on November 2, 2007. The trial was held in camera and the businessman was subsequently found guilty by a mixed jury, on October 12, last.

He was sentenced Friday, following the presentation of a probation report, before Justice Dawn Gregory at the Georgetown High Court.

Kevin Jordan jected to a series of questions, by State Prosecutor Stacey Goodings.

Goodings noted that the report heavily favoured Jordan.

She questioned whether sufficient attempts were made to interview relatives of the victim.

The Probation officer claimed that efforts were made to contact the father of the victim.

Jordan’s attorney Neil Boston begged the court for leniency.

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 35

Dedicated rehab students are faces behind new medical NGO

From page 30 community in Guyana and as we all should know, learning is not a temporary thing; learning is ongoing and as a professional it’s important to keep learning new skills and stay up to date with what’s needed in your society and how to improve services in your society.”

NEED FOR KNOWLEDGE However, the executive members noted that lack of knowledge on medical rehabilitation is proving to be a hindrance and the first area that will be tackled by the new body.

“A limitation is getting people to recognise us,” Wickham said. “A lot of people aren’t au fait with what medical rehabilitation really is.

When we started out, our programme started as Rehabilitation Sciences and people thought that it had to do with dealing with people who are mentally ill so now people are becoming more au fait with the fields of Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech and Language Therapy. That was a major issue in the beginning.”

However, though there have been improvements, much more is needed. Edghill indicated that there are still misconceptions surrounding rehabilitation services.

“A lot of Guyanese don’t know about rehab and, if they do, they have a misconception about it.

When people ask what I’m doing and I say physiotherapy, they think that it has something to do with massages. But it’s not just massaging; it’s a whole array of things,” Edghill said. “So it’s important that we bring awareness and education to the people while helping them at the same time.”

The UGMRSA members all stressed that there are not even rehabilitation professionals currently in Guyana. In relation to speech therapists, there is only one in Guyana. Wickham explained

that oftentimes, persons who turn up at the Georgetown Public Hospital for rehabilitation services are given a follow-up date weeks into the future. This is as a result of a lack of much needed professionals onboard.

“There are not enough therapists here but it’s very important to have a therapist on a team. Sometimes you hear of situations where the doctor says that a patient cannot walk and sometimes all that is needed is a little bit of therapy and that’ll make a big difference,” Edghill said. She continued, “A lot of people don’t know the benefits of therapy so that’s why education is very important; that’s one of the banners that we’re walking under: education, advocacy, and awareness.”

Barry added that his history as a former athlete and one who would have experienced injuries motivated him to get involved in rehabilitation services. “In Guyana, there isn’t much protection for the athlete so by getting into rehab we hope to be able to change the culture in regards to protecting athletes from injuries and getting them back to their sports as soon as possible and maybe even enhance their own performances.”

He emphasised that making these services publicly known will go a long way in protecting Guyana’s people. The members also said that rehabilitation programmes suffer from lack of resources and lack of accessibility since the limited services are primarily located in Georgetown.

These are the typical challenges of the association but on personal levels, the three executive members indicated that there were no real challenges. Though they are all students in a researchdriven programme and spend much time studying, they indicated that their dedication to the association keeps them from seeing it as a challenge or limitation to their

educational pursuits.

“It’s always difficult balancing studying with extracurricular activities but, personally, it does not bother me. I can’t speak for the rest of the association,” Barry said with a laugh.

“It doesn’t bother me either,” Edghill chimed in, before adding, “When you want something to be done and want something to grow, you don’t make it a challenge.

When the challenges do come up, you don’t get frustrated or question why you’re doing it; you find ways and solutions and ways to fit everything together. For me, I want to be a part of this. I think it’s a great endeavour and I want us to grow together and, personally, I want to grow as a professional.”

“There are no problems or challenges yet because we have a passion for this,” Wickham added. “We really want to see the field of medical rehabilitation change in Guyana. We want persons to recognise this and recognise the functions of the fields. For us, we really wanted to do this and see it take off and it will not only be beneficial to us but to all Guyanese.”

The young people further indicated that their studies have adequately prepared them thus far to deal with Guyana’s needs. Barry said that UG’s Medical Rehabilitation Programme is indeed a unique one. He said that while in the Caribbean there is another university that focuses on physiotherapy, UG is unique because it provides training for all three fields.

“The services of an occupational therapist and a speech therapist are necessary throughout the Caribbean so Guyana’s programme is unique in the sense that it provides training for all three fields. Even for persons specialising in one field, we still are given additional training in the other two fields so that if we are in an area without an occupational therapist or a speech therapist then we can still carry out these functions,” he said.

ULTIMATE GOALS “Ultimately, we want to make rehab services in Guyana the flagship for global rehab care,” Barry said. “And we think that is possible because we have the right kind of population and, in a sense, the entire population is accessible. Most of it is centred in Georgetown and along the coast and the persons outside of Georgetown, their numbers aren’t very high. So, we think if we can standardise care and the level of care provided by rehab professionals then we can really expand across the

country in the long-term.” He explained that, globally, the trend is to use evidence-based research. “Our students would have benefited from this and because of the association we can ensure that the persons who go into the field are practising at that level right away. That gives us an advantage in being on par with the global standard of an evidence-based profession.”

For Wickham, her ultimate goal is having rehabilitation services accessible in the hinterland regions. She explained that her mother hailed from the interior and she wants to go into hinterland regions to give back. “You won’t find a physiotherapist there; you may not even find a rehab assistant there so I want to be able to get into those areas so that I can provide such services to persons there.”

Similarly, Edghill’s ultimate goal is to develop a skills lab on campus for the students.

“We need somewhere where we can practice from day one instead of having to come to the hospital. The hospital in itself has limited equipment so the skills lab would have the equipment there so we can practice on it and bring in new and current stuff so that we can learn how to use these equipment. So, the practical part of it will be at a much higher standard in this new area of therapy,” she said.

Furthermore, while the executive members all have a common goal, they each have something driving them towards that finish line.

For Barry, “It’s the long term vision of seeing rehab services go places it hasn’t gone as yet and to help improve the programme would be very beneficial to our own society.”

For Edghill, the drive is more personal. She indicated that from a very young age she was exposed to rehabilitation since she had

suffered from terrible injuries and had required physiotherapy.

“It was an area that fascinated me and I always wanted to study it and I’m glad that I found something that I love to do and I want to make a career out of it. Because it’s in its infancy stage in Guyana, we’re still using some of the old techniques so as a young person coming up with this association I can spread the newness and educate people and make them aware of rehabilitation.”

Meanwhile, as part of their studies the students use their knowledge and apply it to the real world. While Wickham is attached to the Georgetown Public Hospital, Barry is attached to the Palms Geriatric Home. Edghill will join a work attachment programme next year when she enters final year.

For Wickham and Barry, their work attachments are unique experiences. Barry explained that he sees a lot of persons suffering from neurological diseases during his attachment at the Palms.

“Just yesterday [Thursday] I worked with a patient who had scoliosis [major curvature of the spine], which can cause paralysis. At the Palms, you can see people years ago who might not have had even a chance of walking and you get to get them to a level where they can live a normal life again,” he said.

The UGMRSA executive members all admitted too that their ideas on rehabilitation have changed in the years since they entered the programme: Edghill’s interest in speech therapy grew, Wickham’s focus shifted from speech therapy to physiotherapy, while Barry grew to understand that the scope of physiotherapy was much larger than he had expected. They also shared their biggest surprises since they joined the programme,

including the number of children with disabilities and the effectiveness of some of the interventions employed.

“At the Palms, a back patient who is almost 80 years old and who you don’t expect to be able to move would have remarkable results in a period of four to eight weeks. There are 80 year olds dancing in there,” Barry said. He said that working with athletes also showed him the effectiveness of rehabilitation services.

“When I first started the programme, there were some conditions that we used to think were the end of careers and having applied some of these techniques, within a month we can have someone out there performing at their peak or even better. So that really surprised me.”

Wickham added, “We hear about the things but getting out there in the clinic, it’s a different experience from sitting in the classroom and learning about these different conditions or learning about a technique.”

“To see it and read about it is two different things,” Edghill added. “It’s kind of like a reality check.” They all indicated that they only feel excitement to graduate and to throw themselves fully into the association.

Currently, the UGMRSA has plans underway to extend its reach across Guyana. It hopes to collaborate with other NGOs for outreach programmes as well as propose assistance in clinics.

The executive body is also looking to take its members’ experiences into schools and educate youths on rehabilitation services.

Page 36

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 01, 2015

Foot Care When You Have Diabetes

By Dr. Kumar Sukhraj For people with diabetes, practicing proper foot care is an important step towards successful diabetes management. They need to have access to superior, cutting-edge care of their feet.

This can help to reduce diabetic foot complications and improve the long-term health of the diabetic feet.

Currently in Guyana there are many diabetic patients who develop complications with their feet. This can be seen in many health care facilities countrywide. Thus making foot care a part of your daily diabetes regimen is necessaryto avoid serious complications such as neuropathy, vascular disease, and injury. When it comes to implementing a comprehensive foot care plan, a little effort goes a long way in preventing problems.

The following approach can be used when making foot care a priority in the life of a diabetic.

Tips for taking care of your feet: 1. Keep your blood sugar in your target range as much as possible, to prevent infection, speed healing and prevent further damage to blood vessels and nerves.

2. Wash your feet with mild soap and warm water every day. Dry the areas between toes and around nail beds to prevent fungal infections like athlete’s foot.

Dr Kumar Sukhraj

3. Inspect your feet carefully every day and check between the toes. Use a mirror if needed to detect any problems such as cuts, blisters, red spots, or swelling.

4.

Cut toenails straight across and not too short. You should be able to see a small rim of white nail beyond the pink nail bed. Have a trained professional trim your nails if you cannot do it yourself to avoid ingrown toenails and to avoid cutting your toes.

5.

Be more active and do activities like walking. Wiggle your toes and rotate your ankles for a few minutes several times a day to help blood flow to your feet.

6.

Apply lotion to the tops and bottoms of feet daily.

Do not apply lotion between the toes (you may apply powder

between the toes if desired) to prevent skin from cracking. Try lotions like Uremol, Neutrogena, Lubriderm, or Keri. Moisture between the toes can cause fungal infections like athlete’s foot.

7.

Wear socks with loose fitting elastic. Avoid knee-high stockings. Change socks often if your feet sweat a lot. Tight elastics cut off circulation.

Prevent fungal infections by keeping the area dry.

8.

Check the insides of shoes daily before putting them on. Use your hand to check for cracks, sharp edges, and loose objects. Any objects or rough edge in your shoe can cause blisters or breaks in the skin.

9. Shop for shoes late in the day, when your feet are most swollen, and make sure they fit well to avoid injuries like corns and blisters. Take off both of your shoes at every doctor’s visit so your doctor or nurse should check both of your feet.

10. Contact your health care provider immediately when you find a problem like broken skin. Most foot problems are much easier to treat when they are treated right away.

Please feel free to send an email to kumarsukhraj@yahoo.com or call 622-8032 for further enquiry and discussion on the topic. Patient education plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of diabetes and any other illness.

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

The Abortion Child's...

From page 38 suspicion of child sexual abuse but later released due to insufficient evidence.

Had such a thing come to light in this day and age, imagine the controversy it would have ignited. Pro-lifers would no doubt have used it to validate their position that all life is sacred, and that regardless of the prevailing circumstances, a pregnancy once started, should be allowed its natural progression to the logical conclusion.

The pro-choice crowd would almost certainly have rallied around the child and sought to enforce her right to be protected as a child from the horrendous physical and psychological consequences of rape including the very real possibility of unbearable pain, (focused around her still developing pelvis) delivery trauma, and death. Years later, I assume, the pro-lifers would feel vindicated by the relatively uncomplicated lives mother and child subsequently lived.

In Paraguay where abortion is illegal except when the mother's life is threatened, a 10 year-old girl who was raped by her stepfather, has been denied the procedure by government authorities despite her mother's pleas and an international outcry.

The authorities do not want to circumvent the Catholic country's strict anti-abortion laws, and in fact imprisoned the mother after accusing her of 'failing in her duty of care' despite a complaint to the police a year earlier that her husband was sexually

Five year-old Lina Medina (in 1939) cradling her newborn abusing her daughter.

A judge was further considering charging her with being an accomplice in the rape. The girl is in a shelter and the rapist is on the run.

Enraged human rights groups and activists believed the child would face health and psychological risks because of her age and the circumstances that led to the pregnancy. (An update states that the girl gave birth to a sixpound baby girl in August.)

And in Brazil in 2009, a Catholic family was excommunicated by the Vatican following an abortion performed on a nine year-old girl who had been raped by her stepfather and was carrying twins.

It also excommunicated the doctors who performed the procedure. A Brazilian archbishop said, “Abortion is much more serious than killing an adult. An adult may or may not be innocent, but an unborn child is most definitely innocent. Taking that life can-

It's all down to...

From page 24 measured by whether or not machinery is firmly established for delivering the money needed for adaptation and mitigation – and for delivery without burdensome conditionalities.

It's now all down to money. Small states will have to be united and firm in Paris if the conference is to be a success for them. Before that they have a chance at the Commonwealth Summit in Malta immediately before Paris to concretise their position and solicit the support of influential governments, such as the new Canadian administration of Justin Trudeau who has made it clear that he treats the threats of climate change seriously.

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda's Ambassador to the United States of America and a candidate for the post of Commonwealth Secretary-General. The views expressed are his own) Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com

not be ignored.�

In each of these cases, very young children were raped and impregnated; in two instances the pregnancies were taken to full term with no serious complications. In the other the child and her family were evidently traumatized.

Where is the right and the wrong in all of this?

I have my convictions, but I am sympathetic to what these three innocent girls were put through and to the arena of circumstances surrounding each 'combatant'.

It's a sobering fact that thousands of pre-teen girls worldwide (including Guyana of course) are sexually active.

In many instances pregnancies and abortions are inescapable.

So, many people see abortion as a horrific sin. Some Christians especially, feel that their heavenly father will hold them fully accountable for this 'slaughter of innocents' and deal with them condignly in the afterlife unless genuine repentance is expressed and forgiveness sought in fervent prayer.

Even so they feel that its unsavory consequences will haunt them for the rest of their temporal lives.

Many young women who have had abortions clearly feel great remorse afterward. Some turn to God seeking forgiveness for what they consider an almost unforgiveable act.

It would be in most people's opinion, a very harsh deity who would turn his back on such a supplicant, and add to her remorse the awful sentence of everlasting punishment in hell. No 'abortion child' deserves that.

Page 45

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 01, 2015

THE VAT - PART IV (Brent Holder and two policemen visit the abandoned Jonestown settlement, where they find the remnants of the container in which Jim Jones had missed his deadly brew; the same container that four young men had found…)

By Harold A. Bascom “So how it reach back in here?” the sergeant said.

“This is real-real jombie story… Pure jombie story.”

He showed his bare, burly forearms to Brent and the other policeman. “Look how mih fickin pores raise up!”

“We have to bury this thing!” Brent said firmly, taking control. “We have to make sure that nobody coming here after we—don’t

find that thing and touch it.”

“I have a small shovel on my ATV—always carry it with me—lemme get it!”

As they waited for the sergeant to return with his shovel, the corporal said to Brent. “I always knew them guys death was strange—but I didn’t say anything.” He shrugged. “You know— nobody don’t want to sound like they—you know … full of superstition and things like that.”

The sergeant returned, and he began to dig into the soil a foot away from the rusted thing. Brent and the Indian cop took turns until there was a pit close to four feet deep.

Afterwards, the sergeant used a long stick to push and then tip the metal vat into the hole. The three men filled it in afterwards, leveled it, and then camouflaged it with bushes.

And that was when Brent

Holder heard a sound like a suck-teeth in the windless stillness, and felt like a sharp slap to his face—and reacted.

“What happen, Townman?” the corporal said.

“Something hit—sting me on my face!—Jeeze!”

“Lemme see,” said the corporal. The man pried Brentnol’s palm away from his cheek, and saw what looked like fingerprints quickly fading from ‘town-man’s skin.

“Is a sting?” Brentnol asked.

“No-No!” the cop said quickly, and then turned to his colleague. “Budday—is time we get outa dis place!”

The newspaper columnist was sure he sensed a tremor—a panic in the man’s voice.

When Brent Holder returned to the guest house, his sister was out. She was with the Regional Chairman at the closest thing to a night spot in the mining township.

The cook served him dinner; but he was too filled with anxiety to eat. There was so much material in his mind. He knew he could not write about the truth behind the suicides.

It would be a truth that would, indeed, be stranger than fiction. But then he thought, I’ll write a novel—this can be material for that supernatural novel I know that’s in me!

He put his dinner in the refrigerator, then retired to his room that was over from his sister’s He locked his door, and then—like an afterthought, unlocked it. He felt grimy from the trip to Jonestown, and took another shower. He just pulled on shorts afterwards —just in case he fell asleep and his sister should come into his room; he always slept butt naked. He took his laptop from off the vanity, and flopped onto the huge bed.

He stacked pillows behind him for a comfortable seat as the huge generator that lit the guest house hummed. Like the night before, there was yet another power outage. As Brent Holder typed, he heard the muted voice of the surveyor who had flown up the gold-mining township with him. The man’s voice, nasal and snarling, came through the walls to his modestly furnished room with one window that overlooked the main street, and another that opened up to the foot of a forested hill that was beautiful to behold through the morning mist.

Brent stopped typing.

Maybe, I shouldn’t type just yet. Maybe …I should just think—relive everything I learned today—I shouldn’t rush to write things down. I should just let what I learned today become a deeper part of me.

And he found himself thinking of the remnants of the suicide vat he had led the cops to bury. How could it have gotten back into Jonestown after Chauncey Timmerman said that he, Sean Lacruz and the others had brought it out? Did Mr. Timmerman himself take it back? Brent sighed. His grandmother always said that there was more in the mortar than the pestle.

Maybe I should sleep on all this! Brent thought. He was, however, no stranger to insomnia. Vonny was leaving tomorrow. Maybe he ought to leave too. Even for him, deep down, he knew this place was creepy.

And in the silence of his room, the muted sound of the generator came through. He put the laptop aside, and thought of Fiona … Fiona … the only woman he ever loved, but whom he had calmly talked out of a lasting relationship with him. He had told her that he had found a ‘truth’ after myriad experiences with ‘women’: That all relationships are destined to fail.

He shook him head. How could he have hurt her like that?

Carnally, however, he couldn’t get enough of her.

With her, he surprised himself every time at the intensity of his abandon. He sighed… yawned. My kingdom for a magic wand to make Fiona appear—poof—next to me.

Then there was that sharp, momentary pain—like a burning slap on his left cheek, that he had experienced in Jonestown, and immediately after, Brent Holder fell asleep—but did he? When he awoke, however, his room was dark, and he was on his stomach though he never slept on his stomach.

The sound of the generator was not there—

only a distant hooting from the forest that hemmed in the little township.

The darkness in the room unsettled him, so he thought to turn on the little electronic lantern on the vanity where his cell phone was. He found, however, that he couldn’t raise himself from his stomach—couldn’t sit up. It was as if he was bolted to the mattress through the small of his back. It was then he felt a chill on his ass—his shorts were down—how?

And then something gripped his angles and began to spread his legs open despite him resisting.

A harsh, unintelligible whispering from above.

He arched his torso, twisted his neck painfully to look up and discovered fear: A dark, spread-eagled smoky shape—infested with myriad smoke shapes was descending slowly, and a thick, phallus-like form that moved like a snake, preceded it. Brent Holder began to scream but no sound came out of mouth. It became suddenly filled with a sticky ball. He threshed—began rushing the twenty-third Psalm, frantically, through his mind, but to no avail. The phallic-like, snake-like thing preceding the malevolentlooking darkness descended slowly still—and with it a stench as if from a latrine pit.

Now he was panicking. The intent of the dark shape was obvious— “Then this night—I hear he crying out in ‘e sleep again…” The father looked at his common-law wife.

There was something very sheepish about his demeanor. He bent his head and his words were more or less mumbled.

“I didn’t get that,” Brent Holder said to the man.

Then the wife spoke up: (Continued on page 47)

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

THE VAT - PART IV (From page 46) “It start to sound like somebody was ‘sexing’ he in the room—” The man’s voice shook now: “I start to rap on the door—pound on the door— but ah couldn’t get it…That was when ah decide to throw me shoulder against it—to break it in—but just about then a heard a sound…”

“That was when,” said his common law wife, “the boy throw heself bodily out the window—and break he neck on the concrete slab by the stand pipe…”

And then the menacing darkness was rank on Brent Holder’s back—and suddenly it recoiled violently—and vanished.

Brent Holder awoke, beaded in perspiration, breathing in a tremulous panic, and his sister, her face contorted with fear, was cradling him in her arms.

“Oh God, Brent!—I just come in and I hear a sound like you were stifling and gasping for breath—as if somebody strangling! I rush in and see you fighting up on this bed as if somebody holding you down—and I put this chain my sweeper gave me, around your neck—and just like that, you woke up hollering!”

Brent Holder sat trembling, in his immodesty, in his sister’s arms.

“What was happening, Brent?—What was happening?” “ S o m e t h i n g — something…” His voice shook. “Something was trying to-to molest me, Vonny!” And he broke into weeping.

“Oh my God—Oh my God!” his sister whispered.

“Brent—you flying back with me tomorrow!”

He shook his head. “No. There is some kind of evil around me. I need to travel back by boat. If I cross water, maybe this evil won’t be able

to follow me.”

“Okay—but I’ll leave this chain on you—and don’t take it off, for Christ sake, Brent!”

“I won’t,” he whispered.

When his sister left, he got up, wrapped himself in a robe, went to the window that overlooked the street and its closed wooden shacks. He gazed beyond them to the waterside where the trawlers nestled in the fore-dawn gloom.

He knew now what caused those young men to kill themselves: The spirit of Jim Jones had become an incubus.

But I did not touch the vat—why was I attacked?

And it came to him in the form of his grandmother’s voice: “Brenty… you stopped them two policemen from touching that vat. You make them bury it! You saved plenty others going into that place from this evil—and because of that, it mark you!

Remember the thing like a slap? It mark you. Thank God your sister had that spirit guard! …

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood… but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

“It wasn’t a bad trip,” psychologist and crisis counselor, Yvonne Holder, was saying to, Debra, her assistant, “but in the end…” shook her head, “I couldn’t get to the bottom of why the spate of suicides happened.”

“But there haven’t been any more”, the assistant said.

Yvonne Holder was tempted to say, ‘not yet!’

Instead she said, “Thank God for that.”

“Well…” her assistant said, “It’s over—and thank God, indeed, for that.” She stood next to the filing cabinet nearest the window out of which poinsettias, bloomed

tropical red, in the windless humidity of Georgetown City.

The charwoman, entered with a broad smile. “Glad to see you’re back, girl. How was it?”

Yvonne Holder shook her head. “Miss Beulah, Port Kaituma is a place and a half— and thanks for that chain—I won’t be surprised if it saved me from something.”

“When you go strange places like that,” Beulah said, “there’s nothing wrong against protecting yourself, child.” She tilted her head and looked at the low-cut neck of the psychologist’s suit. “You didn’t bring it today?”

“I forgot it home, Miss Buelah,” she lied. “When I came in this morning and was adding lipstick in front of the bathroom mirror, I realized— ‘shucks!’—I forgot Beulah’s chain!”

“No problem—bring it tomorrow… I have a grandson who going in the bush this weekend, and they have a lot of spiritual nastiness going on in them gold fields. I need him to walk with it.”

Yvonne, thought of her brother Brent. The boat from the Northwest district would be in Georgetown City by mid-morning. Soon he would be home. She hoped he’d be okay.

Seeing him as if pinned onto his stomach and his shorts pulled down was frightening—very disturbing. She knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Beulah’s chain had saved her brother from something vile that night. She knew! Would he ever be the same? She was worried for him.

She gazed out of the window overlooking the city avenue, and thought of Port Kaituma, and wondered, when new reports of suicides by young men at Port Kaituma, would start coming in again.

THE END?

Page 47

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Kaieteur News

Book Review: Reviewer:

Dr Lomarsh Roopnarine In the first decade of the twenty-first century, a young Indian national, Rahul Bhattacharya, decides to give up what he is doing in India and goes to Guyana, not merely as a visitor, but also as a travel writer. Upon arrival, two factors immediately work in the writer’s favour. The first is that he looks like any other Indian in Guyana and is therefore able to penetrate Guyanese society much more easily and deeply than previous travel writers. This is evident in his extensive conversations with the locals and the use of the local pidgin dialect throughout the book.

Second is that he does not limit himself to Georgetown and the interior region. He spends a lot of time along the coast where a majority of Guyanese reside. As a consequence, his book, which is a mixture of facts and fiction, stands out from other books.

Bhattacharya probes very deeply into Guyanese society to the point where it becomes difficult to determine whether the author is a native or visi-

Sunday November 01, 2015

The Sly Company of People Who Care Author: Rahul Bhattacharya tor to Guyana.

The author leaves his homeland without with any particular agenda other than to explore Guyana. He, however, finds out quickly that “Guyana had the feel of an accidental place. Partly it was the epic indolence. Partly it was the ethnic composition.

In the slang of the street there were chinee, putagee, buck, coolie, blackman and the combinations emanating from these, a separate and larger lexicon. On the ramble in such a land you encounter a story everyday” (pp. 4-5). Like so many travelers to Guyana, one is immediately moved by the diverse population originally brought from Africa, Europe, and Asia to work on the sugar plantations. Each group retains its own culture, more or less, but also merges to reflect a Guyanese culture. But there is a sense of liberalism among the ethnic groups insofar as people are not offended if they are not addressed according to their correct names.

There are in Guyana names like Tallboy, Fat Gal, Boss Man, Banna, etc. The author uses these local aspects of Guyanese culture remarkably

well to produce a well-written, humorous, and provocative book. Equally significant is the authors’ candid views about the decay and disrepair of Georgetown, political corruption, honking minibuses, loud music, hustlers, the drug trade, steady out-migration, among other things.

After traveling through a great part of Guyana, Bhattacharya seems to be more comfortable in the Corentyne region, home to a majority of East Indians. He writes “Raw, accidental, those used to be my words. How long it took me to see that everything was brought here.

The land which had seemed to me so raw, was created. The crop it was cultivated for, sugarcane, sugar once so precious it was a royal dowry, was transplanted. And the society which had seemed to me so accidental was once made in the most deliberately manufactured was possible” (p. 109). The author is struck by the emotional attachment of indentured Indians to India, a place he admittedly says he is tired of. But he admires the intimacy Guyanese Indians have with India, which

they never, like him, have to grapple with. Herein lies one of the strengths of book.

Bhattacharya is able with ease to present a startling continuity of India in Guyana, the history, the culture, and how Guyanese Indians have taken parts of India and made them into their own. For example, the author is surprised to know that “seven curry” has become one main dish in Guyanese Indian Hindu weddings, but does not exist in India.

Some parts of the book are, however, unimpressive. The parts on Georgetown and the interior region are repeated in other travelogues. See, for example, the works of V.S. Naipaul and Jim Gimlette. The part on the Venezuelan border distracts from the main text, since it is not particularly clear, although in the final three chapters the confrontational dialogue between the author and the Immigration Officer reveals the power and intensity that so epitomize the enforcers of Guyana’s law and order. This book is also not for the thin-skinned since conversations are replete with indecent language and the

ridicule of women. The articulate use of the pidgin Creole alongside Standard English is the one of the main attractions of the book, not only because the usage is colourful and funny, but also because it is different from other travelogues, which tend to be tourist-oriented. One is, however, surprised at how someone who has lived in a foreign country for such a short time can have such an accurate written command of the local dialect. The author never ac-

knowledges whether someone helped him in this regard.

The book is a good read and will appeal to a wide audience interested in Guyanese culture and society.

Rahul Bhattacharya, The Sly Company of People Who Care, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011.

Note: this review first appeared in the Journal of Caribbean Literature (2014)

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

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An 11-year-old cancer patient tells her story more attention to their children.

If they say somewhere is hurting them, as parents, you should take them to the doctor and don’t blame it on their playfulness.”

A report from the Ministry of Public Health shows that cancer has been the third leading cause of mortality in Guyana.

Prostate, breast, lung and cervical cancers are the main

The little girl’s grandmother, Celestine DeFreitas

From page 26 tests, doctor’s appointments and treatment will become part of their daily life- this has also become part of Shelly’s daily life.

During an interview at the hospital Friday, the brave 11year-old told this newspaper, “I am doing really well right now. I feel better than before.”

Her grandmother, with a smile on her face, said Shelly dealt with her sickness like a mature person.

“She tells people how she feels and she tells them about her experience. She is not someone who is scared and who would be crying all the time.

There is always a smile on her face. You could never tell that she has cancer,” her maternal grandmother said.

She recalled that in August 2014, her daughter (Shelly’s mother) called from Port Kaituma and informed her that Shelly was being transferred to GPHC. “I asked her (Shelly’s mother) what happened but she said that she doesn’t know.

When Shelly reached here (GPHC) and I went to the hospital, after all the tests

were done, the doctor told me that she has cancer,” the grandmother recalled.

She added that the doctor then asked her permission to have Shelly undergo immediate surgery to remove the infected ovary before the cancer cell spreads.

“She (Shelly) didn’t know what was going on until the doctor come and tell me that he don’t think Shelly knows what is going on and I ask him if he could tell her and he said that he would,” DeFreitas recalled.

According to Shelly, when she was informed that she has cancer, she had no idea what cancer was at the time.

“When they first did the ultra-sound, they said it was a mass but like I didn’t know what it was and then mom (her grandmother) asked the doctor what he means and then he said it was cancer,” Shelly disclosed.

The little girl bravely said that she refused to think of her illness as a sickness but instead she lives every day like any other person.

Asked what she would like to tell the public, Shelly said, “Parents should pay

categories affecting the Guyanese population.

The report also shows that during the period 20042012 over 3,400 persons died from various forms of cancer, with the largest number of deaths being 621 in 2011.

According to cancer experts, many people believe that getting cancer is related to genes, fate or bad luck. But through scientific research, it was discovered that the risk

actually depends on a combination of genes, the environment and other aspects of our daily lives, many of which can be control.

Cancer is caused by damage to our DNA, the chemical instructions that tell our cells what to do.

Things in our environment, such as UV rays, or our lifestyle, such as the cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco, can damage our

DNA. This damage builds up over time. If a cell develops too much damage to its DNA, it can start to multiply and become out of control – this is how cancer starts.

By simply keeping a healthy bodyweight, not smoking, cutting back on alcohol, enjoying the sun safely and keeping active can decrease your chances of having cancer.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 01, 2015

Quick response by Firemen saves Crescent Mall A mid-morning fire at the Crescent Mall in Co-Op Crescent, Linden, believed to be of electrical origin left one store completely destroyed and another scorched.

The quick response of the fire service averted greater disaster.

One eyewitness, Kenton Jennings, aka ‘Peek a Boo’, said that it was around 9:45 hours he and his friend were on the road when they saw the smoke and went into action.

“Me and Paul de just putting up de tent when we see de smoke and at de same time a lady came crying and say me daughter shop burning. So right away we run and get into action.”

Jennings said that he and his friend ran in the building and saw fire under the door of the store on the upper floor so they broke the door.

By this time the fire tender arrived and even though the firemen were disoriented for a moment they were able to control the blaze.

Another tender arrived to assist but while some firemen were inside fighting, others were outside drawing water from the Demerara River.

The owner of the store, Rushell Adams, of 1934 Lover’s Lane, Amelia’s Ward,

Crescent Mall was in Georgetown at the time television set and a sound of the fire. According to system. She blames the faulty Adams’ mother, her daughter electrical wiring in the building sold only brand name for the fire. clothing.

She said, “Every time de “Just de other day she get salons around put on their two barrels of brand name dryer or anything we lights clothes. We lose bout $5M in does go off. We tell dem so goods.” many times and dem ent do A very emotional Adams nothing. When we peep in de said the only electrical point by de door it was equipment in the shop were a sparking.”

GTT now offering Mobile Money service to Digicel customers More than two and half years after GTT launched its Mobile Money Guyana (MMG) service, the telephone company yesterday announced that Digicel customers can now join up.

The initiative was effective yesterday.

According to GTT, since the launch of Mobile Money in March 2013, the service was limited to its customers only.

“The demand for the service has influenced the offer to the other network.

Now, everyone can register,” GTT said.

Registration for Mobile Money is free for customers of both networks.

All registered customers will be able to now make deposits into their phones; pay bills (buy prepaid GPL

tokens); send money to anyone, anywhere in Guyana; cash-out funds from their phones and shop at approved merchants with just their phone, any time of day.

GTT said that customers from the other network (Digicel) can now use mobile money on Android or Blackberry Smartphones, via the Mobile Money App. GTT said, however, that the purchase of Top Up credit

by Digicel is still not available.

“All mobile customers have the option to sign up online or at any of our agents and offices.

GTT’s Mobile Money service has been making a big difference in the lives of thousands of Guyanese who prefer to make payments without joining long lines and wasting time.

With the introduction to

the other network users, the service will become even more popular and widespread throughout Guyana,” GTT said.

Director, Eshwar Thakurdin, boasted that “in 2015, we launched the App to simplify how payments are made.

Only last month, we announced that all GTT bill payments are now updated instantly, and in a few days, Courts (Unicomer) Guyana will be joining the list of bills you can pay with Mobile Money.”

When it was launched in March 2013, GTT signaled intentions to target especially the hinterlands to make it easier for persons working there to send monies home.

GTT had managed to rope in the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) and the Institute of Private Enterprise and Development (IPED) as two of the places its customers can pay their bills to. Customers can also pay their GT&T bills, including DSL internet and landlines with charges ranging between $20 and $100 – less than a taxi fare for visiting a city bank or utility company.

GTT had argued that with credit cards fast overtaking cash, financial concepts are also changing rapidly.

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

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Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

Consumer Concerns

By PAT DIAL In Western societies, from medieval times, the aged were never regarded as a challenge.

It was only when societies became industrialized with concomitant urbanization that Old People became isolated and were oftentimes regarded as a burden.

In rural societies, people lived in families with older members having their rightful and valued place, and in the villages, older people were regarded as an accepted and necessary part of the social landscape.

With the growth of urbanization, individual living space became much smaller and more costly, and could house an individual worker and possibly a spouse, but there was no place or space for the older members of a family who could not be a part of the urban work-force. Such old folk were left in their dwindling rural communities with very few to accord them any help or care.

This led to the growth of commercial institutions, sometimes called “Homes for the aged” or “Nursing homes” where children or relatives could place their older members at a fee.

These institutions generally offered a clean furnished room with comfortable bed, medical help, meals and some exercising facilities. There was always a nurse on duty.

These “Homes” must be distinguished from the more ancient hostels or refuges conducted by Churches and

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Homes for elderly could be enriched by ancient wisdom

other religious bodies, and even individuals, which offered food and shelter for the homeless, the old, the sick and the indigent. Religious bodies conducted such refuges as charities and no charges were made or sought.

In Guyana, among the oldest of such institutions are the “Alms House” now known as the “Palms” and the Dharm Shala in Berbice and Georgetown founded by the Hindu leader and great philanthropist, Pandit Ramsaroop Maraj, nearly a century ago.

Such “Old Peoples Home” or “Nursing Homes” are gradually beginning to emerge in Guyana and part of the reason for this is the very heavy emigration of Guyanese to the United States and other countries leaving behind their older relatives in Guyana.

These emigrants have often sent monetary remittances to those left behind as well as supplies of food and clothing inexpensively shipped in “barrels”.

But there eventually comes a time when these older relatives become too old, sick and isolated and a “nursing home” is the only alternative open to them.

A few weeks ago, a large well-appointed Nursing Home, the Demerara Paradise, was opened at Le Ressouvenir on the East Coast Demerara. In addition to catering for a local clientele, the administrators expect an overseas clientele as well and they have provided accommodation for visiting

Guyanese from the Diaspora who may wish to be near their older relatives who may be residents. Unlike most Homes, Demerara Paradise provides entertainment facilities such as gym, cinema and library.

But Nursing Homes and Homes for Old People are not all goodness and glitter.

They have two major deficiencies: The residents often sense that they are sent there by their relatives to assuage their consciences or for them to die not in isolation. And these Homes tend to crush any manifestation of independence of spirit in the residents. The Guyanese author, Beryl Gilroy, made a study and analysis of such Homes in her novel, Frangipanni House, she underlines these two deficiencies.

These “Homes” which proliferate in the Developed Countries are now beginning to emerge in Guyana and could certainly learn from the wisdom of the ancients how to make themselves more worthwhile to the residents and their families and more amenable to the fundamental needs of the aged.

In the Vedic tradition, that is about 4000 B.C., the life of a man was divided into four phases: The first phase is that period from babyhood to Youth when a person acquires Education and skills. The second phase is that of the Householder when the Youth becomes married, raises a family, earns money and creates wealth for Society.

The third phase is that when the householder begins to age and when he must begin to devote himself to public service and assisting his fellow-man in any ways he could and increase his knowledge of God. And the fourth phase is when the person, now aged, fully concentrates on getting nearer to God and prepares for death. These Phases are of course not mutually exclusive but dove-tail into each other.

The residents of the Homes tend to be in the Third Phase moving into the Fourth.

In the Homes the residents could be given the opportunity of doing public service. For example, they could be encouraged to pass on their knowledge of peculiar skills to younger people or be encouraged to write.

Almost all would be able to dictate on tape their life’s experiences which could be of interest to relatives or even others. They may even be story-tellers to the young.

Those who are so inclined could be involved in agricultural research or in painting. Van Gough did many of his famous paintings

when in mental hospital and T.S.Elliot wrote much great poetry when he was in a like institution.

But most important of all, those in the last two Phases could be taught meditation so as to still the mind and achieve greater peace and happiness and increase their knowledge of God and Religion.

In our Western Tradition and Culture, life is regarded as one seamless tissue moving from birth to death.

Thus when the inevitable changes occur to body and mind with the progression of life, we are caught unprepared

and become traumatic. And death comes as an explosive disaster. Grafting this ancient wisdom of the Phases of Life into our Western Tradition could certainly help us to manage life’s progress with less tension and trauma.

Probably some knowledge of this ancient wisdom could be introduced into the Education system.

Accordingly, if these Homes if they were able to exploit this ancient wisdom, they may enrich their offerings and give their residents greater fortitude and creativity.

NYPD Detective gets...

(From page 15) funeral that could easily be dubbed a celebrated event were the Guyana Police Force’s band delivery of the meditation and tribute; to God be the glory, Beethoven and Chopin numbers which ultimately ended with the Last Post.

Soon after with all ranks in file from both the GPF and NYPD near the graveside, the 21-gun salute was delivered and the NYPD standard was handed over to Randolph Holder senior. Members of the Police Force’s choir in tribute to the fallen rank sang, “I Just can’t give up now.”

A private family gathering followed before the champagne to bronze casket was interred in the area where the Enmore Martyrs lay.

(Mondale Smith)

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Sunday November 01, 2015

Are you afraid of going to the dentist?

For some people, the fear of going to the dentist is far worse than the pain of a toothache. However, this fear can lead to greater oral health problems and longer, more complicated procedures.

Being afraid is not the way to go.

Most adults who suffer from dental anxiety can trace their fears back to unpleasant childhood experiences.

Maybe their first visit to the dentist was because of pain caused by a rotten tooth. The removal of the rotten tooth was probably an experience that made them reluctant and fearful to go to a dentist again. Some will come right out and say that they don’t like needles or that they don’t like the sound of the dental drill.

These concerns should not be ignored and should be addressed by the dentist.

Whether you are fearful or not, every individual should be made to feel as comfortable as possible before any dental treatment.

For those of you who are afraid of going to the dentist here are some possible explanations: · Dental anxiety is a

reaction to an unknown danger. Anxiety is extremely common, and most people experience some degree of dental anxiety especially if they are about to have something done which they’ve never experienced before. · Dental fear is a reaction to a known danger - “I know what the dentist is going to do, been there, done that – I’m scared!!” · Dental phobia is basically the same as fear, only much stronger - “I know what happens when I go to the dentist – there’s no way I’m going back if I can help it”. Someone with a dental phobia will avoid dental care at all costs until the problem become too much to bear.

Some of the most common causes of dental phobia are: · Bad experiences at a dental office or with a dentist during treatment. · Uncaring dentist - the pain caused by a dentist who is seen as cold and controlling is more likely to create a bad experience than a dentist who is seen as being caring. · Humiliation – insensitive, humiliating or embarrassing remarks by a

dentist or a dental worker can help to cause dental phobias. · Vicarious learning – listening to what others say about their experience at the dentist can sometimes affect how you see dentists. People are more likely talk about the bad experiences they had at the dentist instead of the good ones. If a parent or other caregiver is afraid of dentists, children may pick up on this and learn to be afraid as well, even if the children themselves never had a bad experience.

Anyone can be affected by dental phobia - it doesn’t matter if you are young or old, a man or a woman, or rich or poor.

Dental phobias can have a lot of effects on a person’s life, and can cause anxiety and depression. Because of embarrassment over your teeth, you might avoid smiling, laughing too hard, meeting people even those who are close friends, or avoid jobs which involve contact with the public.

Loss of self-esteem and intense feelings of guilt over not having looked after one’s teeth properly are also very common. People who suffer from dental phobia also sometimes avoid going to a medical doctor because they are afraid that the doctor might want to look into their mouth during an examination.

If you suffer from dental phobia, you may think that nobody else feels the way

you do. Actually, quite a lot of people do! Research has suggested that quite a number of persons do not go to the dentist because of fear and many more than that have some form of anxiety about dentistry. But, all is not lost - improvements in techniques, medications, and equipment mean that even the

most fearful patients can be assured that their visits now will be more comfortable.

Today’s dentistry can be pain-free and there are many personable, kind and compassionate dental professionals around. Most people who have suffered from dental fears and phobias say that having found the

right dentist for them has made all the difference. This is especially true when fears were caused by previous bad experiences.

It is recommended that young children be exposed to dental check-ups at an early age so as to avoid their first encounter with a dentist being a painful one.

If shame, embarrassment and guilt are keeping you away from seeing a dentist, you’ve got plenty of company. However, it’s likely that most dentists have seen teeth that are as bad as or worse than yours, and dentists should not make patients embarrassed or uncomfortable about the condition of their teeth.

That may have been common years ago, but is not nearly as prevalent today. If you are worried about how a dentist will react to the condition of your mouth, try to remember that a dentist has seen everything from black and broken teeth, to no teeth at all.

Your teeth shouldn’t shock your dentist. Dentists are trained to help people who are experiencing problems with their teeth and gums – it’s our job to fix these problems and offer preventive treatment where possible.

For more information contact OMNI DENTAL on Tel: 227-0025, 260-3133 or send comments to nerominifagu@hotmail.com.

President donates second boat to Pomeroon students Just over two months after donating the first school boat, “David G”, to children residing in the Lower Pomeroon River to assist them to journey to and from school at a lesser cost, President David Granger revisited the Essequibo Coast where he made a similar donation on Friday of another boat, “David G 2”.

This time the recipients were the children of the Upper Pomeroon River.

Granger told a mammoth crowd that he returned to the Essequibo Coast to donate a second boat which was presented to him by Professor Suresh Narine, of CGX. He had earlier held discussions especially with residents of the Pomeroon River who were experiencing financial difficulties to send their children to school on a regular basis.

Granger believes that every child should obtain an education and thus urged parents to send their children to school. He said that every child deserves a place in school and so be better able

At the commissioning of the boat on Friday at Pomeroon, Region 2 to solve both economic and developmental problems in their country.

He said Friday’s simple ceremony was intended to celebrate education.

Regional Executive Officer, Rupert Hopkinson, during his deliverance said the boat

would atomically be used by all of us, further asserting that the boat would be used for the country’s development.

Hopkinson urged persons to take responsibility for education.

President David Granger was accompanied by Minister of Social Cohesion,

Amna Ali, Professor Suresh Naraine, Komal Singh, Region Two Education Officer, Bramadai Seepersaud, REO, Rupert Hopkinson, prominent businessman, Alfro Alphonso and Ms. Doreen Duncan.

The simple ceremony was held at “ Dice Lee’, in Charity.

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

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Hindu organisations support November 10 as Deepawali 2015 Several Hindu organizations have come out in a profound sense of compulsion to publicly state and/or reiterate the position taken that Deepawali 2015 must be observed on the night of November 10.

The organizations said that their conviction on this date has been articulated much earlier in the year and is based on calculations premised on the knowledge of renowned Astrologists, Kaushik, Kaashi and Bhaskaar.

“These Panchangs/ Patras (Astrological guides), all convincingly demonstrate that Deepawali 2015 is on November 10.”

The organizations in support of the November 10 date are Sanatan Vaidic Dharma Pandits’ Sabhaa of Region 3 headed by Pandit Balbadar Pandit Chowbay; Par Upkaric Sabha in Essequibo; Pandit Rudranauth Sharma and Associates from the Guyana Pandits’ Council; Maha Sabha; Gandhi Youth Organisation; Cove & John Ashram; Swami Aksharananda; Pandit Prabhu Deo Sharma and others from the Corentyne; Pandit Dr. Budhindranath Doobay of the Federation of Hindu Temples and Priest incharge of the Vishnu Mandir in Toronto; Pandit Rattan (Rajin) Balgobind, of the Hindu Society of Berbice.

The Hindu groups argued that if the basic of reasons, that the festival must be observed during the darkest night of the year, is examined, this night would be revealed to be November 10.

It must be noted that the Viraat Sabhaa along with the

(Back row from left to right): Pt. Krishna Patiram, Pt. Sodama Maraj Pt. Vijay Doobay, Pt. Hardesh Tiwari, Pt. Dhanesh Prashad, Bahinji Devica Uditram, Pt. Gopi Prashad, Pt. Maheshwar Maraj, Pt. Bhagwandin (Dado), and Pt. Aditya Persaud – Front row from Left to Right (sitting): Pt. Ubraj Narine, Pt. Somnauth Sharma, Pt. Rudra Sharma, Pt. Rabindranath Persaud, Pt. Balbadar and Pt. Maneshwar Sawh. above mentioned Hindu Organisations and the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, have a common agreement that the new moon would be born around 13:47 hrs on Wednesday, November 11.

Therefore, to celebrate Deepawali on the night of November 11, would be during the new moon (Shukla Paksh) and would be rendered inappropriate. This most basic of reasons point to Deepawali being on the night of November 10.

The Hindu groups said without ambiguity that their position regarding the 2015 date for Deepawali is not intended to be a source of conflict with any other Hindu organization.

“Our position is taken based on what we believe as

Hindu leaders; to correct a glaring discrepancy regarding the date of November 11, which is reflected on national calendars as Deepawali, 2015.”

As a matter of fact, the groups explained, this date was reflected on the Viraat Sabhaa’s 2015 calendar.

Being cognizant of this earlier in the year, Pandits affiliated to the Viraat Sabhaa, informed and apologised for this mistake and commenced an edifying process with regard to what we all believed to be the right date; November 10.

This was done and sustained through television programmes and the Mandirs.”

The groups emphasised that their position was not premised on creating division

within the Hindu community.

“Our intention was solely based on correcting what we believed to be the wrong date for Deepawali. We see this as part of our responsibilities as Hindu leaders. It should be noted that the difference of opinion for some Hindu auspicious dates for 2015, was not confined to Deepawali, but also affected

Phagwah, Janamasthmi, Hanuman Jayanti and Pitri Paksh. The Guyana Pandits’ Council and many other Mandirs celebrated this year’s Phagwah the day before what was reflected on the national calendar.

Attempts were made during the latter part of last year (2014) to have these differences resolved.”

According to the group, some persons have ventured to create the impression that only in Guyana there is a difference of opinion regarding this year’s date for Deepawali.

This issue, they said, however, is not unique to Guyana for this year, and is the case also in the United States of America and Canada. South India will celebrate on November 10 while the North on November 11.

The Group’s petition to Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, who has responsibility for the declaration of national holidays, was supported by some 90 Pandits and Hindu leaders who represent a vast majority of Hindus in Guyana.

The petition was strongly supported by evidence based on religious considerations which they believe were compelling enough for the date to be reassigned.

Among those who supported the petition are the Sanatan Vaidic Dharma Pandits’ Sabhaa of Region Three headed by Pandit Balbadar who is a Hindu Philosopher, Sanskrit Teacher and Author; Pandit Continued on page 68

Page 68

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 01, 2015

UG registrar has an M&CC considers extending Tax open door policy Amnesty - Hamilton Green In the wake of student complaints against high tuition fees and late registration, the University of Guyana Registrar, Dr Nigel Gravesande, stated that they are working on productive curriculum development and a student friendly environment.

He stated that while he made appointments with the students who had concerns, none showed up.

Dr. Gravesande emphasized that he has an open door policy at the University and students would normally come to him without making appointments.

He stated that he will not rest until the registry at the University has been transformed into a student focused and student friendly environment. “My office would be one of service,” he declared.

Dr. Gravesande hopes to make UG a respected tertiary institution, as such he stated his intent of trying to attract students from Community colleges and Sixth forms across Caricom. He hopes to efficiently deliver student services and to develop a structured community service programme for students.

He further intimated that he will help to create links between regional and international tertiary institutions in an effort to benefit from a diversified and wider human resource base.

The Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is “favourably considering” extending the Tax Amnesty project for a few more days.

This disclosure was made

by Mayor Hamilton Green, yesterday.

The tax amnesty period was scheduled to conclude yesterday.

According to Mayor Green, there have been several requests to have the project extended. “There are people that have serious financial crisis. Then there are those coming from overseas and the retired public servants”, the Mayor explained.

He said that a special committee that was selected to oversee the affairs of the tax amnesty project-

consisting of Deputy Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green; Town Clerk, Royston King; and Councillor, Junior Garrett is now looking into the requests.

The Mayor related that the M&CC will soon release a statement about whether or not the project will be given another extension.

When questioned about the amount of money the Council had garnered thus far, Green said that he was unable to specify the amount.

However, during an interview last month, Deputy Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green said that the Council has collected approximately $400M in taxes from defaulting taxpayers during the amnesty. But she stressed that millions are still owed by residents and

Mayor Hamilton Green businesses.

The tax amnesty project was launched on September, 1, last, and saw persons meeting with a panel to have

their tax issues resolved. It was then extended until October 31, to allow tax debtors additional time to honour their civic obligation of paying rates and taxes.

Under the amnesty project, residential properties will receive total amnesty on interest, but companies and businesses must apply to the Council for between 50 per cent and 75 per cent amnesty on tax interest.

The Council has noted that about 300 businesses are in default of paying taxes, this year. The Georgetown M&CC, from time to time, has offered delinquent taxpayers waivers on tax interest through amnesty.

The venture is seen as a method of collecting hundreds of millions owed to the Council.

Suriname withholds information...

From page 12 ‘national security’.

Surinamese gunboats in 2000 evicted the Guyana-licensed, Canadian-operated CGX petroleum exploration platform from what is believed to be one of the region’s largest petroleum and natural gas fields.”

Granger, like Greenidge thinks that the best way at this time is the bilateral discourse.

He said that that discourse, however, must be grounded on the principles of mutual respect and a repudiation of the use of force.

The President said that Guyana has no doubt about the soundness of the bases on which it exercises sovereignty of its territory. It

has no fear in having Suriname’s claim to its territory resolved by an adjudicatory process.

“The discourse will be helped by ready access to the archival documents which are pertinent to the issues to be resolved. These must be open to both sides for scrutiny in order to determine that there has been full adherence to the principles of international law as they relate to sovereignty over territory.

“Guyana has already made a large portion of its documents available to Suriname for its scrutiny. It is hoped that the Suriname Government will do likewise by requesting the Netherlands Government to open the relevant Dutch

Archives to facilitate research by both sides. The British Archives are open to all.

Guyana has nothing to hide,” said Granger.

Nevertheless, the President said that Guyana is committed to collaborating on reaching a peaceful solution to the territorial controversies.

He further stated that Guyana has no intention of displaying aggression towards its neighbours. It will continue to work to bring about a peaceful resolution to the controversies with Venezuela and Suriname.

However, the President made no qualms about saying “as far as Guyana is concerned,…the border takes first place.”

Hindu organisations support....

From page 67 Chowbay, an academic, from the Par Upkaric Sabha in Essequibo; Pandit Rudranauth Sharma and associates from the Guyana Pandits’ Council; the Maha Sabha; the Gandhi Youth Organisation; the Cove & John Ashram.; Pandit Prabhu Deo Sharma and others from the Corentyne.

It should be noted that Swami Aksharananda in Guyana, was firm that if Deepawali is to be celebrated after the birth of the new moon, it would be inappropriate.

The petition was also supported by renowned Pandit Dr. Budhindranath Doobay of the Federation of Hindu Temples and Priest incharge of the Vishnu Mandir in Toronto and Pandit Rajin Balgobind, of the Hindu Society of Berbice. It is, therefore, inaccurate to suggest that a minority of

Hindu leaders in Guyana disagree with the November 11 date.

While we are cognizant of the impact this could have on the Hindu community, we believe that we would have abandoned our responsibility not to correct this unfortunate development.

Also, we believe that not because an organization misleadingly claiming to have been deciding such dates for forty years, means that it cannot be wrong.

It should also be noted that the Maha Sabha in Trinidad and Tobago is celebrating Deepawali on November 10 and it is also a national holiday in that country.

Originally, the Maha Sabha of Trinidad & Tobago had printed the November 11 as the date for Diwali.

However, after this incorrect date was recognised, the organisation was

magnanimous in recognizing their error, changing the date to November 10.

“While we would urge that devotees be guided by the teachings of our religion and observe the festival on November 10, we are also cognizant of the fact that we live in a democratic society.

As such we believe that Hindus must also enjoy the freedom of celebrating Deepawali on which ever day they believe.

This Group calls for meaningful engagements with all Hindu representative bodies to help derive accurate auspicious Hindu dates for 2016. Given how some of these dates directly impact national holidays, a respectful suggestion would be for the subject Minister to convene related discussions with all Hindu leaders and learned Priests in an effort to prevent a repetition of what is transpiring this year.”

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox Education and training must no longer be on political generosity DEAR EDITOR, Time for Action; the report of the West Indian Commission, quotes “Education, skills, the knowledge-base and entrepreneurship constitute together the human input into the process…”, it went onto say, “More than ever before greater skills, more research and development, more vigorous entrepreneurship are needed to maintain and strengthen international competitiveness…”.

Relevance of the two decade old work of that commission is now imposed on our economy and an appreciation of Education as the vehicle for achieving greater social mobility and equilibrium in our society is being acknowledged.

It is time for a concentrated tri-partite consultation between the Ministry of Education, Department of Labour and Private Sector Interest Groups, to craft a diverse framework for training at TECHVOC institutions to ensure demand driven training is provided.

Considering the interlinkages between the world of study and world of work in our society SMART targets must be set to reverse the deflationary trends currently experienced in education.

Demand driven training

will enhance productivity within communities/regions, promote growth of the local economies and shift the trend of urbanisation. However, there must be consideration for geography and the availability of natural resources within those communities/regions when focusing on sustainable training programmes.

Additionally this will strengthen human resource capacity, providing skills for employment and entrepreneurship and promoting active participation in the labour market. Such focus is essential if we are to guarantee value for money in education, reduce unemployment and achieve equitable distribution of income.

Therefore comprehensive steps must be taken to ensure investments in TECHVOC Education provides adequate dividend to society.

This will require re-tooling TECHVOC Education in three critical areas namely school administration, financing and monitoring and evaluation.

The issue of School Administration amplifies the need for trained administrators in education with hands-on experience in management and a motivation for innovation and entrepreneurship. Institutions

should also have the capacity to fundraise and earn an income through provision of services in their communities/ regions, this can provide resources- acquired materials for training. Periodic data analysis should be conducted, research should be readily available to provide clarity of supply scarcity, private sector demand, market needs and improvements to curricula relevant to local requirements.

Improvements of those critical areas will ensure graduates are able to participate in economic activities at productivity levels equivalent to training acquired.

Networking between Education and Industry to make those improvements a reality will create the collective support mechanism to training institutions that is deemed essential to reversing the current negative social and economic consequences of education deflation in our economy. Consultations must therefore result in effective planning to deliberately ensure that Education and Training Systems are geared towards the needs of the economy and not political grandstanding as Government seeks to increase youth participation in the labour market.

Dennis Mayers

DEAR EDITOR, It is no secret that the previous Minister of Education, PriyaManikchand tried effortlessly with some success towards raising the education system in our schools.

Whilst many complain, we see the development in our children (those who have an interest) and many teachers like those from Zeelugt Primary School and DeKendren Nursery School.

We must ensure we keep up to date with their progress.

These educators and children would even urge you to play an active role in assisting them and although the former Minister is no longer in education, she should be happy with the ongoing development and some of us are grateful for her efforts.

Over the years social media is being bombarded with all sort of stuff and some would have a lasting effect on us.

There has been an upsurge in videos of children being abused in the worst possible ways.

One shows a man kicking

a little boy to do school work.

Some cried to see what children endure secretly but after the videos are posted, authorities quickly go to the children’s rescue and get the abusers persecuted with the help of citizens.

Whilst many are grateful for these protections, some who condone and partake in this practice would ensure that they are free from exposure and continue abusing small defenseless children.

None of the videos I’ve watched so far originate from Guyana, but that doesn’t mean that is not happening here.

Over the years there is a few cases and some are reported by teachers after they exposed out and whilst many witness these abuses, they are scared because the way our system operates there’s no protection for those who report child abuses, especially legally which could be prove lengthy and costly as in my case.

Editor, our teachers’ work is cut out for them and although they have a passion

for teaching and the children’s welfare, some of the stress/burden should be taken from them so that they could be able to concentrate on their teachings because some teachers spend more time on some children than the children’s own parents and when they know the kids are being abused. It bothers the teachers tremendously.

This new administration should set up a body that could visit schools either monthly or weekly and interact with the children and build a relationship with them and then get to interact with them and find out who are being abused and offer some form of protection.

We have a long way to go to eradicate child abuse and we have to start somewhere, because as many are trying to combat it, those who believe in abusing are devising method to avoid persecution and sadly very young children faced their anger and that damage them physically and physiologically for the rest of their lives.

Sahadeo Bates

Child abuse needs unceasing monitoring

Page 69

Kaieteur M@ilbox Guyanese East Indians or Guyanese Asians?

DEAR EDITOR, A recent letter posed the question “Where are the Indian-Guyanese intellectuals”? The question posed is “Why aren’t Indians speaking out about their physical existence?

According to the letter, their silence may be due to (1) not being capable of ‘articulating a position on their behalf ...’ or (2) their fear of being seen as ‘racists’.

I found the observation that ‘Africans and Indians were brought to this country ..................and their voices are drowned by a national culture that does not legitimately embrace the Indian culture as part of the national fabric of dear Guyana...’ a bit strange. We have all heard of the divideand-rule policy of rulers and leaders, to further their aims.

That seemed to be the policy of our colonial masters.

As I see it - since childhod

- when I spent school holidays with my father ’s family on the Essequibo coast, Indians - I prefer the term ‘Asians’, to include both Hindus and Muslims are as intelligent as any other people, but they seem to prefer to concentrate on ‘money matters’ and are, on the whole, good at figures, and are keen savers. On the whole, they stick to their dialect.

As children, we always found it funny when my father tried to ‘revert’ to the language of his visiting birth family.

I recall spending time as a 10-year old with my much older male cousin and his family and ‘testing’ my arithmetic against his. He had a rice field, in which he toiled daily.

Off duty, with fascination, I watched him counting numbers by touching his fingers in turn, presumably

keeping the total in his head.

At the end, we had the same result, my counting done by arithmetic learnt at school!

Fifteen years later, he had more rice fields, owned a petrol station, a lovely home, and was a well-known businessman, to whom members of the middle class of other races would turn in times of trouble, for a “tideover.”

I found it amusing when they requested him not to mention it to anyone. Asians, in their often quiet manner, operate in a different way.

My father did. An avid reader, he was one of the most knowledgeable people I ever knew, and kept his views of politicians and politics to himself.

My tendency would be to “leave well alone”. We may have to rely on the younger generation to put perceived wrongs right.

Geralda Dennison

From page 6 invaded her privacy and tormented her. It leaves me to wonder if these young criminals have sisters, were they conceived in a mother’s womb and are they human at all. To commit a criminal act is one thing but to traumatize their victim is a totally a different story. The violence that the victims are put through is wanton

destruction of human existence.

It tells me that our young men are reflecting the way they were raised in a general sense.

They apparently had to face hate and violence in their formative years, so now they are putting out what was a learned behavior over a period of time. I dare say that there is absolutely no human

reason for anyone to perpetuated violence against anyone, whether it be domestic or otherwise. I call on the minister of National Security to up the ante and deal the this increasing scourge against humanity, and the police to do whatever is necessary to pull back our society from the control of criminal elements.

Bishop Ivan John

These young violent men may...

Page 70

Kaieteur News

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Sunday November 01, 2015

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Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 71

Two cars collide on Canje Public Road The drivers of these two cars escaped with minor injuries after they were involved in a head on collision on the Goed Bananen Land Public Road, East Canje, Berbice.

According to information, around 21:00 hrs on Thursday the drivers were proceeding in opposite directions when they collided.

The driver of HC 601, Leslie Williams of Canefield, East Canje, Berbice, was proceeding north along the Western carriageway (towards New Amsterdam) with one passenger inside.

The driver of HC 2229, (the 212 car) Calvin Clarke, also of Canefield, East Canje, Berbice, was proceeding south along the eastern driveway (deeper into Canje). Clarke reportedly lost control of HC 2229 and ended up in the pathway of HC 601.

The collision caused extensive damages to both vehicles.

The drivers and the passenger in HC 601 were treated and sent away.

Protest hits MMA/ADA open day activities From page 70 The protestors

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Inner Retreat Hotel Restaurant & Bar, Retreat Road Parika. Indoor /Outdoor bar in Picturesque setting – Phone: 260-4504; 685-6934 As Guyana continues its search for rice markets, farmers from the West Coast Berbice (WCB) staged a protest outside the Mahaica Maichony Abary/ Agriculture Development Authority (MMA/ADA) head office in Onverwagt, WCB, on Wednesday.

The protest took place during the MMA/ADA annual open day and exhibition.

During the event, Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, announced that there were several projects to come on stream to improve drainage and irrigation in the Mahaica, Mahaicony and Abary areas.

F. Basdeo, Chairman of the Rice Producers Association (RPA) of the fourth rice growing district in Guyana led the protest group of about a dozen farmers.

“We are here to picket because we have not made money in rice and in the election campaign we were promised $9000 per bag,” he said.

“The past government cheated us and the price we are getting now is ranging from $1900 to $2000 a bag. It can’t pay us.”

“The cost of production is $90, 000 per acre. And we can only receive $60,000 in return,” the farmer continued.

“We owe the bank and all the loans calculated from last crop are $3,000 per bag. So when we (are) getting $1900

and $2000 we can’t repay our debt.”

“This Government gave the miners duty free concessions on fuel and other things. And they gave GUYSUCO by the billions.

And (they gave) nothing for the rice farmers. We are going down the drain. It is very serious.”

“We want to know how we will send our children to school. How are we going to buy food for them? We can’t pay our debt. Already some of our rice farmers start to commit suicide. And it is very serious,” he said, alluding to

one suicide committed in Black Bush Polder and another in Essequibo.

“So our future is dull; we can’t go back into the field.

Because when the millers take out for their fertilizer alone that we took from them and the bank take out their money, we can’t return to the land.”

He related that money to buy fuel and fertilizers would be borrowed from the millers, perpetuating a cycle whereby the Government would disburse money to millers for paying farmers, but significant delays would

leave farmers on the edge of bankruptcy.

The late payments are in contravention of the Rice Factory Act. The Rice Factory Act mandates that payments be made in full to rice farmers by millers within 42 days of receipt of paddy.

Also he related that money would be taken from the commercial banks for machinery, service debts, and mortgages and to pay laborers.

“We cannot honor those debt obligations, because of the current paddy price we are receiving.”

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recently, a similar matter against a police Officer was discontinued because a young female Constable declined to pursue it further.

This was despite the matter being thoroughly investigated and engaging the attention of the Police

Service Commission.

A week ago, the Director of Prison, Welton Trotz was sent packing after he was belatedly charged with sexually assaulting one of his female ranks, an incident which allegedly occurred way back in January this year.

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Officer fingered in alleged sexual...

From page 14 was told by a staff at the office that she should speak to the Commander of the Division in which the incident occurred.

“When you look at it, he is sending us to speak to persons where this Officer is the Deputy Commander. That ain’t make no sense!” the woman declared.

Sexual harassment of junior female police ranks by senior male Officers is nothing new in the Guyana Police Force and other disciplined services.

There have been several instances over the years which have gone unreported for fear of victimization.

This newspaper was reliably informed that only

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Sunday November 01, 2015

STANDARDS IN FOCUS

Standards can help to improve the services sector According to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), “services are the largest and most dynamic component of the economies of both developed and developing countries. Important in their own right, they also serve as crucial inputs into the production of most goods.”

Not only do services represent the fastest growing sector of the global economy, but they also account for two thirds of global output, one third of global employment, and nearly 20% of global trade.

In both our personal and professional lives, few could deny the vital importance of services. Whether they are targeted at individuals, like hairdressing or personal financial planning, at companies, such as IT services, or at entire communities, such as healthcare, services are found in all fields and can be provided in person or online, locally or globally, by large or small organisations.

Sometimes it takes the form of public services, businessto-business or business-toconsumer and the range of possibilities is extremely diverse.

With increasing development, there continues to be a growing demand for standards to support quality,

A mini health check is the first step to donating blood

communication and good practices in the service sector.

These aspects are particularly important, as in the service industry “goods” are intangible and performance is heavily reliant on the human factor. More often than not, customers do not know exactly what to expect until the service is rendered.

One of the key issues regarding services is spelling out customer expectations and measuring their satisfaction. Do service providers deliver on their promises? Can customers understand what is being offered? And, what can be done when a service does not meet expectations?

Against this background, the International Organization for Standardisation (ISO) platform has been increasingly solicited for the development of international service standards, although developing standards on services is no easy feat.

A few years ago, ISO published Guide 76 which aimed at addressing services directed at consumers, by identifying a series of questions to be asked about all aspects of services, from engagement, service delivery, etc., to service elements, such as communication, personnel and billing.

The scope of services is diversifying to respond to our increasingly global interactions and rapid development of new technologies. As services become increasingly reliant on online marketing and multinational transactions,

ISO standards strive to address these trends, so as to ensure consistency in describing and ascertaining quality, safety and performance, no matter the service or location.

The service industry may greatly benefit from standards. Not only may such standards open broader markets, but service companies applying them also enjoy increased customer confidence and satisfaction.

Public authorities, too, will profit from globally consistent performance indicators and terminology when they provide, delegate or regulate services.

With standards, consumers will derive the greatest reward as they will no longer venture into a service proposal the way we draw lottery tickets and will be in a better position to compare offers and assess performances.

The Conformity Assessment Department of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) is equipped to offer the necessary technical assistance to companies desirous of implementing the ISO 9001 Quality Management systems in their operations. This international standard largely focuses on the customer and can improve the services of any business.

For further information on this subject, contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0064 or 219-0065 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

Police to explore new strategies Move to stamp out gangland killings Trinidad Guardian - The resurgence of brazen gangland killings on the streets of the capital city has jolted the T&T Police Service’s top brass to come up with new strategies to suppress instances of reprisal shootings and murders.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Glenn Hackett, who is in charge of crime and operations, said Friday he held emergency talks with key commanders at the Police Administration Building, in Port-of-Spain, but he refused to divulge new anti-crime strategies saying they were too sensitive in nature.

Hackett said one of the measures, which he could disclose, was increased police patrols in known crime zones.

The nine (police) divisions have been mandated to formulate their Christmas plan and certainly we will see that in Port-ofSpain and we are looking at the utilisation of a joint effort between the Police Service and the Defence Force but most certainly we will see in the capital increased patrols and they will be intensified in the months of November and December, especially taking into consideration that people come to Port-of-Spain and San Fernando to shop. Our plan is to engage the criminals, Hackett said in a telephone interview.

Two overnight murders, one on a crowded street in downtown Port-of-Spain on Thursday night and another hours later in the city, have pushed the murder toll to 359.

Citizens have expressed fear of being struck by stray bullets and gang members target each other seemingly without fear of the police.

The murders came one

day after the head and headless body of a Las Lomas man, Nathan David Maraj, a former insurance agent, were found in the city.

His body had been stuffed in the trunk of his car and left idle in East Port-of-Spain for at least two days, although police had been alerted about a strange car parked outside a hardware.

The man’s head was found by garbage workers at Pall Mall Street while his body was found at Duncan Street.

He was last seen alive two last Saturdays ago and police believe that his gruesome killing was done by members of the Mexican drug cartel to send a message to the drug underworld.

Regarding the motive for the recent murders, Hackett said from the evidence the police have gathered the killings appeared to be gang related.

These murders are in some way gang related. In respect to the headless body we are still trying to ascertain the motive and still exploring the circumstances but some of

the other murders are certainly gang related.

I have the Criminal Gang and Intelligence Unit working assiduously to provide me with some level of information and the circumstances which led to this gruesome murder.

We have analysed the data before us and we are looking at the dynamics of these murders that are referred to as reprisal murders, he said.

Asked what were their plans for allaying the fears of the public with regard to the upsurge of crime in the Portof-Spain area, Hackett said the police shared these concerns with citizens and gave the assurance that there would be an increase in patrols conducted by the police and Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) members, especially in trouble areas.

Regarding growing concerns over the low detection rate, he said, all divisional commanders have been mandated to increase the detection rate of serious crime by seven per cent this year.

At the end of 2014 it was 23 per cent and we are trying to increase it to 39 per cent.

We are well on the way to making some level of increase with respect to detection of serious crime. While we may not meet the 30 per cent, certainly it will be over 23 per cent or close to 30 per cent, he said.

Referring specifically to the low detection rate of homicides, he said within recent times the police service has infused the homicide bureau with new officers who are being trained in respect to detection methodology and we have exposed officers to these kind of training.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad — Following consultations with the Trinidad and Tobago Central Bank governor, minister of finance Colm Imbert, pursuant to powers under Section 3 (2) of the Exchange Control Act and Section 50 of the Central Bank Act, last week issued special directives to the Central Bank on the domestic foreign exchange market.

Acting on the special directives, the Central Bank has: 1. Re-established the

foreign exchange distribution system that was in operation as at March 31, 2014. This change is effective October 29, 2015.

2. Consulted with the commercial banks to ascertain the foreign exchange queues for trade-related purposes on their books (after eliminating double counting), and will make a special injection of US$500 million on October 30, 2015, to clear these queues immediately. Central Bank has requested commercial banks to ensure all legitimate demands for foreign

exchange are met (within a reasonable time), with priority accorded to trade-related transactions.

Trinidad and Tobago’s net official reserves currently stand at US$10.1 billion, equivalent to almost one year’s worth of imports.

In August, former trade minister Vasant Bharath described the then shortage of foreign exchange in Trinidad and Tobago as a typical phenomenon of a preelection period leading up to the general elections on September 7.

Glenn Hackett

Trinidad finance minister issues special foreign exchange directives to central bank

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Sunday November 01, 2015

Romanian nightclub fire kills 27people, 184 injured

People walk outside a nightclub following an explosion in Bucharest, Romania REUTERS/Inquam Photos

Reuters - Romania’s government declared a threeday national mourning yesterday, after an overnight fire in a Bucharest nightclub killed 27 people and injured 184 during a rock concert that featured fireworks used indoors.

In one of the capital’s worst disasters in decades, up to 500 people, mostly young adults, stampeded for the only available exit as the club in the basement of a Communist-era sport-shoe factory filled with smoke.

Officials and witnesses said fireworks were used inside the club, while Colectiv Club’s Facebook page advertised pyrotechnic effects at the show.

Deputy Interior Minister Raed Arafat said 17 of the 27 dead had yet to be identified and 146 people remained in hospital. He said no fire permit was requested by the club nor granted to them by the Bucharest firefighting department.

“Unfortunately, the death toll may change taking into account the severity of their

injuries,” Arafat said after an emergency meeting early yesterday.

President Klaus Iohannis toured Bucharest hospitals to visit the victims and also lit a candle at the club, while some 600 people queued to donate blood.

“I’ve got strong clues the law was broken in this case.

I’m revolted that such a tragedy happens in downtown of the capital and innocent youngsters are perished,” Iohannis said.

A pillar covered with foam panels and the club’s ceiling went up in flames, followed by an explosion and heavy smoke, the witnesses said.

Many people admitted to 12 hospitals had suffered burn, smoke inhalation injuries or were trampled.

TV footage showed police officers and paramedics trying to resuscitate young people lying on the pavement while sirens wailed with more ambulances deployed to the scene. Prime Minister Victor Ponta, just back from an official visit to Mexico, ordered checks on clubs

across the country to see whether safety and firefighting norms are being observed.

“There was a stampede of people running out of the (Colectiv) club,” a man who escaped without shoes told Reuters.

A young woman who was released from the hospital after minor injuries described the club bursting into flames.

“In five seconds the whole ceiling was all on fire.

In the next three, we rushed to a single door,” she told television station Antena 3.

Deputy Prime Minister Gabriel Oprea said a criminal investigation into the causes of the incident was already under way at the General Prosecutor ’s office on suspicion of murder and destruction crimes, but no accusations were yet pressed.

Any open fire displays and fireworks in Romania require special authorisation if used in a public indoor place.

Such permits may be granted if the venue is assessed to be safe and equipped with extinguishers, and the fire department deploys several firefighters to the place.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker sent a message of condolences: “I am greatly saddened to see so many young lives ending so tragically. My thoughts are with the grieving families and friends as well as with all those working hard in rescuing and in assisting the victims.”

Some of the deadliest nightclub disasters in the world have been caused by fireworks.

In the southern Brazilian college town of Santa Maria in 2013, a musician lit an outdoor flare inside the Kiss nightclub and started a fire that killed at least 241 people.

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

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Sunday November 01, 2015

Jamaica to host regional conference on children issues

KINGSTON, Jamaica CMC – Jamaica will host a three-day regional conference that will bring together students and researchers on children’s issues.

The 10th annual Caribbean Child Research Conference (CCRC) from November 4 will be held under the theme “Beyond 2015: Equality and Equity for All Children” and is being organised by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) in partnership with the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES), University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the Caribbean Child Development Centre (CCDC).

The conference will allow for researchers from across the Caribbean to present their child-related studies to policymakers and State agencies concerned with the

care and development of children.

Secondary-level students, who have completed School-Based Assessments (SBA) on childrelevant themes, will also deliver their work, while those from primary institutions will participate by way of essay presentations.

Chairperson of CCRC and Acting Director of SALISES, Dr. Aldrie Henry Lee, said that children play a key role in the staging of the conference. “We want to promote the Convention on the Rights of the Child and one way to achieve this is to include children in forum like the CCRC, which allows them to voice their opinions and give suggestions, especially on things that affect them,” she said.

Dr. Lee said the event has helped Jamaica to stand out as one of the few countries in the Caribbean where the quality of life for children is

given priority and policies are put in place to protect them.

She noted that children have been appointed as child ambassadors, they sit on advisory boards and contribute to decisionmaking.

Another benefit to Jamaica from the staging of the annual event is that State entities and other agencies have used the research findings presented to implement programmes and policies to remedy issues affecting children.

The organizers said that over the three days, the discussion will focus on topics such as the future for Caribbean children; human trafficking; facilitating equality and equity for all children; early childhood development in Jamaica; securing the safety and protection of children in the early childhood years; and the rights of children with disabilities.

The Gleaner - Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson says his ministry is moving to improve the reporting functions of the Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) in order to ensure the proper governance of the health sector.

“As it is now, the RHAs report directly to the minister.

That is how the law has it, and so persons do not feel compelled to pass information on to the ministry, so we have to work out the act and the laws so that the governance arrangement can be better perceived in order to get the best results,” he said.

The minister was speaking at the 42nd annual conference of the Jamaica Enrolled Assistant Nurses’

Association on October 28.

In his address, Ferguson praised the commitment of the enrolled nurses to the national health sector.

“You represent a most important group. You have demonstrated your skills and your abilities. When there is industrial action, many times, you are there carrying the ball,” he said.

The conference, which was held under the theme ‘Optimal Support Because We Care’ focused on the national health policy and other issues raised by the members of the association.

The RHAs were formed by the passage of the National Health Services Act in 1997.

Their establishment was in keeping with the Government’s health sector

reform programme, which saw the decentralising of health service delivery.

Under decentralisation, the management and delivery of health services shifted from central government (Ministry of Health) to four semi-autonomous bodies, which have responsibility for the operation and management of health services within a defined geographic area.

These bodies are the Southern Regional Health Authority, the Western Regional Health Authority, the North East Regional Health Authority, and the South East Regional Health Authority.

The conference was held at the Hotel Four Seasons, Ruthven Road in Kingston.

Ministry moves to improve reporting requirements of RHAs

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 77

All Blacks overwhelm Australia to win record third World Cup LONDON (Reuters) New Zealand cemented their status as the greatest team in rugby history when they overwhelmed Australia 34-17 at Twickenham yesterday to become world champions for a record third time, and the first nation to retain the Webb Ellis Cup. Tries from Nehe MilnerSkudder and Ma’a Nonu had the All Blacks cruising 21-3 early in the second half before Ben Smith’s yellow card opened the door for Australia, who got back to within four points with tries by David Pocock and Tuvita Kuridrani.

But flyhalf Dan Carter, who missed most of the 2011 tournament through injury and who is retiring from international rugby after Saturday’s match, stepped up with an exquisite drop goal and a 50-metre penalty to put the result beyond doubt.

Replacement wing

Beauden Barrett applied the black icing to the Kiwi World Cup cake with a late try which Carter converted to take his personal tally to 19 points.

New Zealand have lost just three times in 54 matches since their triumph on home soil four years ago, and have won every World Cup match since losing to France in the 2007 quarter-finals.

“I’m pretty grateful to be where I am considering what happened four years ago,” said man-of-the-match Carter, who was also part of the unsuccessful 2003 and 2007 campaigns.

“I’m so proud of the team.

To win back-to-back World Cups is a dream come true. It’s a pretty strong group of guys.

We try to do things no other team has done before... it’s a special feeling to be part of such a great team.”

The previous six World Cup finals had produced

seven tries between them and Saturday’s total of five was a record, eclipsing the four of the inaugural final when New Zealand beat France.

The sport’s superpower won the cup for a second time four years ago, also on home soil, and Saturday’s victory was their first overseas.

“We said four years ago that we get on the road again with this being the end goal, try and do something no-one else has done,” said captain Richie McCaw, who is likely to retire now having become the first captain to win the Webb Ellis Cup twice.

“I’m so proud of the guys.

We lost a bit of momentum in the second half but we kept our composure and came back strong.”

New Zealand looked on their game from the start, zipping the ball sharply along the lines and creating quick ball at every ruck to keep the

Sunday November 01, 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Today it's important that you consider your emotional success and how your feelings fit into your life.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You may feel like a snail emerging from its shell. When no one is looking, you slowly and cautiously stick your head out and put up your antennae to take a reading on the outside world.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Your boisterous, generous attitude is inspiring and welcomed by others. There are also some people who consider your behavior ostentatious or arrogant.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Just as soon as you taste success, something comes along to make you feel badly about it. Perhaps another person is jealous of you, and so does or says things that make you feel uncertain.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) In order to maintain peace and harmony, you may wear many different masks. By doing this, you may forget your inner truth and what it is you truly believe.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) The next task on your road to success may be a pill that's hard to swallow. Perhaps it involves interacting with someone you don't want to deal with.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Debilitating indecision may plague you. You've been coasting along letting your good luck see you through to prosperity.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You may feel like you're doing all the work in a project or relationship and if you pull out for even a minute, the whole thing will fall apart.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) It's important to remain flexible, but not so much that you can't make a decision about anything. Your head says one thing while your heart says another.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) You feel emotionally strong, even though certain people may be getting in the way of your plans. You can accomplish a great deal. You're only responsible for yourself.

You feel a drive to work harder than usual.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You may feel like there's a big opportunity waiting for you but your head is too muddled to take advantage of it.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your sensitive nature is attractive. People who come to you for advice and guidance aren't disappointed.

You have a solid, practical perspective, yet you're also receptive and understanding.

Wallabies on the back foot.

Their pressure enabled Carter to thump over three penalties to one from Bernard Foley to make it 9-3 after half an hour.

Australia were struggling to get their livewire backline moving and suffered a blow when they lost centre Matt Giteau to a head injury.

Their first-half misery was completed when brilliant handling by Conrad Smith, Aaron Smith and Richie McCaw fired the ball wide for MilnerSkudder to score the first try of the night.

Carter converted for a 163 halftime lead and it took only two minutes of the second half for New Zealand to effectively put the game to bed.

Replacement Sonny Bill Williams, on for Conrad Smith, delivered a trademark offload to Nonu and the cen-

tre tore through some soft defending and sprinted 30 metres to mark his 103rd and last New Zealand appearance with a killer try.

Australia, as always, refused to lie down and immediately roared back into the attack. Smith was sin-binned for a tip-tackle on Drew Mitchell, the first yellow card in a final, and from the resulting penalty Australia drove over the line with Pocock the man at the bottom.

That spurred the Wallabies on to greater efforts and they got their second try after 63 minutes when a probing kick by Will Genia bounced perfectly for Foley who fed Kuridrani to slide over. Foley slotted the conversion and Australia they were back to within four points.

The atmosphere at Twickenham ramped up but once again it was the cool head of Carter who regained control.

The flyhalf, whose dropped goal in the semi-final against South Africa set in motion a momentum shift that turned that tight match, slotted another despite being under huge pressure - only the eighth of his 112-cap test career.

Carter then applied the coup de grace with a 50-metre penalty to make it 27-17 with five minutes remaining before replacement winger Barrett sprinted on to collect a Ben Smith kick to score under the posts. “It’s a great way to finish,” coach Steve Hansen said of Carter’s orchestration of the win. “You couldn’t script it any better.”

Three contracts and...

(From page 76) trial.

The athletic abilities test will specifically measure speed, endurance and strength, while the cricketskills test will be sport specific i.e. batting, bowling or wicketkeeping, catching, and fielding. Upon the subsequent narrowing of the pool of applicants based on their respective performance scores, the top performer will be awarded a contract and the remaining two (2) contracts will be awarded by lottery i.e. placing their names into a box and selecting at random.

Terms of the Contract Terms of the contract in relation to training, discipline, work-ethic and performance shall be monitored and strict in its compliance in order for the offeree to continue to benefit; in other words, if the offeree does not train according to a set programme and perform then the contract will be terminated.

Mentorship In addition, a mentorship programme will be established to assist with the development of attitude, social skills,

career guidance and network association.

Interested applicants are invited to the Everest Cricket

Club where registration and the trial will begin at 2pm tomorrow, the release concluded.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 01, 2015

“Drastic changes needed now in underperforming West Indies men’s Test team!”

Colin E. H. Croft Not surprisingly, Sri Lanka beat West Indies 2-0 in two Tests. However, the way it was achieved must give thoughts that some present WI players have completed their last Test innings.

SL beat WI in Test No. 1 by an innings and six runs.

Not even batting twice could WI; 251 and 227; overhaul SL’s 1st innings 484. Test No. 2 was closer, SL winning by seventy-two runs after making 200 and 206. WI could only muster 163 and 171.

These outings showed that WI does not have attitude nor aptitude to win regularly, despite celebrated presence of Sir Garfield Sobers, a visit that must have been bitter-sweet. The world’s best cricketer ever, despite even his tears, could not cajole WI’s players to better performances.

Possible “positives” for WI were batting by Jermaine Blackwood and Darren Bravo, bowling of Davendra Bishoo and Jomel Warrican, and allaround efforts of Kraigg Brathwaite and Captain Jason Holder. All else who played in those Tests are skating on very thin ice!

WI next play Australia in three Tests starting December 09 at Bellerive Oval, Tasmania.

The interval until that series

gives WI’s selectors an opportunity to make desperately needed changes to this seriously under-performing team.

Thus, the four-day WICB’s Professional Cricket League 2015/16, especially those games to be played by November’s end, take on extreme importance for players who missed out on that SL tour, such as Guyana’s Verasammy Permaul and Leon Johnson, hoping to impress.

Johnson’s situation is confusing. His last two Test innings were 54 and 44, batting at No. 3 against South Africa last January, which WI lost by eight wickets. Yet, given the mediocrity of present WI batsmen, Johnson did not even get a look in v England or Australia who toured the Caribbean earlier, nor toured Sri Lanka. Very strange, but now, he must produce afresh!

Shai Hope’s opening experiment has been hopeless.

He might be the future, but not to Australia, unless he improves productivity in upcoming PCL. He looked uncomfortable, out of place, devoid of feet movement v SL. 23, 06, 04 and 35 do not cut it at any level. Even opening, Johnson could not have done worse.

A pertinent comment on ‘Caribbeancricket.com’, reference the recent death of former

WI opener Basil ‘Shotgun’ Williams, suggested; “Two hundreds in a seven Test career and some get excited about Shai Hope scoring a mere 35. Different times; different standards.” Quite!

Left-arm orthodox spinner Permaul may have missed an opportunity but Warrican debuted well; match figures of 45-4-129-6. Those should allow Warrican to continue to Australia’s more bouncy pitches. Again, the PCL should give guidance.

Marlon Samuels is no longer an enigma. Now he is just a failure and must be dropped. Frequently compared with Carl Hooper’s batting ability, Samuels’ SL Test trip was embarrassingly poor.

Even worse, he seemed totally uninterested in proceedings, a player languishing in that unsavory place called purgatory!

For a senior batsman with 61 Tests and a Test average, like Hooper, only in mid-30’s, there is absolutely no excuse for Samuels anymore. 11, 00, 13 and 06 indicated his form and mindset, so WI’s selectors must give him another jolt of realism after such abject failure!

One problem, though, for WI’s selectors is that there are not many names ready to replace Samuels or others who should be dropped, like

Denesh Ramdin, and some of the faster bowlers too. PCL cannot start early enough so that new talent could, hopefully, evolve.

Ramdin may still be the best wicket-keeper in the Caribbean, but his batting has also been putrid, so there must be serious consideration given to 2nd wicket-keeper on that SL tour, Shane Dowrich, who could, incidentally, also open the batting. Ramdin’s 23, 11, 14 and 10 in two SL Tests must make his position very tenuous indeed.

But it is with the faster bowlers that WI has serious headaches. Kemar Roach reminds me of when, inadvertently, my Nissan Maxima Cefiro once ran out of gas as I drove from San Fernando to Port of Spain in T&T. Only

deafening silence was then heard as I coasted to a stop!

Like Roach now does as supposed fast bowler, I ambled to the nearest gas station two miles away to get gas in a can. Unlike Roach, that did not leave me puffed. Two wickets in three SL innings is absolutely poor for any frontline bowler. Roach needs to be re-tooled, not re-gassed!

Shannon Gabriel is not getting better, despite much attention to fitness. He is still way too bulked up, not unlike a USA’s M-1 Abrams wartank, to produce that elasticity and flexibility to bowl fluidly, quickly and successfully.

At least those tanks have deadly ammunitions!

Jerome Taylor is simply marking time, not even trying to bowl quickly anymore, the

most senior WI bowler only producing just enough to get onto the next tour, doing a good smoke-screen job too, as he must realize that he is nearing the end of his bowling stint. Against SL, he had six wickets in three innings!

WI need newer players now. Drastic changes must be made now! Enjoy!

E-mail address c.e.h.croft@gmail.com

Many entries received for “bringing Bush Lot Alive” horserace meet on November 8th

Inter-Ministry Futsal Competition

M&CC, Min. of Presidency, Courts among winners Friday night Mayor & City Council (M&CC), Ministry of the Presidency and Courts were among several winners on Friday night when the InterMinistry Futsal Competition continued, at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. The competition resumes tonight, at the same venue.

In the night’s full results: Game-1 Ministry of Health-3 vs GT&T-3 Min.of Health Scorers Myron Christopher-1st Delroy Deen-9th Deshane Garnette-13th GT&T Scorers Delon Williams-16th and 18th Wayne St. Jules-10th Game-2 Ministry of Presidency-5 vs Lands and Surveys-1 Min. of Presidency Scorers Kevon Boston-1st and 18th Delon Gurrick-3rd Deon Rodney-5th Timohty Telford-6th Lands and Survey Scorer Tedwin Roach-10th

Game-3 MCC-8 vs GGMC-2 MCC Scorers Anthony Sancho-1st, 7th, 10th, 11th and 12th Gregory Jones-3rd Joel Jemmett-5th Collin Bouyea-8th GGMC Scorers Levern Britton-14th Elijah Bagot-19th Game-4 Courts-7 vs Bounty Farm Limited-2 Courts Scorers Alister Bentick-8th, 13th, 16th and 17th Own Goal-3rd Dainion Fraser-9th Noel Ferdinand-12th Bounty Scorers Kevin Collins-12th Olsen Macey-18th Game-5 Banks DIH-4 vs New GPC-1 Banks Scorers James Meredith-2nd Kamasi Weekes-5th Luis Downer-10th Phillip Rowley-17th New GPC Scorer

Travis Martin-16th Game-6 Hopkinson Mining-5 vs Digicel-1 Hopkinson Scorers Troy Hermonstine-10th and 15th Shawn Hopkinson-3rd Esan McNeil-18th Dexter Cole-20th Digicel Scorer Juan Palacio-6th Game-7 Media-2 vs Ministry of Sports-3 Min. of Sports Scorers Eon Gill-13th and 17th Clive Henry-2nd Media Scorers Nicquan Nestor-1st Jermin Campbell-12th Game-8 Barbers Association-5 vs Guyana Fire Service-3 Barbers Scorers Devon Garrett-8th, 9th and 11th Travis Simon-2nd and 3rd Fire Service Scorers Travis Charles-4th Azumah Roberts-8th Marvin Henry-16th

Nazrudeen ‘Junior’ Mohammed, coordinator of this meet, receives the winning trophy from a Representative of the Shariff Stable during a previous event, and has promised an exciting day of horseracing.

With just over one week to go before the much anticipated one day horserace meet organized by the Jumbo Jet Auto Sales and racing stable in collaboration with the Bush Lot United Turf Club, a number of entries are already on board for the event slated for Sunday 8th November at the club’s track Sea View Park, Bush Lot, West Coast, Berbice. Over 40 animals have already been entered for the grand one day meet. Eight races are listed on the cards and over 7 million dollars in cash, trophies and other incentives are up for grabs.

The feature event will see the 4 yrs old West Indian bred and the E1& lower horses battling for a first prize of $600,000 over a distance of

1mile.

The Co-feature event is for three year old West Indies bred animals also over a mile for a winning take of $400,000 and trophy.

There is a race for two year old West Indies bred animals over 6 Furlongs for a winning pocket of $300,000 and trophy. Animals classified G1 and lower will be racing over 6 ½ F for similar winnings.

The rest of the races are all over 61/2 F and will see the H1 and lower horses galloping for a first prize of $250,000 and trophy. The I1 and lower horses will be looking to take home the $200,000 top money and trophy available for the winner. There is a race for J1 and lower horses for a pole position taking of $150,000

and trophy.

The final race is for animals classified K and lower with the winner set to take home $100,000 and trophy.

Apart from the fascinating horseracing action expected to unfold on the track there will also be added attractions for both adults and kids.

Incentives will be available for the top Jockey and runner up, the top stable and champion trainer among others compliments of the organizers. Nasrudeen (Jumbo Jet) Mohamed Junior is the coordinator and those wishing to register can contact Chandu Ramkissoon on 6249063/ 232-0633 or Junior on 654-4060. Race time is 12:00 hrs.

(Samuel Whyte)

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

Guyana NRA Nationals

Guyana softball Cup 5

Regal Open and Masters; Floodlight secure final berths

By Zaheer Mohamed Regal Open and Masters’ teams and Floodlight continued their excellent run in the Guyana Softball Cup 5 by securing their places in the final in their respective categories when action continued yesterday.

Playing in the open category, Regal thumped Shakib XI by 74 runs at Eve Leary.

Batting first, Regal posted 187-7 off their allotted 20 overs. Navin Singh struck 73 while Fazal Rafeek stroked 42 and Rohit Dutchin 34.

Nandshyaan Boodhoo took 2-26. Shakib XI were sent packing for 113 in 13 overs in reply. Sheldon Perch made 29 as Richard Latif grabbed 3-21, Delroy Pereira 2-21 and Ameer Nizamudeen 2-30.

Regal will take on the winner of the second semi final which was contested last night at DCC between New York Allstar and New York Mercenaries in the final slated for tonight.

In the Masters division, Regal trounced New York Better Hope by 10 wickets at Eve Leary.

NY Better Hope took first strike and were skittled for 77 in 17.4 overs.

Ken Sanichar scored 37; Troy Kippins bagged 4-11, Laurie Singh 3-5 and David Harper 2-17.

Regal responded with 78 without loss in 6.1 overs.

Mahase Chunilall slammed 40 and Eon Abel 31.

Floodlight overcame Albion by 111 runs at DCC. Floodlight rattled up 199-3 in 20 overs. Unnis Yusuf scored 63, Ramesh Narine 33, Mahase Lutchman 29 and Fizul Alli 26; R. Mangali had 2-36. Albion were bowled out for 88 in 19.4 overs. Mahase

Eon Abel (left) and Mahase Chunilall Lutchman and T. Lutchman picked up two wickets apiece.

In the final preliminary round games played yesterday morning in the open segment, Shakib XI beat Hyde Park by 19 runs at Malteenoes SC. Shakib XI managed 95-9 off their reduced quota of 15 overs. Diaram Persaud scored 31; Ricardo Adams picked up 5-11. Hyde Park responded with 76-9 in 15 overs.

Azharuddin Mohamed claimed 3-10 and Keisho Ramsarran 2-12.

Wolf’s Warriors humbled Zameer XI by 321 runs.

Wolf’s Warriors rattled up 337-4 in 20 overs, batting first.

Safraz Karim slammed 136.

Zameer XI were routed for 16 in reply. Imam Hassan captured five wickets.

Karibee Boys got the better of Corriverton by nine wickets. Corriverton were sent packing for 67, taking first strike. Karibee Boys made 68-1 in 1.2 overs in reply. However Wolf’s Warriors, Karibee Boys,

Corriverton and Zameer XI were disqualified from the tournament. A source informed that the organisers found out that their matches were fixed.

At Eve Leary, Regal defeated NY Mercenaries by 114 runs. Regal mustered 207-9 in 20 overs, batting first with Safraz Esau blasting 77 and Navin Singh 51. Nandkishore Narayan took 3-25. Mercenaries were bowled out for 63 in 16.3 overs. Richard Latif snared 3-25 while Nizamudeen, Dutchin and Ricky Sergeant had two each.

NY All-star beat Petema Enterprise by 73 runs. NY Allstar got to 120 all out in 19.1 overs, taking first knock.

Bobby Prahalad cracked 54; Kevlin Olford claimed five wickets.

Petema Enterprise were bowled out for 47 in 12.3 overs in response.

Prahalad claimed 4-2 and Amar Singh 2-6.

In the Masters division, at DCC, NY Legends went down

Former national player hosts second Basketball clinic in Linden The second James Brusche Basketball clinic for Primary schools in Linden hosted by the Brusche Basketball Foundation was held at the Mc Kenzie Sports Club Hard Court on Thursday last.

According to James Brusche, the clinic coincides with the James Brusche Basketball Tournament which is ongoing presently.

“We want to give back to the community and we are happy when we see the enthusiasm of the children who are looking forward to this exercise.”

Brusche said initially four (4) clinics were planned – one in Berbice, One in Georgetown, One in Linden and one on the East Coast but due to all the red tape two clinics will be held in Linden instead.

James Brusche, a former National player at the junior level for 3 years and the senior level for 10 years, said he always had the zeal to come back to Linden and do something for the youths. “I want them to realize that life and basketball are related. You can’t go through life without

someone helping you.”

Brusche noted that he wants these clinics to be ongoing so the local coaches will continue to work with the teachers and students. “They will have a league in a year or two depending on how they develop. So when they move on to Secondary school they would have an idea of the game.”

Other members of the Brusche Foundation are two older brothers Clifton and Mike who was a National Coach and Captain.

(Jacquey Bourne)

Page 79

to Invaders Masters by four wickets. NY Legends made 151-3 in 20 overs, batting first.

Tony Ferreira slammed 75 not out and Ricky Edwards an unbeaten 57. Devanand Madhoo took two scalps. Invaders Masters responded with 154-6 in 15 overs. R. Rambarack struck 46 not out.

Floodlight got pass SCI Miami by 45 runs. Floodlight scored 183-3 in 15 overs, taking first turn at the crease.

Ramesh Narine stroked 115 and Wayne Jones 42. SCI Miami replied with 138-3 in 15 overs. Ray Bustit got 38.

At GNIC, Tristate lost to Albion by seven wickets.

Tristate totaled 166-4 in 20 overs, batting first. Latchman Yadram scored 81 and Anand Persaud 49. Albion responded with 168-3 in 15.3 overs. Anil Beharry struck 53 and Lynden Lyght 49.

At Eve Leary, Regal defeated NY President’s XI by 42 runs. Regal batted first and posted 166-7 in 20 overs.

Rudolph Baker led with 57 and Fallim Mohamed 37. NY President’s XI replied with 124-7 in 20 overs. R. Rodrigues made 39; David Harper had 3-12 and Raymond Harper 2-37.

Parika Defenders beat Industry. Industry managed 150, taking first strike with Jagdesh Persaud scoring 49.

Parika Defenders scored 151 in 15 overs in reply. O. Chandler scored 50.

It’s my season - defending X-Class champion Lennox Braithwaite Lennox Braithwaite

With all guns being pointed down range from today, the next three Sunday’s will be as hot as the current weather pattern when the Guyana National Rifle Association brings off its 2015 National Championships at the Guyana Defence Force, Timehri Ranges.

Defending X-Class champion, Lennox Braithwaite who is also the top shot at the Individual level in the Caribbean, speaking with Kaieteur Sport believes that this is his season to reign. ”I’m in top form at the moment and I will not get complacent since I know what my colleagues bring to the ranges as well. Whoever is coming to dethrone me will have to shoot very good to stand a chance.”

Braithwaite believes that the three international competitions including the World’s that himself and colleagues participated a few

months ago has put them all in good stead for the local competition.

Braithwaite participated in the National rifle association of America Individuals, World Individuals and Palma Team match as well as the Canadian Nationals (Individuals) and is crediting these competitions for whipping into top form. ”These competitions no doubt have contributed to raising the bar for us. The standards were very high and I do believe that I am a better shooter than last year.”

Event # 1 2 & 7 @ 300 yards (Highest Possible Score 35) Event # 2 2 & 10 @ 500 yards (Highest Possible Score 50) – Valladares Trophy Event # 3 2 & 10 @ 900 yards (Highest Possible Score 50) Event # 4 Aggregate of events 1, 2, & 3 (Highest Possible Score 135)

Digicel Guyana Open Golf Classic Tournament

Dinanauth, Sukhram joint leaders in Men’s Championship Flight after Day One -Christine Sukhram poised to reclaim title Mohanlall Dinanauth and Rishi Sukhram are tied for the lead after Day One in the Men’s Championship Flight of this year’s Digicel Guyana Open Golf Classic which opened yesterday, at the Lusignan Golf Course (LGC), Easy Coast Demerara.

Both Dinanauth and Sukhram finished the day on a 76 gross playing in the 0-9 handicap category and this sets up an intriguing battle for top honours heading into today’s final stage.

Jaipaul Suknanan is also in contention for top honours after scoring a gross 78.

In the Second Flight (1018 handicap), André Cummings sits in pole position with gross 84, but he is

closely followed by Lakeram Ramsumder and Roy Cummings, both tied on gross 85.

Azrudeen Shaw leads the Third Flight (19-28 handicaps) with a gross 90, ahead of Mahendra Bhagwandin and Gavin Todd with a gross 93 and 94 respectively.

Christine Sukhram seems poised to reclaim her title, which she relinquished to Joann Deo last year. She finished on top of the leaders board with a Net 73 and a Gross 82 playing off a 9 handicap.

Deo and Shanella Webster finished the day with a net 74 each. Deo has a gross of 94, while Webster ended with a gross 95.

In the Senior Flight, Kishan Bacchus with a gross 90 placed himself in a strong position entering the final day, while Esau Shamshudin and Maurice Solomon occupies the second and third spots respectively with gross 96 and 9.

Seventy-one golfers, including three females began the battle for supremacy at 06:00 hrs yesterday morning two hours, before the ceremonial tee-off, which was done

by Digicel Head of Marketing, Jacqueline James.

James in brief remarks thanked the LGC for partnering with Digicel once again to host the prestigious competition for the fourth consecutive year.

Page 80

Kaieteur News

GCB/BANK DIH/DIGICEL NSSCL…

IBE trash Buxton Secondary …ST JOHN’S SECONDARY IN WINNERS’ LANE The Institute of Business Education (IBE), led by Kedar Amsterdam’s brilliant all-round effort made light work of Buxton Secondary, winning by 185 runs when the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) National Secondary School Cricket League (NSSCL) sponsored by Banks DIH Coca Cola and Rainforest Water along with Digicel continued recently.

Playing at the Enterprise ground, IBE batted first and posted a mammoth 256-8 wickets in just 22 overs with Amsterdam scoring a blistering 89. He was well supported

by Khemraj Punaram who scored 50 and Avinash Ramsaywak 49. Bowling for Buxton Secondary, Anis Goodluck took 4-56, while Shamar Adams and Esau Williams had two apiece.

Buxton Secondary folded for a paltry 61 in 14 overs in reply. Mohamed Khan

Paul Jehtro grabbed 4-9 and Amsterdam 3-14.

At Zeeburg ground on the West Coast Demarara St. John’s Secondary scraped home by one wicket in a low scoring affair. Stewartville Secondary elected to take first

strike were bowled out for 67 in 10.1 overs. Antonio Narine scored 23; Reiz Hoosein, Paul Jethro and Manesh Gopaul took two wickets apiece.

In reply, St John’s Secondary were made to work hard in what seemed an easy runs chase. They were reduced to 62-9 but the last pair held their nerves and got them over the line. Jethro top scored with 19, while Jeremiah Albert fought to the end with the ball, finishing with figures of 4-14.

Action in the League continues this week. Tomorrow, Kingston High School will play School of the Nations at Everest ground, on Tuesday Campbeville Secondary will face Gamaliel’s Academy at GNIC ground, Friendship Secondary will battle Covent Garden’s Secondary at Thirst Park, and Canje Secondary playing Berbice Educational Institute at the Berbice High School ground.

NSC Tour Guyana 5-stage cycle race

Greaves wins 4th stage in Region two but Ospina still overall leader Alanzo Greaves peddled off with the top position in the fourth stage of the ninth annual NSC Tour Guyana 5stage Cycle Road race on the Essequibo Coast yesterday morning after the stage began at Supenaam.

Greaves, riding for Roraima, won in a time of two hours, 25 minutes and 20 seconds while Continental’s G e r o n Wi l l i a m s a n d C o c o ’s C a r l o s O s p i n a finished second and third respectively.

Columbian Ospina has an accumulated time of seven hours, 23 minutes and 11 seconds. Race leader 32-yearold Ospina, riding for Coco’s, finished third yesterday but still maintained his position as leader going into the final Stage from Linden to Homestretch Avenue today over a distance 64.5 miles.

Ospina, one of three overseas riders in Team Coco’s, won the first stage from Skeldon to New Amsterdam in a time of one hour, 37 minutes

Alanzo Greaves and 58 seconds while fellow Columbian and Coco’s teammate 26-year-old Jaime Ramirez won the second stage from Rosignol to Carifesta Avenue in a time of two hours, 22 minutes and 57 seconds.

Another Team Coco’s member Guyanese Raynauth Jeffery won the third stage

from Wales to Parika on Friday in a time of 57 minutes and 13 seconds to ensure the dominance of the nine-man team Coco’s unit.

The cyclists rode the longest of the stages yesterday covering a distance 67.1 miles in agriculture settings before passing through Region two only Town, Anna Regina on the way to the river side community of Charity where the riders turned for their return trip in harsh Road conditions.

When the riders and officials made the ferry trip over the Essequibo river yesterday afternoon, Ospina will know that he is just one minute and seven seconds ahead of Gillette Evolution’s Raul Leal, who is overall second with two hours, 24 minutes and four seconds.

After the first three riders crossed the finish line the next 13 cyclists, riding in a bunch, ended the stage in a bunch time of two hours, 26 minutes and one second going into today final stage.

Fourth stage top six results: 1st - Alanzo Greaves (Roraima), 2nd - Geron Williams (Continental), 3rd Carlos Ospina (Cocos), 4th Marloe Rodman (Heatwave), 5th - Hamzah Eastman (Cocos), 6th - Raul Leal (Gillette Evolution)

Sunday November 01, 2015

Terrence Ali National Open Boxing Championships

Raging slugfests characterize opening night as boxers get ready for Caribbean tournament

By Michael Benjamin The executive of the Guyana Boxing Association have renamed the National Open Boxing Championships in honour of former ESPN champion and world rater, Terrence Ali, and the fistic explosions that were witnessed by dozens of cheering fans, when the tournament got underway last Friday evening at the Andrew Lewis Boxing Gym (ALBG), was truly a fitting acknowledgement of the local warrior.

Several slugfests have entertained the crowd and lifted the hopes of pundits that the eventual selectees for the ‘Back to the Future’ Caribbean Boxing card, scheduled for this month end, will do Guyana well. The award for fight of the night certainly belonged to lightweight contenders, Diwani Lampkin of the Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF) and GDF representative, Shaquile De Young.

Lampkin was the aggressor in the early stages of the first round and he pursued his man while landing right jabs and left crosses from his southpaw stance. A crunching left cross rocked De Young’s head backward and Lampkin followed up with stinging combinations. When the bell rang, De Young trudged to his corner and the spectators surmised that the fight would not get past the second stanza.

De Young defied the skeptics and came out slugging at the start of the second stanza.

He seemed to be making commendable inroads until a well timed straight left connected to his jaw and sent him tumbling to the canvass. He gamely rose and matched his opponent’s blows up until the round ended.

Diwani really turned up the heat in the final stanza with several body shots before converting to the head.

An especially severe combination connected to the soldier’s head and had him covering up to stem the flow.

Miraculously, he withstood the pressure and stayed around to the final bell. However, his effort, though gutsy, proved insufficient and Lampkin was adjudged the unanimous winner.

The jnr/flyweight encounter between Richard Subratee (FYF) and Victor Low (GDF) also had the crowd screaming in delight. The former boxer opened his account with several crunching right crosses but his blows were evenly matched by his opponent.

Diwani Lampkin Subratee upped the ante in the second stanza and his aggression forced Low to grab him around the waist to stem the onslaught. The soldier appeared to be spent at the end of the second round but came out in the third determined and ready to face his opponent. He received several ramrod punches but refused to give up, lashing out with lefts and rights. His efforts, though commendable, were insufficient and he surrendered a unanimous verdict.

The feud between the boxers of the GDF and Republican ignited when Mark Marshall, of the former organization and Stephan Henry, of the latter, clashed in the bantamweight division. Both boxers lunged at each other from the first gong and engaged in a toe to toe battle that lasted the duration of the first stanza. It was surely an exhibition of courage and stamina and many were doubtful of the fighters’ ability to sustain the fiery pace.

Those gladiators proved them wrong and resumed the bout with flailing fists.

Marshall then landed two clubbing rights that landed on

his opponent’s temple, while Andrews refused to say die, responding with crunching blows. The two then became embroiled in a vicious exchange in the neutral corner and were so intent on hurting each other that they failed to hear the bell to end the round; the referee had to jump in and separate them.

A clubbing right greeted Marshall at the start of the final round and forced him to change his mode of attack; he started boxing around while employing jabs and right crosses from long range.

Andrews pursued, and caught up with him near the ropes and another vicious exchange characterized the bout.

The Republican stepped on the gas and rocked his man with several volleys that forced him to cover up. When the bell sounded, the crowd remained staunch that Marshall had done enough to earn the nod and the judges concurred.

In all, there were four stoppages; jnr/welterweight Marlon Darell (FYF) benefitted from a technical knockout after the referee disqualified Romano Clarke for disobeying orders, while another jnr/welterweight, Colin Lewis (GDF) stopped Republican, Junior Kelly in 1:15secs of the 2nd round. FYF representative, Jason Phillips, needed 2:18secs of the second round to dispose of Enoch John (GDF), while FYF boxer, Ron Smith surrendered a split decision loss to Marley Ross (GDF). The night’s action ended with another stoppage with Desmond Amsterdam (GDF) finishing off Lawrence Lewis in 2:13secs of the first frame. The action continued last night and the finals are scheduled for tonight at the same venue.

Three contracts and mentorship programme available for Under-19 cricketers -Valued at over $500,000 Three contracts and a mentorship programme for a duration of one year and valued at over $500,000 (inclusive of a $30,000 monthly stipend, free gym membership from Bodymaxx Gym and a new smartphone) are available for under-19 cricketers, a release informed yesterday.

The contracts will be awarded on a competitive basis after a trial which will be at Everest tomorrow from 2pm6pm and is open to any under-19 cricketer in Guyana

who is already not under contract.

The financial contributors are GT&T, Member of Parliament and Attorney-atLaw Charles S. Ramson, Mr Sanjeev Datadin, Attorneyat-Law and Bodymaxx Gym, the release informed.

How will Applicants be selected?

The applicants will each be scored on their cricket skills and athletic ability and their respective scores will tallied at the end of the (Continued on page 73)

Sunday November 01, 2015

Stag Elite League Pele Football Club continued their winning ways in the Stag Elite League (SEL) with a workmanlike 2-0 win over Buxton United in the feature game of Friday evening’s double header at the Georgetown Football Club ground.

The evening’s opening game produced a 4-2 win for Slingerz Football Club who were reduced to 10-players when Colin Nelson was booked for the second time in the 27th minute, his first was in the 10th minute.

The setback came for the West Side based team when they were already 2-1 ahead after the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) had taken the lead in the 9th minute through a Eusi Phillips goal.

Pele, looked somewhat ordinary in the first half of a game that saw Buxton looking a threatening bunch as they created a few good runs but the experience of the Pele side led by the SEL leading goal scorer was the difference in the end in the first half (Genesis) of the league.

Richardson continues to be a constant bother to every

Kaieteur News

Page 81

Pele blank Buxton; 10-man Slingerz arrest GDF 4-2 defence he has come up against so far and Friday was no different. His nagging runs and plays were finally rewarded in the 61st minute when his right foot missile just inside the area rocketed past the goalie.

That was the break that Pele required to ease the tension. The advantage would double in the 74th minute and it was Richardson again who was involved on the end of another successful run. This time he laid the ball off for Keoma Gravesande to finish clinically in the roof of the nets.

The GDF it were that drew first blood against Slingerz compliments of a Eusi Phillips 9th minute goal. It was the ideal start for the Soldiers which saw Slingerz having to dig deep against a side that brings lots of energy to the park.

Vurlon Mills drew Slingerz level in the 22nd minute and they took the lead three minutes later when Julian Wade netted the first of his double in the match. Two minutes after taking the lead, Slingerz found themselves having to revisit their game

YBG Junior Age-Group Tournament begins -Marian, Tutorial, St. Joseph, St. Roses win Marian Academy’s Jordan Alphonso

Marian Academy and Tutorial High School bounced to comfortable victories on Friday when the Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) Junior Age-Group Tournament opened.

Marian Academy thrashed St. Joseph High School 40-10 in an U-15 game on their home-court at CARIFESTA Avenue.

Joshua Brazao scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Marian as Jordan Alphonso supported with 12 points, grabbed eight ‘boards’, five assists and five steals.

Shaquawn Gills and Tahir Mesa scored 4 points apiece for St. Joseph’s High School.

Tutorial High also won their U-15 game 30-26, playing at St. Roses’ home turf on Church Street.

Zion Gray scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds for Tutorial High. Quasi Roberts scored seven points and grab four rebounds for St. Roses High.

Marian returned later to beat St. Joseph 53-24 in an U-17 encounter with Jonathan Mangra putting in 16 points and Alphonso contributing 11 points and six rebounds. Jahleel Young had nine points and nine rebounds.

For St. Joseph, Abevia Perry and Lemuel Grant scored 11 points each. Meanwhile, Roses turned the tables on Tutorial in an U-17 game, beating the visitors 40-19 with Shamar Huntley scoring 16 points and Joel Holford eight points.

Tutorial’s, Denzil Logan scored six points.

plan when one of their main defenders, Colin Nelson was booked for the second time.

Rather than panicking, the West Side based unit kept the Army at bay as they worked overtime. The lead was doubled for Slingerz by Wade with his second goal in the 61st minute but GDF’s Delroy Fraser gave his side some hope when he reduced the advantage within striking range in the 83rd minute, Slingerz 3 GDF 2.

With the minutes ticking away, Dwayne Jacobs restored the two goal advantage for Slingerz with two minutes remaining in regulation time.

Meanwhile, two more matches will be contested today at the Tucville ground.

GFC take on Fruta Conquerors while Alpha United match skills with Monedderlust in the opening game at 18:00hrs.

Slingerz goal scorers from right, Dwayne Jacobs, Julian Wade and Vurlon Mills.

Page 82

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 01, 2015

EBFA / Lens Craft Optical U13 League

Agricola Red Triangle crowned champs; Leon Moore is MVP, Shoran James HGS Agricola Red Triangle are the 2015 Lens Craft Optical / East Bank Football A s s o c i a t i o n U n d e r- 1 3 champions. The Agricola lads took and ended the league with 15 points from their six matches, five wins and a single loss.

They were scheduled to take on Kuru Kururu

Warriors in the final match of the competition yesterday at the Grove ground but the latter did not show up with Agricola getting the walk over to see them take their first junior title in many years, dethroning last year’s winners, Grove Hi Tech which came second.

Agricola also took away

the Most Valuable Player award which was presented to Leon Moore who ended the competition with six of his club’s 20 goals and played a pivotal role in the championship win.

They also walked away with the Best Goalkeeper trophy which went to Christopher Adams; only

two (2) goals were scored against him in their six matches.

The most lethal player in the league was Herstelling Raiders’ Shoran James who took the Highest Goal Scorer trophy for his 7 goals.

Grove Hi Tech was awarded the Fair Play Trophy along with the

second place trophy and 16 silver medals.

Herstelling received the third place trophy and medals with the fourth place trophy taken by Mocha.

EBFA Vice President K e v i n A n t h o n y congratulated the teams at the presentation ceremony while urging them to remain disciplined on and off the field of play.

Manager/Owner of Lens Craft Optical Allister ‘Ali’ Parris expressed delight at being the sponsor of the tournament stating that it was his way of giving back

to the community while ensuring a positive outlet for the development of young players.

Parris thanked the EBFA for organising a successful tournament that saw seven team competing.

Kevin Scott of Kuru Kururu Warriors ended tournament with 6 goals, Rasheed Evans of Grove 4, while netting 3 each were Ian Mars (Mocha Champs), Darren Niles (Mocha), Akeem Williams (Grove) and Teon Forde of Diamond United.

Highest Goal Scorer Shoran James is rewarded

by Lens Craft Optical Rep. Okanie Fraser.

Entries for Kennard’s Memorial Boxing Day horserace meet close December 19 The Kennard’s Memorial Club will hold their Christmas Horserace meet at their Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne Berbice venue on Boxing Day, December 26 and entries close on Saturday December 19.

Seven races are carded for what promises to be an exciting day for Turfites with the winner of the one Mile race for Horses C & Lower receiving $1 Million.

The winner of the K & Lower over 5 furlongs will win $120,000, the winner of the H & Lower gets $250,000, the E & Lower winner takes home $500,000, the J & Lower first prize is $140,000, the champion in the G & Lower and the 3&4 year-

olds will collect $300,000, while the winner of the J & Lower and 2-year-olds Guyana Bred will get $180,000 for their effort.

The races are being run under the rules of the Guyana Horse Authority and owners of Horses must pay $5,000 for each Horse at the time of entry.

If not paid the Horses’ name would not appear on the official programme and the horses would not be permitted to run.

In the event that there are less than five horses entered for any event the club reserves the right to cancel or reframe the said event or reduce the prize money after consulting with the owners.

Sunday November 01, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 83

Defending champs Stella Maris crash out of tournament It was another day of thrilling action as the quarter-final stage of this year’s Courts Pee Wee Schools Football Competition ended, at the Banks DIH ground, Thirst Park.

The biggest casualty of the day was defending champions Stella Maris, who fell to Enterprise 3-1, while last year’s beaten finalist St. Pius scraped past South Ruimveldt 10.

In the other remaining last eight matchups, St. Angela’s continued their mesmeric run with a 4-0 thumping of Tucville, while West Ruimveldt d i s m i s s e d S t .

M a rg a r e t ’s b y a 4 - 2 margin.

The semi-finals will be played next Saturday at the same venue.

M e a n w h i l e , Wo r l d Masters Bod y b u i l d i n g champion H u g h R o s s paid an unexpected visit to the venue where he interacted with the young ballweavers and encouraged them to continue in their pursuit of greatness.

Ros s i s s p o n s o r e d

by Banks D IH under its Malta Supreme

brand.

Game-1 St. Angela’s-4 vs Tucville-0 Keyon Douglas-6th, 14th and 26th Nickone Dover-25th Game-2 St. Margaret’s-2 vs West Ruimveldt-4 West Scorers Mark Cameron-2nd, 26th and 37th Michael Oie-18th St. Margaret’s Scorers Josiah King-21st Mickelle Andrews-35th Game-3 Enterprise-3 vs Stella Maris-1 Ente r p r i s e Scorers Seon A r c h ibald-13th and 36th Martin King-32nd Stella Maris Scorer Jayden Pitt-10th Game-4 St. Pius-1 vs South Ruimveldt-0 Christian Jupiter-35th 9-16 Positonal Section Game-1 F.E. Pollard-0 vs St. Stephen’s-8 Ronaldo Forde-3rd, 19th, 33rd and 36th Jequan Cole-7th Otis Straughn-17th Michael Beckles-26th Jaiheam Taylor-39th Game-2 Winfer Garden-1 vs North

Guyana’s World Masters Bodybuilding champion Hugh Ross poses with the teams yesterday, at the Banks DIH ground, Thirst Park.

Georgetown-4 North Georgetown Scorers A. DeSantos-3rd, 26th and 39th S. Walters-14th Winfer Scorer Jeremiah Harris-24th Game-3 Comenius Primary vs Smith Memorial Smith Memorial won via walkover Game-4 St. Agnes-4 vs St. Ambrose0 Daniel Pollard-9th, 10th, 13th and 22nd

t r o Sp Digicel Guyana Open Golf Classic Tournament

Dinanauth, Sukhram joint leaders in Men’s Championship Flight after Day One -Christine Sukhram poised to reclaim title

Christine Sukhram

Digicel Head of Marketing Jacqueline James seen executing the ceremonial tee off yesterday.

All Blacks overwhelm Australia to win record third World Cup

The New Zealand team celebrate as Richie McCaw of New Zealand holds aloft the Webb Ellis Cup in front of 80,000 fans. (Getty Images)

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