Guyana Times Daily

P9 Govt P11 welcomes U.S.-Russia deal on Syria Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana Issue No. 1895 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Guyana backs fight for slavery compensation See story on page 13

– says there is need for broad consensus, alliances

“It’s a sweet moment for me” – Best says in goodbye speech

See story on page 3

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

More investments needed to respond to climate change P10 threats – FAO Project P11 launched to fast track land leases Buxton bakery P12 awards bursaries to six students

P13 Police destroy 10 acres of marijuana

Eyes right! Rear Admiral Gary Best inspects a guard of honour as he bids farewell to the Guyana Defence Force after 33 years of service (Carl Croker photo)

“Frog Eye” wanted for Meten-Meer-Zorg businessman’s murder See story on page 7

UG student perishes in Brickdam accident P14 More than 200 doctors P17 begin training before deployment

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wednesday, september 18, 2013 | guyanatimeSGY.com

News

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Wednesday, September 18 from 14:30h to 16:00h The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Wednesday, September 18 from 15:30h to 17:00h.

WEATHER TODAY Countrywide: Heavy rain showers are expected during the day, with clear skies in the evening over coastal regions and near inland locations. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East south-easterly to easterly at 4.47 to 4.02 metres per second.

High Tide: 03:27h and 15:48h reaching maximum heights of 2.68 metres and 2.72 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 09:22h and 21:42h reaching minimum heights of 0.52 metre and 0.46 metre respectively.

saturday, september 14, 2013

LOTTERY NUMBERS K 01 02 08 20 21 23 27 FREE TICKET

Tuesday, september 17, 2013

Daily Millions

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

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Wednesday, september 18, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

“It’s a sweet moment for me” – Best says in goodbye speech

Chief-of-Staff Phillips; and his predecessor. In the presence of the head of the Presidential Secretariat and secretary of the Defence Board, Dr Roger Luncheon, Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman, ministers of government, and other officials, Best inspected the parade.

By Svetlana Marshall

“I

t is critical that a constant and sharp eye be placed on aviation and maritime development to provide faster access to forest and remote area protection, and hydrocarbon security,” Rear Admiral Gary Best said as he delivered his last speech as chief-of-staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) on Tuesday amid much pomp and ceremony at Camp Ayanganna.

Best, who is the seventh chief-of-staff of Guyana’s army but the first to be elevated to the rank of rear admiral, said the country’s successful development depends significantly on creating and preserving a safe and secure environment, hence aviation and maritime development is critical.

However, he opined that true development within the force will not be achieved without a clear interlinking of all key sectors and resources.

“It, therefore, appears to me, Your Excellency, that a rerationalisation, a reprioritisation, and a re-allocation of key resources to the defence and security sectors is now necessary for a safe and secure environment,” the army chief, who is retiring, told President Donald Ramotar.

Defence, security policy

Best further stated that the defence and security sector is pivotal to nation building, noting that he refuses to support any notion which suggests that Guyana is unable to achieve its maximum potential or would be crippled due to political differences.

The outgoing chief-of-staff said his 33 years of service to the army was a remarkable venture. “It is a sweet moment for me and my family. It is a sweet moment for me for the Lord Jesus Christ has seen me through to the end with peace and tranquillity. It is a sweet moment for me that I feel a sense of spiritual joy and accomplishment. It is a sweet moment for me that I have given 33 years of service to

‘Force Colours’

Outgoing Chief-of-Staff Rear Admiral Gary Best hands over the ‘Force Colours’ to his successor Brigadier Mark Phillips

the people of this great country,” he said, as he bid his colleagues farewell.

But this is not the end of the great venture, he said, since he has made himself available to serve in other capacities, as he pursues his doctorate degree in international relations at the University of the West Indies. His area of research focuses on climate change financing. “I am ready to serve my country in new capacities as the years progress.

Thank you Guyana, thank you the Guyana Defence Force, thank you officers, thank you ranks, thank you civilians...,” Best said.

To his successor Brigadier Mark Phillips, Best offered congratulations, reminding him that he should allow his

moral compass to point to fairness, justice, and compassion as he takes the GDF to higher heights. “Your greatest test is not where you stand in good moments but where you stand in times of challenge and controversy. You will have to be strong and hold your grounds, you will have many testing moments; however, be inspired by your desire to lead, and develop further the Guyana Defence Force,” he stated.

Change of command

GDF’s Change of Command Parade in honour of Rear Admiral Best, commenced at 16:00h with a range of parade marches to usher in President Donald Ramotar, commanderin-chief of the armed forces; Prime Minister Samuel Hinds;

After delivering his farewell speech, he handed over the ‘Force Colours’ to the new chief-of-staff, paving the way for the unveiling of the emblem. A flyby was among the other features of the grand send-off ceremony.

Best took command of the GDF on September 28, 2007. His storied career began when he was adjudged the best graduating student of the Standard Military Officers Course Number Nine at the Colonel Ulric Pilgrim Officer Cadet School in 1981. He subsequently completed his initial maritime training in the Brazilian merchant marines during the period 1981 to 1985.

As Commander Coast Guard during the period June 1994 to September 1999, he was responsible for the establishment of Coast Guard Law Enforcement Districts throughout Guyana, as well as the development of an electronic database Maritime Information System.

The outgoing chief-ofstaff is a proud holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from the University of Guyana and a Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago.

Back in 2005, Best was accepted to practice at the Guyana Bar. He subsequently earned his Master of Science Degree in International Relations from the University of the West Indies. (svetlanam@guyanatimesgy.com)

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guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, september 18, 2013

Views Editor: Nigel Williams Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134 Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

The Syria resolution

E

arlier this week, the United Nations (UN) team set up to investigate Syria’s use of chemical weapons against ordinary civilians had confirmed what most had already believed, that is, “unequivocally and objectively” chemical weapons have been used in Syria in the attacks that left over 1000 people dead.

Although it did not attribute blame to any party or group of individuals, which in any case was outside of its remit, the UN team found that sarin was used in a rocket attack in the Syrian capital, Damascus, last month. The UN has concluded that this is the most significant confirmed use of chemical weapons against civilians since Saddam Hussein used them in Halabja in 1988.

U.S. allegations that the government of Syria was responsible for the chemical attacks led to threats of military action and then a U.S.-Russia deal for Syria to make safe its chemical arms. On its part, the Syrian government had denied any involvement, saying that such an attack would have been “illogical” because UN chemical weapons experts were visiting Damascus at the time. President Bashar al-Assad, in an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro, called for proof from anyone making the accusations.

UN investigators had earlier said they were probing 14 alleged chemical attacks in Syria since September 2011.

In releasing the findings of the report, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was quoted as saying that this was a war crime.

The UN investigators examined blood, hair, urine and rocket samples. In explaining the findings of the report, Ban said that 85 per cent of the blood samples tested positive for sarin. It also said that the delivery vehicle was a variant of the M14 artillery rocket, fired from an unspecified region to the north-west.

Now that the UN team has completed its work and has confirmed that chemical weapons were indeed used in the attacks on ordinary civilians, the world is anxiously waiting to see the next steps the international community will take.

From all indications, world powers are busy trying to hammer out a UN Security Council resolution in the coming days. The U.S., UK and France are seeking a “strong” UN resolution with “serious consequences” if Syria failed to hand over its chemical arsenal, along with a “precise timetable” for dismantling it.

U.S. President Barack Obama has made it clear that if properly implemented, this agreement could end the threat these weapons pose not only to the Syrian people but to the rest of the world, hence such resolution had to be “forceful, accountable, transparent and timely”.

The U.S. clearly does not trust Syria and has serious reservations that the country will not do what it promises, hence it is treading carefully as to how it proceeds.

French President Francois Hollande a few days ago met with British Foreign Secretary William Hague and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Paris to discuss the Syrian crisis. The meeting followed the deal brokered by Russia and the U.S. under which Syria will disclose its chemical weapons within a week and eliminate them by mid-2014.

The UN had made it clear that while it has noted the argument for action to prevent future uses of chemical weapons, at the same time, consideration must be given to the impact of any punitive measure on efforts to prevent further bloodshed and facilitate a political resolution of the conflict.

However, should diplomacy fail, all the countries involved, including Russia, have agreed that military intervention could be an option. While there is widespread opposition to military intervention from most countries including Guyana and the wider Caricom region, the international community has a responsibility to hold the perpetrators of this heinous act accountable. Such an attack on ordinary citizens must not be taken lightly or be allowed to happen in the future.

Patrons view exhibits at the Education Ministry's School Visual Arts Exhibition at the National Library on Tuesday (Carl Croker photo)

Enough is enough – reintroduce the death penalty (Part Two)

Dear Editor, If the police need additional resources to keep our citizens safe, I’m confident they will get it from this government if requested. They need to be more proactive and innovative in finding new ways to outsmart the criminals, and to restore public confidence in the Guyana Police Force.

According to the Guyana Times editorial of September 8, there were 2658 serious crimes this year as compared to 2503 for the identical 2012 period. This was a six per cent increase, with the number of murders increasing from 82 to 85.

But it was the robbery under arms category that is most troubling: last year the category increased by an astonishing 21 per cent from 879 to 1065 incidents, compared with 2011 – with firearms as the weapon of choice jumping by 16 per cent.

For this year, up to the end of August, the report showed that robbery under arms continued its evidently inevitable rise, with the firearms component rising a further 10 per cent. It is now clear that while we have not returned to the era of the bandits acting in concert and combining their depredations with political attacks on the state, the level of the crime wave – especially robberies under firearms – is now as high if not higher.

No government can rule effectively if crime is running rampant in the country. The economy suffers, commerce suffers, tourism suffers, and most importantly, citizens live in fear for the safety of themselves and their families. The opposition, I’m sure, is well aware of this. Because

the security of the nation is both urgent and imperative, it must not be exploited by the opposition to score cheap political points, nor to weaken the administration.

A new approach is needed by the Guyana Police Force to rid the country of illegal guns. My approach is a bit radical, but I honestly believe it will bear fruit if implemented. I therefore offer the following suggestions to the police, and encourage anyone with better ideas to do the same: * For a limited time only, the police should introduce a “buy-back” programme for firearms – no questions asked. Anyone can turn in a gun at any police station without fear of being arrested, or being asked for their name and address or where the weapon was obtained.

This programme is done on a regular basis in New York very successfully, and it could be just as successful here.

An amount of $20,000 can be offered for every working gun turned in, and $10,000 for every gun turned in that does not work.

A defective gun can be used very effectively to commit a crime, for when a victim stares down the barrel of a gun, there is no way to determine whether or not the gun works.

The police should make it known that after the buyback programme has ended, an aggressive campaign will be launched by law enforcement to go after those guns not turned in, with mandatory prison time for those caught with illegal firearms, working or not.

Local businessmen/women can be persuaded to finance this project through

sponsorship, because the more guns that are taken off the streets, the safer their businesses become, and the less likely their families and themselves will be targeted. I will gladly volunteer to initiate this programme on behalf of the Guyana Police Force. * Offer a one-month conditional amnesty to hard-core criminals wanted by the police for heinous crimes such as murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery and rape. Depending on the severity of the crime committed, felons will qualify for a substantial reduction in sentencing by surrendering to the police.

While in prison, they and other prisoners will have to undertake mandatory counselling geared at rehabilitation, which will help re-establish the prisoners back into society; giving them hope and the opportunity for a new life.

Upon their release from prison, they would be placed on supervised probation with electronic monitoring for three to five years. If probation is violated within this period, they would be re-arrested to complete the full term of their sentence.

Here is the logic behind this “carrot and stick” approach. To put it simply, deadly criminals would be taken off the streets, resulting in a reduction in murders and other brutal crimes, making communities much safer.

Anyone who commits murder in Guyana, knows that if found guilty, he is likely to be sentenced to life in prison.

And if he chooses to run from the law, he is likely to be killed in a confrontation

with the police. With this in mind, he becomes even more desperate and ruthless because he cannot see a way out of the dilemma he puts himself in.

He is void of hope, so he stays on the run as long as he can, committing crimes along the way to survive with little or no respect for another human life. But if given an opportunity to wipe his slate clean after spending a few years in prison to return to live a normal life with his family in freedom, I feel sure that most criminals on the run would choose this option.

Give them hope. * Very stringent laws must be introduced and enforced to deter crime, especially crimes motivated by race and religion, rape, the sexual abuse of children, and crimes committed against tourists, remigrants and foreign investors. * There is a dire need to reintroduce the gallows. The commutation of the death penalty to life imprisonment has only benefited the agenda of the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA).

What about the rights of the victims, don’t they have rights too?

After President Desmond Hoyte approved the hanging of a few convicted murderers in the early 1990s, the crime rate dropped drastically.

It worked then, it will work again. Criminals, who knowingly take the life of another human being, forfeit their right to live. I say enough is enough, hang these killers and restore normalcy to the lives of lawabiding citizens throughout this dear land of ours.

Regards, Harry Gill

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, september 18, 2013

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Kudos to the Guyana Is Hughes forgiven?

Police Force

Dear Editor, The attorney general of Guyana commenting on the crime situation in Guyana asserted that “several human rights organisations are assisting crime by their silence”. Over the past week we have witnessed statements emanating from different sources, concerning the recent spike in armed criminal activity. Fortunately, not everyone has been silent. Two organisations, the Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) and the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) issued strongly worded condemnations of the crime situation and called for decisive action to be taken by the Guyana Police Force. No attempt was made by these groups to malign the law enforcement authorities.

There are, of course, forces within our society who used the opportunity of the recent crime wave to cast aspersions on the competence of the Guyana Police Force. Whilst criticism of police action or inaction can spur improved performance, it is equally necessary that the police is praised for the successes they achieve. In

this context, I wish, on behalf of the community of Meten-Meer-Zorg to salute the Guyana Police Force for their swift and prompt response which led to the capture of persons suspected to be involved in criminal activities which had threatened the security and peace of residents of our area.

I also wish to thank the government of Guyana for their sustained investment in crime-fighting. While the government continues to devote resources to combat crime and lawlessness, there are elements that instead of supporting this effort are targeting the subject minister responsible for internal security. On behalf of the residents of Meten-MeerZorg I extend our heartfelt appreciation to the government and particularly the minister of home affairs for his proactive approach in responding to the crime situation in the country.

Capturing the criminals is, however, just one aspect of the justice process.

Of critical importance is to ensure that those involved in criminal activity face the consequences of their actions. I therefore appeal to the judiciary to not make

a mockery of the efforts of the police force or make light of the suffering of the victims of the recent murders by allowing those to escape the clutches of justice as was done recently in the Lusignan massacre trial.

The community of MetenMeer-Zorg also calls on the nation to pay close attention to who will be the lawyers to defend these criminals.

Almost certainly one lawyer will be the current chairman of an opposition political party while the other attorney will be a parliamentarian who sits on the opposition benches with aspiration to one day be the leader of the party he represents.

Once again, allow me to salute the efforts of the brave ranks who intercepted a criminal plot within our village and who in doing so placed their lives at risk.

They are helping to make Meten-Meer-Zorg a safer place for all of us and we express our appreciation for the sterling operation which aborted the criminal plan being orchestrated by outsiders to our village.

Regards, Baldeo Mathura

Is neighbourhood thievery becoming a national problem?

Dear Editor, I could have predicted the recent beating of a neighbourhood thief, or suspected one. Last week, a man tracked down robbers of a business and shot the supposed thief, and if we want, we can bring up the incidents in Sophia and Berbice.

This is what we have to stop in the first place. The reason we have laws is so that we can rule out many things. One of the most important things to rule out is that of personal vengeance.

One over-zealous man was seriously fined for beating a man who was trying to install a device in a tree that allowed for the ruse. The

tree of course was in this man’s yard and after he could not dissuade the man with words, he dished out a beating. He should have called the police.

The message should have been heeded as regards Sophia and the Berbice case.

With this recent situation in Durban Street, Georgetown, I am sure that this lad could have been subdued and then allowed the police to take over.

Both neighbours should answer some serious questions, particularly the one that tied up and beat the alleged thief.

I can understand why the beating was carried out.

People just do not like to lose

their stuff via thievery. It grates the pride and produces anger. It does not matter even if it is just a fruit that someone is making off with.

People hate thieves because their very presence is a mockery to those who work to earn their well-being.

A message for all potential thieves is to be prepared to fall into the hands of angry citizens.

The law may not be immediate. And another factor where the rule of an angry person comes to the fore is that sometimes the law is not sure, is very slow and quite soft.

Yours sincerely, Jason Ricketts

Dear Editor, Since the revelation that Vernon Griffith, foreman of the jury that acquitted the two accused in the Lusignan massacre trial was a client of Nigel Hughes, chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC), for six continuous years, and that both Hughes and Griffith failed to disclose this fact to the trial judge, the AFC has failed to make any clear and unambiguous public statement on this fact.

It has deliberately chosen to remain silent hoping that it will go away. This deliberate failure on the part of the AFC to make an unambiguous public statement suggests either or both of two things.

One, the AFC has brushed aside the issue as one of little or no significance or cares nothing about the public outcry. However, a closer and objective assessment leads to the conclusion that the AFC, as a political party, whose entire top leadership comprise qualified lawyers, is simply condoning the manipulation of the courts to free criminals.

In this case, the murderers of 11 innocent persons, including women and children in their sleep, all of whom were only guilty of being of a certain ethnicity, were acquitted by a jury because Griffith and Hughes

suffered a bout of convenient amnesia, as one letter writer put it.

This fact has indeed left many lingering, but quite legitimate, questions on the lips of every decent and lawabiding Guyanese. It seems to have even left the Guyana Bar Association dumbstruck, because until now it has failed to issue a statement on this outrageous and disgraceful act of one of their senior colleagues Among the questions being asked is one that is correctly directed at the AFC. Has the AFC forgiven Hughes for deliberately manipulating the court system to free the Lusignan massacre murder accused? If it did, as it would appear, then on whose behalf or authority it did so? I am sure that those who believed the AFC’s deception and voted for it are not the ones since the majority of them have already seen its true colours.

So, did the AFC seek the opinion of those who they are claiming to represent, the public or at least their voters? What about the survivors and relatives of the victims? Did the AFC give any thought to them?

It is inconceivable that the leadership of the AFC, a party that promises a new political culture in Guyana, has failed to censure one of its top leaders, its chairman, who deliberately and

shamelessly manipulated the court system to free two persons accused of one of the worst crimes ever committed on peaceful citizens of this country since independence.

The AFC simply has no right to forgive Hughes for this most distasteful and disgraceful act. The AFC therefore owes an unconditional public apology, not only to the survivors and relatives of the Lusignan massacre victims, but also to the entire Guyanese nation for this disgraceful act of its entire leadership, who incidentally are all attorneys.

Now that the AFC has publicised its code of conduct one is left to wonder even more about what are the principles that govern this party. Does their code of conduct condone acts of manipulation of the court by its leaders to free persons accused of hideous crimes such as that of the Lusiginan massacre under the guise of freedom to practice their trade? If this is so then what is the point of having a code of conduct?

The leaders of the AFC promise to be selfless in their efforts to make Guyana a better place, but it turned out they are selfish and are destroying everybody’s future.

Yours truly, Faruk Mohamed

Another successful medical outreach

Dear Editor, We sometimes take too much for granted. I overheard a Canadian visitor express total alarm at this health fair that was just concluded.

The man was utterly amazed that scores of people were able to take advantage of the free medical services that were available at the Square of the Revolution in Georgetown.

This venture was part of activities marking Caribbean Wellness Week and it was well supported.

The visitor said that even though medical care is gen-

erally free in Canada, it is not taken to the people and drugs and medicines are quite expensive.

I have this friend who plies his fishing trade in Suriname and Venezuela.

He has legal residency in Suriname, but he comes back here for his medical checks and medication as often as he sees the need. The problem for him he said is one of expense.

He gets quality care and medication for free, right here in his native land.

Many things will likely unfold from this health fair.

Teachers who visited were

given flyers and posters for their students’ education.

The idea is to create school health clubs that will help to promote healthy lifestyles. If we get this alone, it is something worth shouting about.

I also notice that another health fair will be held at the same location on September 21 and 22, and I am urging that persons capitalise on the range of services that will be provided: they are free of cost and the atmosphere is very friendly.

Yours faithfully, Suzanne Solomon

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Foundation

How do affairs affect children

BY KIRSTEN PERSON-RAMEY

T

here is an old saying that goes “What you don’t know can’t hurt you.” Not only do I not subscribe to that old saying, but I actually believe that the information we are not privy to can be even more damaging than brutal honesty.

Take Alexis and Tony for example, whose names have been changed to ensure their confidentiality.

Both are hardworking, loving parents whose children have started to act out; one by exhibiting verbal aggression to her younger siblings and another by messing up in school.

One child seems totally unaffected by the present chaos in the home because she excels in all that she does. The obvious information is that the family is in turmoil, yet the hidden information is that Alexis, the loving mother is having an affair with a man whom she met online. While she still makes every effort to provide for her husband and children physically, she is emotionally distant from the family. Her coldness in turn influences her husband to work longer hours and eventually find comfort outside of the marriage as well.

While the bills are all paid, the family is fed, and life

continues to go on; the family is disconnected and the children are suffering.

When parents have an affair, they are not only betraying their spouse, but they are betraying the children of the family. More than anything children need love and affection and in the instance of an affair, these are usually the first two things to go. It is difficult to provide the

emotional warmth that is required by a child when a parent is spending his or her time attempting to maintain an intricate and deceitful illusion. Affairs are work; hard work at that. In addi-

tion to the demands of daily life, the cheating parent has to find the time to live out the fantasy and the children suffer from this.

Within the confines of an affair, individuals tend to live for the moment. The moment with the lover is a risky escape from real life. There are no bills or

housework to be tended to and for that moment in time, even the children don’t matter. Many people who engage in affairs state that they do so in order to find happiness, yet in all actuality these are the most selfish relationships because the cheating

spouse’s happiness is the only happiness that is accounted for (besides the lover).

Some parents take offence when c o n fronte d with the reality

and staying “late at work” because he was confident in his wife’s ability to manage the household and the children.

There are scores of data to suggest the value of a healthy two parent home.

When a parent cheats, the impact of the co-caregiver relationship is diminished and possibly even eliminated. When children have an absent parent who still lives within the home, it may do more damage than a physically absent parent. To that child, a parent is saying that “although I am here with you, I cannot be there for you.”

that children often play a far second to the affair. The reasoning here, (though possibly not conscious) is the realisation that even if one parent (the cheating parent) checks out and engages in an affair, the other parent will pick up the slack. Such was the case with Dana and Peter. Peter had no difficulty taking his mistress on weekend trips

They usually end within six months to a year, but the damage may last for years.

Cheated on spouses spend years in therapy and most parents have no regard for how deeply children are affected by the parent’s indiscretion. You don’t have to tell children some things; they just know. They understand when their parents

Affairs hurt

are hurting and disconnected from one another. The classic response is to create a diversion.

Children often act out to shift the focus from the real problem, thus making them (the children) the new centre of attention. As far as Alexis and Tony’s situation, even that so-called perfect child can be dealing with underlying feelings of depression.

When children are actually aware of the affair and the relationship is not protected in secrecy, the signs that children are suffering from the affair are quite obvious.

Children show resentment to and even aggression towards one or both parents.

The resentment and aggression towards the cheating spouse is rooted in the betrayal that is felt.

For the parent who is cheated on, the children may feel a certain resentment that the parent is somehow “allowing” the cheating spouse to hurt the family. This predicament puts the cheated on spouse in an uncomfortable position because not only must she or he deal with their own feelings of betrayal, but she or he must protect the feelings of the child or children.

Most often, children are not aware because the affair has been made public. It is the subtle signs from one parent to the other that guides the child to the conclusion that the family is in trouble.

While happiness is important in a relationship, there is a certain amount of self-sacrifice involved in parenting.

While it may not be in the best interest of either spouse to remain in an unfulfilling relationship, it is never in the best interest of the child or children, to satisfy the need to be happy through an affair.

The main reason why affairs are not the answer is because ultimately they do not provide the happiness that they seek to secure.

Affairs cause hurt in the end. The cheating spouse usually realises the err of his or her ways, the cheated on spouse is left feeling inadequate at best, and children are left with feelings of instability and uncertainty.

Ultimately, the weakest links in the equation are the most vulnerable people; the children, whose lives may never be the same after mommy or daddy decides that the needs of the individual are more important than the well-being of the family. (eRelationshipAdviceCafe)

news

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wednesday, september 18, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

NAACIE accuses GPL of violating agreement European Development

By Samuel Sukhnandan

N

ational Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) General Secretary Kenneth Joseph said his union was dissatisfied with the action taken by the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) not to comply with a recent arbitration.

Joseph told Guyana Times on Tuesday that while the company has made a few retroactive payments based on the arbitration ruling, it has not paid any of these increases for this year.

“They are supposed to pay the three per cent automatic increment from January 1, 2013 and they have not done so. They suppose to pay workers’ performance assessments for 2012 in 2013 by the end of March and they have not done so,” he stated.

The trade unionist recalled that it was agreed that previous agreements between the years 20012003 continue to exist. He said while workers were paid, there has not been any move to continue with the agreement.

NAACIE wrote the pow-

er company on the issue, but, to date, they have not taken the time to respond to the concerns raised in an efficient manner. Joseph said his union has made several attempts to meet with the senior management of GPL, to discuss the issue with the aim of honouring the agreement, but has had little success in this area. “We are not satisfied that they are bargaining in good faith, because they have not paid as they are supposed to be paying,” he posited.

Disbelief

According to him, the only information NAACIE has received is that a subcommittee of the GPL board has to make the decision whether to pay the monies. This committee is headed by trade unionist Carvil Duncan. Joseph expressed disbelief at the action taken

by GPL, and said this is not the first time that the company has taken a step that is against legally-binding agreements. He accused the company of violating agreements and human rights.

“GPL continues to hold on to this GPL payment strategy that they have…

When persons get into December they accept what-

NAACIE General Secretary Kenneth Joseph

ever is offered and it’s very difficult for unions to manipulate and work within that time… that is dirty trade union and company relations, “ Joseph asserted.

He also reiterated that GPL continues to hire more contract employees in an effort to kill trade union representation. Workers, he believes, have a right to choose a union to represent them.

An arbitration panel on May 16 awarded a maximum of six per cent in salary increases for workers at GPL, ending a bitter pro-

tracted dispute between the power company and the union. The company’s grade one workers were expected to receive an increase of six per cent, while the other categories were expected to receive an increase of 5.5 per cent retroactive to January 2012. This agreement is expected to continue, based on the ruling from the arbitration tribunal.

This move was triggered by a six-day street protest involving GPL workers who felt vindicated in their claims that the company had not upheld the signed 2001 collective bargaining agreement; which called for negotiations for increases in salaries, outside of an automatic three per cent increment on the salaries of workers annually, and a performance-based incentive of between zero and 10 per cent.

GPL was, however, adamant since the beginning of the dispute that it could not afford the five per cent package offered, much less the eight per cent that was being demanded. The company blamed its financial situation on high fuel prices among other things. (samuelsukhnandan @guyanatimesgy.com)

“Frog Eye” wanted for Meten-MeerZorg businessman’s murder

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s the police clamp down on what they believe is a major criminal network, they have issued a wanted bulletin for Keifa Small, called “Frog Eye”, in relation to the murder of Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara businessman Zulfikar Namdar, who was killed a week ago during a robbery at his home.

Small is a medium built male of dark complexion. His last known address is Lot 74 Campbellville Housing Scheme, Georgetown. The police are asking anyone with information that may lead to his arrest to contact them on telephone numbers 2256411, 226-6978, 268-2298, 268-2222, 911, or at the nearest police station.

The 27-year-old Namdar, also called “Vicky”, was killed by one of the bandits who visited the business place on September 10 under the pretext of making a purchase.

Shortly after Namdar’s death, police apprehended four persons, but subsequently released two of them.

Crime Chief Seelall Persaud told this newspaper on Tuesday that the police currently have 17 persons in custody, who they are questioning in relation to Namdar’s murder and a robbery committed on Wakenaam businessman Rohan Anand Dhanayshure.

On September 7, several armed men invaded a Good Success, Wakenaam home sometime around 20:30h and physically assaulted Dhanayshure’s daughter and her boyfriend. They

Wanted: Keifa Small

then shot Dhanayshure who rushed to his daughter’s rescue after receiving a call from her. Dhanayshure, who is the owner of several trawlers and a lumbership dealer, was shot to his left shoulder.

Shootout The police also have in custody, two persons whom they captured during a shootout on Monday with gunmen.

According to the police, they received information about a planned robbery and staked out the intended target at Kastev Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara.

Sometime around 09:15h, two motor vehicles, bearing registration numbers HB 7644 and PPP 9366, drove up to a house, which is under construction, and four men exited the vehicles. Two of the men were reportedly armed with handguns and posed as Guyana Power and Light (GPL) workers.

After noticing the police, the gunmen discharged sev-

eral rounds in their direction, giving the police no alternative but to return fire.

The bandits then fled and police gave chase, intercepting them at Tarla Dam, where one of them was shot and killed.

The dead man was identified as Kirk Bacchus, 28, of Paradise Village, East Coast Demerara. The fourth person, believed to be armed, managed to escape. Guyana Times understands that after the shooting, police rounded up several persons suspected to be linked to a gang for questioning.

Ballistics tests Persaud said four weapons were recovered from Monday’s shooting incident

and they are being tested to determine if they were used in Namdar’s murder and the Wakenaam robbery. The deputy police commissioner explained that investigations are ongoing.

Guyana Times was also told that a file will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions’ chambers today, seeking advice on whether charges should be instituted for Monday’s incident.

The Guyana Police Force has extended its appreciation to residents of Meten-MeerZorg and its neighbouring villages for their co-operation during the robbery/murder last week and the shooting incident on Monday.

Commissioner Andris Piebalgs to visit Guyana

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European Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs

u r o p e a n Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs will on Thursday begin a packed three-day working visit to Guyana to participate in the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Programming Seminar for the Caribbean region.

To this event, the European Union has invited the national authorising officers (NAOs) from the member states of the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM): Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

While in Guyana, Commissioner Piebalgs will hold separate bilateral meetings with the NAOs and will also meet with representatives of the CARIFORUM Directorate.

The commissioner’s agenda also includes addressing the plenary session during the opening ceremony on Thursday at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal.

Commissioner Piebalgs will pay courtesy calls on President Donald Ramotar, and Caricom and CARIFORUM Secretary General Irwin LaRocque.

He will also meet with European Union member states’ diplomats and Caribbean civil society organisation representatives. The commissioner will end his visit on Saturday by making a site visit to the Mangroves Restoration Project funded by the European Union and the government of Guyana which is of vital importance to the country’s sea defences.

The 11th European Development Fund will cover the period 2014-2020, and it is expected that the European Union will provide its CARIFORUM partners with one billion euros (US$1.4 billion) in grants for the most vulnerable people in the Caribbean region.

Commissioner Piebalgs has occupied key positions in both national and European political fields. During the first Barroso Commission, starting in November 2004, he was the European commissioner for energy. Before joining the commission, he pursued a political career, occupying strategic ministerial portfolios in the homeland Latvia.

He was also a high-ranking diplomat, helping his country to play its role in the EU. The visit to Guyana will mark the commissioner’s second to the Caribbean in recent times, as he visited the Dominican Republic and Haiti back in March 2012.

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wednesday, september 18, 2013| guyanatimesGY.com

Assault case against couple dismissed

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n Tuesday a case was dismissed against a couple after they appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Courts.

It was alleged that on September 4 at Stone Avenue, Georgetown, Bernice Nichols

assaulted Yoman Parmanand causing him actual bodily harm. She pleaded not guilty to the charge as it was read to her. Permanand pleaded not guilty to the charge against him which read that on September 4, he assaulted Nichols causing her actual bodily harm.

Eyew tness

Both parties were represented by Attorney Manuj Narine who stated that they are not proceeding with the matter against each other.

Magistrate Latchman dismissed the case due to no evidence being offered, however, she ordered that the couple receive counselling.

Politics...

...as PR s Ralph Ramkarran keeps up his pretence of writing a “blog”, which is actually a fig leaf for writing for the opposition Stabber News and MuckrakerKN, he increasing reveals why he was never a real contender for the presidency from within the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). Looks like he’s working real hard to be the opposition’s “consensus” candidate.

This week he weighs in with the incredible claim that, if the government had better “public relations” (PR) savvy, they would’ve been able to get the opposition to vote for Amaila Hydro!

Well, actually, they didn’t need the entire opposition, since the Alliance For Change (AFC) had already done a somersault after it was revealed that their Chairman Nigel Hughes was on the payroll of Sithe Global!

It wasn’t PR that changed their mind – just plain old fashioned love of money.

And on the PR front, we didn’t notice Hughes’ better half, Kathy Hughes – also an AFC executive – doing anything for Fip Motilall, as his PR flak. But that’s another story. Coming back to Ramkarran, is he really serious that A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) would’ve had the PPP/C solve the electricity problem of Guyana? If he believes that, then we have a bridge to sell him across the Demerara River.

APNU is scared sh*tless about any of the PPP/C’s projects coming on stream.

If that happens, it means that they’re stuck in the opposition wilderness for two more decades. For starters. But let’s list Ramkarran’s six questions that he said the PPP/C never responded to properly.

It’s actually three because he figured: (1) “the inadequacy of Amaila by the time it comes on stream (was)... no reason not to proceed with Amaila because without it, the situation will be far worse”; (2) “whether Guyana would have to go into debt”... (this) had no relationship to the viability of the project; and (3) “the absence of a plan for the development of the Potaro Basin (was) giving up the bird in the hand for two in the bush”.

So we’re left with “the cost of electricity to the consumer after the construction of Amaila...(which) was never answered or

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“adequately answered”, Sithe’s financial commitment, (“never fully clarified”) – and “the rate of return, (which) could have been defended”. Now in a case of electricity generation by Amaila Hydro, how in God’s name would that entity be responsible for the price the client, Guyana Power and Light (GPL), would be selling it to consumers, since the latter would have to straighten transmission losses?

This is the first time we’re hearing there were questions off Sithe’s financial commitment. It was Sithe’s Blackstone’s connection and money that brought all the other players to the table.

And APNU would’ve backflipped if the PPP/C had told them this? What a joker!

...as passing the buck The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is in town to help increase our “trade capabilities”. But as this newspaper has said before, it was supposed to do this through the “Aid for Trade”(AfT) initiative.

Not us just tightening our Customs services.

The focus of AfT – to increase trade via Global Value Chains (GVCs) – has to help by deepening our production capacities so we get a share of the big value added bucks.

Back in 2009, the Caribbean Community (Caricom) crafted a strategy toward “upgrading key economic infrastructure, enhancing export competitiveness, diversifying economies, retooling the private sector, strengthening regional integration, and creating financial and other instruments to encourage and support innovation and research and development”.

WTO’s AfT has to help our manufacturing capacities beyond being assembly lines, create a vibrant agricultural sector – including agro-processing and increase our capacities in a range of services sectors. We need structural transformation, baby, especially of services or we’ll continue supplying raw materials to the developed nations till the end of time. ...in literary circles We’re really happy Ruel Johnson won the Guyana Prize for “Best Fiction”. We were afraid his effusions in the letter pages might’ve damaged his reputation. If he had one.

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News

More investments needed to respond to climate change threats – FAO

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arly action and more investments are needed to respond to the threat climate change poses to the world’s forests. It will probably cost less to adjust forest management strategies immediately to the impacts of climate change than to react to the aftermath of climate-inflicted damage, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said in its new climate change guidelines for forest managers.

Early action will also help to improve the livelihoods and food security of local communities. Decreased forest ecosystem services, especially water-cycle regulation, soil protection and the conservation of biodiversity, may affect millions of people in rural areas, who use forests for food, fuel, timber, medicines, and income.

For example, four to five million women in West Africa earn about 80 per cent of their income from the collection, processing, and the marketing of nuts harvested from shea trees.

“Climate change is impairing the ability of forests to deliver critical goods and ecosystem services.

Forest managers urgently need to respond to a wide range of threats posed by climate change. These guidelines will help them to assess and monitor the climate change impacts applicable for each type of forest and region,” FAO Forestry Officer Simmone Rose said.

The document, presented last week at the 28th Session

FAO Forestry Officer Simmone Rose of the Latin American and Caribbean Forestry Commission (LACFC), provides guidance on how to identify, assess, and prioritise options for adjusting forest management practices in response to climate change.

Climate change is altering precipitation and runoff patterns. While some parts of the world are experiencing reduced precipitation and drought, others are suffering from more intense rainfall and associated erosion and flooding.

Forests in upper watersheds reduce storm runoff and erosion, and forests adjacent to water bodies help stabilise river banks, reduce the amount of sediments entering the water, and filter pollutants.

Forests’ capacity to contribute to water availability and quality will be reduced if they are negatively affected by climate change.

Forest managers should anticipate and respond to

these threats by identifying watersheds that are most vulnerable to climate change. Maintaining healthy forests and restoring degraded ones in the watershed will help to reduce erosion, to increase slope stability and to ensure the availability of clean and regular water supplies.

The risk of forest fires is expected to increase with higher temperatures and decreased precipitation as a consequence of climate change.

Promoting landscapes that impede fire spread and forest species that are fireresistant are important strategies in fire management. Agricultural burnings should take place before the peak of the dry season.

This type of management is often beyond the scope of forest managers, and they are encouraged to engage local communities in fire management.

Climate change, particularly extreme weather events, can affect forest pests and the damage they cause directly, by altering their reproduction and spread, and indirectly by changing the abundance of competitors, parasites, and predators.

Prevention measures may include the selection of species and varieties to suit the local conditions and thinning practices that reduce pest populations and favour natural enemies.

The careful monitoring of pest populations will help determine when control activities are needed.

No panic button!

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atiricus was in a quandary. For the last month he’d been experiencing a rising sense of panic. No, it wasn’t the usual sinking feeling he got every day as he sat at his desk staring at his blank computer screen. And the editor screaming at him that the pressmen were ready to put the paper to bed. At such times, Satiricus wished heartily he could be put to bed.

No, it wasn’t that. This was a deeper anxiety that was growing like a knot within and made him jump at every shadow. He was afraid to go outside.

That didn’t make his life easier with his wife, who expected him to run to the corner shop every time she ran out of an ingredient. That just added to his panic.

The source of the panic, in case you were wondering, dear reader, were the robberies and murders that were going on almost daily.

While this took his mind the daily reports of murders by cuckolded spouses – it certainly didn’t offer any relief since the new circumstance made him acutely aware he was now a potential target every time he stepped outside his house. And even if he didn’t.

Just thinking about the fella who’d been gunned down near the back street bar made Satiricus feel nauseous. That had certainly put a dent on hanging out with the fellas.

Satiricus just knew that things were getting back to the old days when bodies were dropping (or being dropped) like flies on the sides of the roads. Jeez,

you’d wake up every morning and the first question on your mind was, “How many killed last night?” By now Satiricus was in a full blown panic mode. What the heck to do?

And there it was! Just like that – his problems were all solved. Right there on the television was the Commissioner of Police (ag) Brunnel. And he looked right into the eyes of Satiricus and intoned, “Don’t hit the panic button yet!” And as Satiricus gazed at the man in charge of protecting the entire country, he felt the panic easing out of his body. The CoP knew what he was talking about.

Brunnel was a man who’d laughed in the face of danger so many times. He was a war hero...wasn’t he? So what if it was a war against the “bulge” to which his old boss had succumbed. It wasn’t easy refusing a fried rice from everybody who wanted his traffic violation fixed. A war is a war and bravery was bravery. And Satiricus now felt no panic. Everything was gonna be all right.

But as his wife told him to run to the corner shop to pick up his dinner – a loaf of bread – a thought struck Satiricus. That “(ag)” next to Brunnel’s commissioner of police title meant “acting”, no? So what if he was just acting when he said not to panic? Come to think of it, Satiricus was now sure he’d seen a flicker of panic from Brunnel’s eyes when he’d stared out of the television.

Damn!! Satiricus screamed and ran back into the house. He’d rather be hungry than dead.

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wednesday, september 18, 2013

Project launched to fast track land leases Govt welcomes U.S.-

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he Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has launched the Lease Approval Management System (LAMS), one of three components of the Development of Land Use Planning Project (DLUPP).

The latter is funded by the European Union (EU), and is implemented through the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC). According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), this project has been under development for 32 months, having commenced in January 2011. It will conclude in October 2013, and focuses on land use planning, land administration, and institutional strengthening.

while the team was headed by Geoffrey King. He highlighted that a survey showed that a lot of GL&SC’s customers were dissatisfied with the existing system. “It is the first e-government system in Guyana and a state-of-theart project,” King explained.

Agencies that stand to benefit from this project include the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), and the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud commended the team for the work done.

He said it was an overall good effort, but he believed that there were a few more features that can be added.

Lease processing

More efficient and fairer service

LAM was developed by the DLUPP to manage state lands. The existing system of lease processing was seen as slow and inefficient, and generated numerous customer complaints, hence LAMS was developed. It essentially computerises the existing system to provide a seamless process from the first letter of interest through to printing of the lease. It is anticipated that this will greatly improve the speed and efficiency of lease processing, always with the caveat of externalities beyond system control.

The system was designed and conceptualised by Dr Rajendran Senthil, and was programmed by Ray Sam and Guoyan Rampersaud,

“I think this is certainly a positive development… through this project I hope we are able to provide a better service to the people of Guyana, and not only a better service, but a more efficient and fairer service and not a questionable one,” the minister remarked.

He highlighted that one of the issues discussed by the team was including the department in the wider vision that the ministry has for the GL&SC. However, there is need for surety of cost and qualified individuals who are adequately trained, because this is a very sensitive issue, and is the “lung” of the commission, the natural resources

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud

and environment minister said.

Minister Persaud acknowledged that a lot of emphasis should be placed on the integrity of the system since it is an aspect that is frequently questioned. “I’m concerned about security and it must be ensured that there is restricted user access and traceability of access.” His final concern was integration: creating a link between the GL&SC and the other organisations.

These points were noted by the team members and will be discussed and integrated into the system.

Land use planning

The land use planning component of the DLUPP focuses on preparation of a National Land Use Plan (NLUP) and three Regional Land Use Plans (RLUPs) for Regions One, Two and 10.This involved collecting all available data on Guyana’s resources and

their uses. It was highlighted that most map data needed reformatting to bring all information under a common format.

There were stakeholder consultations in Georgetown and all other regions for the NLUP, while more detailed consultations took place for the three regional plans.

The plans are not only prescriptive but enabling, providing an options-based analysis of what can be done in different parts of the country, and the constraints and contradictions associated with the different options.

Land use planning and the LAMS are tools of the institutional strengthening component. Their effective use requires an institutional capacity to properly apply those tools.

The DLUPP has helped the GL&SC build this institutional capacity through three initiatives; organisational restructuring, with increased emphasis on Information Technology; a new strategic plan, which places emphasis on what is to be achieved; and improvements in human resources policies.

Thirty-two GL&SC staffers have been trained to increase capacity in specific technical areas as part of the programme.

Russia deal on Syria

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he Guyana government welcomed the agreement between the United States of America and Russia which averted a humanitarian disaster that an attack on Syria would have precipitated.

“The government also welcomes the fact that under the U.S.ARussia Framework for the Elimination of Syrian Chemical Weapons, chemical weapons would be fully dismantled. Guyana is firmly of the view that weapons such as these should never be used again in any kind of conflict, and urges that all countries with chemical and other weapons of mass destruc-

tion commit to a total and absolute ban of their construction, stockpiling and use,” a Foreign Affairs Ministry statement said.

In this regard, Guyana said the decision of Syria to accede to the Chemical Weapons Convention is a critical and welcome step.

“Guyana continues to believe that in the struggle for peace and justice in our world, the role of the United Nations must remain a central one.

The government of Guyana calls for the immediate commencement of talks among all the parties concerned towards achieving a political end to the conflict in Syria.”

Suspected bandit caught after Kamboat robbery

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suspected bandit has been arrested following the robbery of a restaurant on Sheriff Street, Georgetown Monday night.

Police said around 22:30h on Monday, two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun, entered the Kamboat Restaurant, and held up the cashier and sev-

eral patrons.

The perpetrators took a cellphone and an undisclosed amount of cash before escaping. A police patrol that was in the vicinity responded and one of the suspects was arrested in Garnett Street. A .38 revolver was recovered. The suspect will be charged shortly.

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wednesday, september 18, 2013 | guyanatimeSGY.com

Buxton bakery awards bursaries to six students B enjamin’s Bakery in Buxton, East Coast Demerara, on Monday rewarded six students for their success at the 2013 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) with bursary awards at a ceremony held at the bakery.

The awardees were selected from East Coast Demerara schools located between Lusignan and Strathspey. Their performance earned them places at Queen’s College, Bishops’ High School, St Rose’s High, St Joseph High and Annandale Secondary School.

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, who was in attendance at the awards ceremony, acknowledged the hard work of the students and said government believes that there

is no greater investment to be made than investment in people, especially youths.

Minister Singh explained how the allocations of the education sector are being spent, and highlighted that the sector receives the largest slice of the budget. Guyana has achieved universal access to primary education, and it is well on its way to achieving the same for secondary education.

Investing in young people “This allocation is used to build schools where schools don’t exist, to renovate, to rehabilitate, expand the schools where additional spaces are improved and facilities are required; to employ teachers in adequate numbers, to train them, to equip

Technology.

Minister Singh also mentioned the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) programme, which provides citizens with laptops to assist with their studies.

A special allocation, he said, was also given to UG to introduce an online programme for persons who are not able to attend the institution because of work or domestic issues.

He encouraged the students to continue to work hard, because success does not come without hard

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh

their schools, to ensure that these schools are able to operate and function, to provide for higher education like the University of Guyana (UG) and the technical institute,” Minister

Singh pointed out.

The funds are also spent to upgrade educational facilities and equip schools with equipment to promote Information C o m m u n i c a t i o n

work. Minister Singh also commended the bakery for demonstrating community consciousness, investing in young people, and recognising the importance of such an investment.

Presenting the bursary awards were Finance Secretary Neermal Rekha, bakery owner Adrian Benjamin, Finance Ministry Chief Planning Officer Clyde Roopchand, Region Four Regional Executive Officer Deolall Rooplall, and teachers, among others.

Population census still behind schedule

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he Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) is yet to provide a preliminary report for the 2012 national population census.

The GNBS, which is the agency mandated to carry out this exercise, started work on September 15, 2012 and was scheduled to complete a preliminary report earlier this year.

However, as a result of several issues encountered in compiling the necessary data for the census, the deadline was extended to this month.

Nothing has changed

When Guyana Times made contact with GNBS Chief Statistician Lennox Benjamin, we were referred to the deputy census officer, Vanessa Profitt, who told this newspaper that nothing has changed since her last comment to the media. She had said that the census was still in the verification stage.

This means that officers are still visiting homes randomly to ensure the accuracy of the information received during the field enumeration exercise.

The verification process also targets persons who would have been left out in the initial stages of the exercise. Profitt has said that the GNBS wanted to ensure it publishes accurate information, hence the verification process. However, this did not take away from the fact that the exercise was way behind schedule.

There were concerns raised about completing the exercise efficiently, especially in the interior locations. A traditional population and housing census is among one of the most complex and massive peacetime exercises a nation undertakes. It requires mapping of the entire

Deputy Census Officer Vanessa Profitt

country, and mobilising and training of enumerators, among others.

Critical planning tool

The census is a critical planning tool, helping policymakers plan for the future in terms of schools, clinics, hospitals, roads, urban infrastructure, and more.

It can measure fertility, mortality and spatial distribution, so as to predict and plan for demographic trends.

It can uncover gender disparities in employment, literacy, age of marriage, and assets.

The census also reveals the number of people with disabilities and orphans by area, and can map out dwelling types, drinking water sources, telecommunications access and patterns of energy use, among other things.

Guyana’s last census survey was conducted in 2002 when a population of 751,023 was recorded. Census 2012 is part of the United Nations 2010 round of global population and housing censuses.

The 2010 round spans the period 2005-2014. The census is conducted every 10 years.

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Guyana backs fight for slavery compensation – says there is need for broad consensus, alliances

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uyana has backed calls for Europe to compensate Caribbean states for the inhumanity of slavery, saying the injustice had left a deep wound and the desire to right this wrong was a component of the anti-colo-

of government agreed to the establishment of a National Reparations Committee in each state, with the respective chairs sitting on the Caricom Reparations Commission. The community’s approach would be to hold a development con-

“Guyana agrees that we must look at this dark history in order to understand and move forward in the present. But apart from the duty to remember, we have the duty to ensure that just and appropriate measures are adopted to compensate for those wrongs” – Culture Minister Dr Frank Anthony nial struggle.

“Guyana agrees that we must look at this dark history in order to understand and move forward in the present. But apart from the duty to remember, we have the duty to ensure that just and appropriate measures are adopted to compensate for those wrongs,” Culture Minister Dr Frank Anthony told a regional conference on reparations being held in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The conference, which opened on Sunday, is the first major event on reparations following the 34th Caricom conference of heads of government in Trinidad and Tobago in July. At the summit, heads

versation and to use all reasonable avenues to reach an amicable solution on reparations.

Atrocities

“As a Guyanese, and as a descendant of ancestors, all of whom were uprooted, transported and transplanted into an environment of atrocities and injustices, designed to maximise profits by plunder, I join with my brothers and sisters in voicing this claim for reparations,” Dr Anthony said. He said Guyana also supported the call for an apology from those countries which benefited from the proceeds of the slave trade.

The Abolition Act of August 1833, abolished

enslavement throughout the British Empire from August 1, 1834. From this date, there was to be a sixyear apprenticeship for field labour during which the slaves would work for a fixed number of hours each week.

This apprenticeship period ended in 1838, two years early. British Guiana planters were generously compensated for the 84,915 Africans who were now free.

The emancipated Africans received no compensation for their years of labour.

“Not a single solitary cent,” Dr Anthony lamented.

He said the issue was openly discussed in the immediate post-independence era.

Subsequently, a number of organisations, including Guyana’s African Cultural and Development Association, led the campaign for reparations and requested that President Bharrat Jagdeo add his voice to the reparations campaign. “…. President Jagdeo responded in kind when in 2007 while addressing a commemorative ceremony for the bicentenary of the abolition of the transatlantic trade in captive Africans he observed: “Now that some members of the international community have recognised their active role in this despicable

this argument, because the Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal defined crimes against humanity as “murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, and other inhumane acts committed against any civilian population.... whether or not in violation of the domestic law of the country where perpetrated”.

Build consensus

Culture Minister Dr Frank Anthony

system, they need to go one step further and support reparation.”

In 2011, President Jagdeo in launching a year of celebratory activities commemorating the International Year for People of African Descent restated his support for reparations.

Guyana fully committed

The culture minister said in a recent report on slavery and justice by Brown University, it is stated that crimes against humanity… “are not simply random acts of carnage. Rather they are directed at particular groups of people, who have been degraded and dehu-

manised that they no longer appear to be fully human or merit the basic respect and concern that other humans command. … By implication, all human beings have a right, indeed an obligation, to respond – to try prevent such horrors from occurring and to redress their effects when they do occur.”

He said when the issue of slavery being a crime against humanity comes up, an argument is usually made that it was legal and permissible, because some countries had implemented the Code Noir or Black Code, which was described as the most monstrous legal instrument of modern times.

He said there is a fallacy in

Minister Anthony told the conference that they had to build consensus and alliances at three levels, starting in individual countries.

“We must also work more cohesively and consistently at the regional level. Not just mapping what must be done, but by timetabling the task that must be accomplished and by when,” Dr Anthony asserted.

“We also have to build the international alliance; we must coordinate our foreign policy to articulate our call at the multilateral levels. We must recruit international voices of reason men and women of influence that must add their voices to right this historic wrong.

And we must keep knocking at the door,” he stressed.

In addition to Dr Anthony, Drs James Rose and Eric Phillips represented Guyana at the conference.

Police destroy 10 acres of marijuana

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embers of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Monday conducted a drug eradication exercise, destroying a total of 10 acres of marijuana at Yarrowkabra, Linden-Soesdyke Highway.

The two men arrested were charged and are expected to make a court appearance today.

According to a police press release, there were two fields of the illegal plants, and the men told investigators that they were just labourers taken to the area to plant marijuana.

However, Deputy Police Commissioner and Crime Chief Seelall Persaud told this publication that the persons in custody are believed

to be the owners of the crop.

Persaud said while there may not be any actual information on the owners of the land, the police are working on the theory that the two men were cultivating the illegal crop on the land.

Investigations are ongoing to determine who the owners of the land are.

The release from the po-

lice further stated that the two fields contained approximately 100,000 cannabis sativa plants, ranging in height from three feet to 10 feet.

Along with the illegal plants, several nurseries, a large quantity of seedlings, and three camps were destroyed. No weapons were found.

Earlier this year, in April, police ranks conducted a drug eradication exercise, destroying a field of cannabis sativa on a half acre plot of land at Old England, Upper Demerara River.

Approximately 5000 marijuana plants, ranging from one foot to four feet, were discovered. An abandoned camp was also destroyed

along with the illegal plants and no arrest was made.

Then in June of this year, police also conducted a drug eradication operation at Anns Grove Backdam, East Coast Demerara. A half-acre field of some 60 marijuana plants, ranging in height from one foot to six feet, were found and destroyed. Again, no one was arrested.

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News

UG student perishes in 28-year-old man freed of 2010 Laing Brickdam accident Avenue murder A A 22-year-old student of the University of Guyana died Tuesday night following a horrific accident on Brickdam, Georgetown.

Dead is Lindsford Gavin Deally of Lot 471 Nonpareil, East Coast Demerara.

Deally met his demise at approximately 21:30h when the Sophia bus he was conducting collided with a car in the vicinity of Louisa Row and Brickdam.

While at the Georgetown Public Hospital, one of the survivors, Sheldon McKenzie, told media operatives that he had warned the driver to slow down, less than five minutes before the collision occurred.

He explained that passengers had rushed to the bus upon its arrival on the Sophia Bus Park, and the conductor was reportedly shouting “four a seat, four a seat”. With approximately 19 persons crammed in the vehicle, including the driver, the bus began its journey, with

The bus shortly after the accident

Deally’s head and a shoulder protruding out of the bus. “So when the bus take off and entering Brickdam, it was going with a speed and music was really loud, so I was, like ‘Conductor the bus over-

load, ya’ll deh pun ya’ll itation’, so about five minutes after some body in front said ‘watch out’,” McKenzie recalled.

The car, with which the bus collided, was proceed-

ing north on Louisa Row. McKenzie said the minibus subsequently toppled four times before coming to a halt. “It landed on the conductor’s side; actually the bus was on the conductor.”

Using the window, McKenzie was the first of the passengers to exit the bus. According to reports, many of the passengers suffered minor injuries to their heads and legs. Distraught over the situation, Deally’s father, Allan said he rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital after getting the news. According to him, his son had been a part-time conductor for approximately eight months as he pursued his studies in economics at UG. Deally would have celebrated his 23rd birthday on December 17. He is the eldest of seven children.

28-year-old man was on Tuesday freed by Justice Navindra Singh after he was found not guilty of a 2010 Laing Avenue murder by the jury.

Stravo Evans, of Lot 1075 Grove, East Bank Demerara, who was indicted for the murder of Pascal Johnson, was committed to stand trial on January 3, 2010. During the trial, the prosecution, led by state counsel Teshana Lake, presented several witnesses, including an eyewitness, Lisa Ann Nurse, who was with Johnson before he was killed.

Nurse told the court that she and Johnson were on a dam when the accused and another man called “Boyo” approached them. She noted that she was able to identify the accused, because she used to “see him around”.

The woman recalled that at the time, Johnson had a firearm and his companion, a cutlass. She said the men approached them and asked Johnson why he was “beating” her. Nurse stated that she told the two men that Johnson was not doing anything to her and asked them to leave, but her pleas were ignored. As such, she ran to get help.

Nurse recounted that on her way to get help, she heard a “booming” sound, but did not turn back. She said she continued running.

The woman noted that after failing to get persons to give assistance, she decided to return to the scene, but

was cornered by Evans, who braced her to a fence and threatened her.

“Stravo brace me to a fence and put the gun to my face and tell me leh I don’t play I calling he name, cause he gon kill me and kill me family,” she stated. Nurse added that she then saw Johnson lying on the ground with a wound in his head, so she raised an alarm.

Under cross-examination by defence counsel Peter Hugh, the woman admitted that she did not see the accused point any object in the direction of Johnson, nor did she see him pull the trigger.

Nurse, however, contended that it was the accused she saw at the scene, because she knows him and was able to see his face in the light reflecting from a nearby shop.

The prosecution closed its case on Monday after which the accused was called upon to lead his defence. He elected to do so by giving an unsworn statement, in which he said that he is innocent.

He also stated that he does not know Nurse and that the story she told the court is untrue.

On Tuesday, both the prosecution and the defence made their closing addresses to the jury. Justice Singh then summed up the evidence before the court, after which the panel retired to the jury room to deliberate on a verdict.

After two and a half hours in deliberation, the panel returned with a not guilty verdict.

15 Around the World

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, september 18, 2013

13-year-old Indian girl Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff begins microbiology calls off U.S. trip master’s degree B

Sushma Verma, 13, attends a ceremony organised by Sulabh International Social Service Organisation to recognise her as ‘India’s Child Prodigy’ in Lucknow, India

I

n a country where many girls are still discouraged from going to school, Sushma Verma is having anything but a typical childhood. The 13-yearold girl from a poor family in north India has enrolled in a master’s degree in microbiology, after her father sold his land to pay for some of his daughter’s tuition in the hope of catapulting her into India’s growing middle class.

Verma finished high school at seven and earned an undergraduate degree at age 13 – milestones she said were possible only with the sacrifices and encourage-

ment of her uneducated and impoverished parents.

“They allowed me to do what I wanted to do,” Verma said in an interview Sunday, speaking in her native language of Hindi. “I hope that other parents don’t impose their choices on their children.”

Sushma lives a very modest life with her three younger siblings and her parents – eating, sleeping and studying alongside them in a cramped single-room apartment in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state.

Their only income is her father’s daily wage of less than US$3.50 for labouring on construction sites. Their most precious possessions include a study table and a second-hand computer.

It is not a great atmosphere for studying, she admitted. “There are a lot of dreams... All of them cannot be fulfilled.”

Sushma begins her studies next week at Lucknow’s BR Ambedkar Central University, though her father is already ferrying her to and from campus each day on his bicycle so she can meet with teachers before classes begin. (Excerpt from MSN News)

razilian President Dilma Rousseff has called off a state visit to Washington next month in a row over allegations of U.S. espionage. The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) has been accused of intercepting emails and messages from Rousseff, her aides and state oil company, Petrobras.

The allegations were based on documents leaked by fugitive former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. President Barack Obama had promised to investigate the incident. The White House said he had telephoned Rousseff on Monday to discuss the matter.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff will speak about surveillance at the United Nations General Assembly next week

The allegations of widespread espionage against Brazilian citizens were first

published in July by Rio de Janeiro-based journalist Glenn Greenwald, a report-

er for the British Guardian newspaper.

Earlier this month, another report by Greenwald alleged that the NSA had illegally accessed data from oil company Petrobras. The company is due to carry on in next month an important auction for exploration rights of an oil field off the Rio de Janeiro state coast.

Rousseff has said that if the accusations were proven it meant the NSA was involved in “industrial espionage”. Her U.S. state visit was to be the first by a Brazilian president since 1995. It was due to begin on October 23. (Excerpt from BBC News)

CJ’s formula for court backlog in TT – critical changes

T

he abolition of jury trials for all criminal offences and the decriminalisation of marijuana are two crucial ideas suggested by Chief Justice Ivor Archie as possible solutions for improving the efficiency of the criminal justice system.

The suggestions came on Monday as Archie delivered his speech at the opening of the 2013/2014 law term at the Hall of Justice, Port of Spain.

Saying the criminal justice system was in crisis and a leap of faith

is needed to rectify it, Archie said: “Nothing should be left off the table.

“Discontent, by itself, will not move us unless two things are also present: Accepting that we have the power to change things and faith that there can be a better future.”

Giving an update on the current state of the system, Archie said there were 575 people in remand awaiting trial in respect to 468 murders.

One of the major suggestions Archie offered for reducing the back-

log of cases was the abolition of jury trials for all criminal offences.

Jury trials have been abolished in several other countries, including South Africa and Singapore, and for specific offences in the United Kingdom.

The issue of abolishing jury trials for serious criminal offences, such as murder and fraud, was raised in parliament by former National Security Minister Jack Warner earlier this year. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

16

wednesday, September 18, 2013

guyanatimesgy.com

Africa

Caribbean

Caribbean officials participate in small Mozambique’s mineral production up 34 per cent business development conference

A

delegation of Caribbean officials responsible for the development of the small and medium-sized enterprise sector participated in the annual conference of the Association of Small Business Development Centres (ASBDC) that took place in Orlando on September 9-13.

The event was held in the context of the project “Establishment of Small Business Development Centres (SBDCs) in Caricom Member States” implemented by the Department of Economic and Social Development of

the Organisation of America States (OAS).

The Caribbean delegation included 13 representatives from the five countries that are participating in the process of adapting the Small Business Development Centres (SBDCs) model – Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Jamaica, and St Lucia – who also participated in meetings with representatives from Mexico and Central America to share their experiences in adapting the SBDC model to the realities of their own countries.

The annual conference of

the ASBDC brings together more than 1400 Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) professionals, trainers, consultants, managers and administrative personnel, and offers a wide variety of training opportunities including over 130 workshops, training sessions, roundtables, general sessions, working luncheons and an exhibit hall, equipping small business consultants with the professional development they seek to continually enhance services to small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs. (Caribbean News Now)

North America

Microsoft launches US$40B share buyback

M

icrosoft has announced a share buyback worth US$40 billion and will raise its dividend payout to shareholders by 22 per cent. The new share buyback replaces a previous scheme to repurchase shares which was launched in 2008 and expires this month. The company’s shares rose 1.4 per cent after the announcement. The buy-

back and raised dividend are a reward for shareholders who have seen a lacklustre performance by Microsoft’s stock over recent years.

Since the beginning of 2010 shares have risen just eight per cent. In a statement Microsoft said the quarterly dividend would be raised by five cents a share to US$0.28 and the new share buyback will be open-

ended, unlike the previous scheme which was launched in 2008 and expires this month.

“These actions reflect a continued commitment to returning cash to our shareholders,” said Amy Hood, chief financial officer of Microsoft.

The announcement comes ahead of a meeting Microsoft is holding for financial analysts on Thursday. (BBC News)

Europe

T

he overall production of mineral resources in Mozambique in the first half of this year rose by 34 per cent, when compared with the January-June 2012 period, according to the Mineral Resources Minister, Esperanca Bias.

Speaking at the closing session of a meeting of her ministry’s Coordinating Council, held in the town of Manhica, Bias said this increase had been achieved despite the unfavourable circumstances caused

by flooding in the first two months of the year. She expected that the mineral resource sector would contribute 2.9 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product this year.

Bias also announced that her ministry would continue to draw up an inventory of mineral reserves throughout the country. This will be one of the tasks of the recently created Mining and Geology Institute.

The Institute was set up to strengthen the capacity to analyse, process and interpret geo-

logical and mining data and to certify mineral products.

Bias also pledged support for small scale mining. “To empower our communities, to create foci of rural development and to strengthen the local economy, we should continue to improve and modernise all the instruments that small scale and artisanal mining”, she said. Particularly important were the training of artisanal miners in good mining practices and encouraging them to form associations. (allAfrica)

Asia

Sharp issuing up to 450M new shares in US$1.7B fundraising

J

apan’s Sharp Corp plans to issue up to 450 million new shares in a public offering as part of a plan to raise US$1.7 billion that the company’s board will approve this week, two people with knowledge of the discussions said on Tuesday.

The cash injection would further stabilise finances at the company, which a year ago averted failure through a bank bailout. Investors in the Osaka-based maker of display

panels for Apple Inc’s iPhone and iPad worry, however, that price-sapping competition from LCD screen makers in China and elsewhere could still derail Sharp’s turnaround.

The latest capital raising will include about 150 billion yen (US$1.52 billion) through a public share offering and about 20 billion yen from a third-party allotment. The third-party share placement would be made to companies

with deep ties to Sharp, including Lixil Group, Makita Corp and Denso Corp, according to the sources, who spoke on condition they were not identified.

In addition to using the funds to invest in its business, Sharp faces a shortfall in its corporate pension plan, part of which it may need to cover in the near term. Total unfunded liabilities were 120 billion yen at the end of March, Sharp has said. (Reuters)

Middle East

Slumping car sales underline Emirates SkyCargo to move to fragility of eurozone economy DWC next May

S

lumping car sales across the EU in August have underlined the fragility of the eurozone economy, with the cumulative figures for the year to date at a record low.

The UK remained the only major European market to record more new passenger car registrations in 2013 than last year, with 10.9 per cent more sales this August than last.

Across the EU, sales dropped to 653,872 vehicles in August –

traditionally a slow month but a figure that still remains five per cent lower than in 2012.

For 2013 so far, the total stands at just 7,841,596 – the lowest figure since the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) started compiling them in 1990.

After a slight rise in July, the trend continued downwards outside the UK, with what is set to be a sixth straight year of falling sales.

Sales slid further in France, Italy and Germany. In Cyprus sales this year are down 40 per cent. ACEA said: “The downturn prevailed across significant markets.”

The PSA Group, manufacturer of Peugeot and Citroën cars, continued to lose ground to rivals, with an 18 per cent drop in registrations, while market leader Volkswagen Group’s sales fell 11 per cent in August. (The Guardian)

Market statistics Cambio Rates

Gold Prices – Guyana Gold Board

Bank of Guyana

Buying

Selling

U.S.

$ 326.32 $199.08 $204.99

$330.41

Cambio

$201.37 $207.43

Gross

$254,331

Net

$236,527

Selling

$262,426

Cur GBP CAN USD

Fixed as at July 24, 2013 Calculated at 94% purity

$1335.00 $202.67

Indicators as on September 17, 2013 Live Spot Gold Bid/Ask

$1310.00

$1311.00

Low/High

$1305.30

$1321.70

+3.90

Change

+0.30

USD GBP EUR

AM

PM

1317.25 828.67 985.74

1312.25 825.57 983.33

AM

PM

1314.75 825.17 984.83

1324.00 830.51 990.57

Sept 16 USD GBP EUR

Crude Oil Price Silver Platinum

London Gold Fix

Sept 17

Indicators

USD Per Once

US$ per barrel

Change %

$112.32 USD per Ounce

-0.41

21.74 $1423.00

Change %

-0.08 -10.00

Last: 15529.73

Changes: +34.95

% Change: +0.23

Open: 15503.15

High: 15555.07

Low: 15503.15

% YTD: +18.2451

52Wk Hi: 15658.43

52 Wk Lo: 12035.09

E

mirates SkyCargo has announced it will transfer operations to Dubai World Central Al Maktoum International Airport from May 2014.

Construction of the new state-of-the-art cargo terminal and supporting facilities has started and will include 46 truck docks and 80 truck parking spaces and 12 aircraft stands.

The first phase is expected to be completed by the begin-

ning of April next year, with full completion by mid-September, when all of Emirates SkyCargo’s freighter fleet of 10-eight Boeing 777Fs and two Boeing 747-400ERFs – will move from Dubai International Airport. Cargo carried in the belly of passenger planes will not be transferred to the new airport.

Dedicated road feeder services between the two airports will be built to maintain the existing transhipment

times between freighters and the airline’s passenger fleet, which will remain at Dubai International Airport.

“The planned move of our freighter operations from Dubai International Airport to Dubai World Central Al Maktoum International Airport is the next step in Emirates SkyCargo’s overall expansion and growth programme,” Emirates divisional senior vice president for cargo Nabil Sultan said. (Arabianbusiness)

Investors' guide

Why is corporate governance important?

Continued from Tuesday

* Ethical behaviour violations in favour of higher profits can cause massive civil and legal problems down the road. Underpaying and abusing outsourced employees or skirting around lax environmental regulations can come back and bite the company hard if ignored. A code of conduct regarding ethical decisions should be established for all members of the board. * Business transparency is the key to promoting shareholder trust. Financial records, earnings reports and forward guidance should all be clearly stated without exaggeration or “creative” accounting. Falsified financial records can cause your company to be-

come a Ponzi scheme, and will be dealt with accordingly.

Corporate governance as risk mitigation

Corporate governance is of paramount importance to a company and is almost as important as its primary business plan. When executed effectively, it can prevent corporate scandals, fraud and the civil and criminal liability of the company. It also enhances a company’s image in the public eye as a self-policing company that is responsible and worthy of shareholder and debtholder capital. It dictates the shared philosophy, practices and culture of an organisation and its employees.

A corporation without a system of corporate governance is often regarded as a body without a soul or conscience.

Corporate governance keeps a company honest and out of trouble. If this shared philosophy breaks down, then corners will be cut, products will be defective and management will grow complacent and corrupt. The end result is a fall that will occur when gravity – in the form of audited financial reports, criminal investigations and federal probes – finally catches up, bankrupting the company overnight.

Dishonest and unethical dealings can cause shareholders to flee out of fear, distrust and disgust. (Business Dictionary)

Business concept – Money Anything of value that serves as a (a) generally accepted medium of financial exchange, (b) legal tender for repayment of debt, (c) standard of value, (d) unit of accounting measure, and (e) means to save or store purchasing power.

news

17

wednesday, september 18, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

More than 200 doctors begin Security guard remanded training before deployment for narcotics possession

A

Guyanese doctors gathered at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC) for their orientation

F

reshly minted Guyanese doctors, numbering over 200, who were trained in Cuba will over the next few days, in groups of 60, be put through several training sessions that would prepare them for their first postings.

At the orientation for the doctors on Monday at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, they were told of the demands of the health system, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

Scope of training

Their training will incorporate, among others, legal and administrative components of the health system, regional and clinical health services, maternal and child health programme, completing medical records, national medicine policy and essential medicines list, tertiary care and referral systems, national HIV/AIDS programme, quality and standards in health care, non communicable diseases control, standards treatment guidelines, malaria control, TB control, and rational use of antibiotics and immunisation.

The training also encompasses Advances in Labour and Risk Management (ALARM); basic life support; advanced life support; paediatric advanced life support; and Visual Inspection Using Acetic Acid (VIA), which are all part of the ministry’s promotion of continuous learning.

A few weeks ago, the ministry sent off 70 doctors who have already started performing their duties at hospitals in the various regions. They were put through a similar process prior to being dispatched.

In his presentation, Health

Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran noted that the orientation sessions will illustrate what is expected of the doctors and how a long-term relationship can be fashioned as they continue to serve the Guyanese population.

In recognition of the contribution made by the Cuban government in helping Guyana to create a skilled cadre of doctors, Minister Ramsaran recalled the steps taken by former President Bharrat Jagdeo and then Cuban President Fidel Castro in 2006 to facilitate the process.

The Cuban government also assisted in providing staff for the new diagnostic and treatment centres and the National Ophthalmology Hospital in Port Mourant, Region Six that were constructed to enhance the health-care system.

Be humble

Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Leslie Cadogan reminded the new doctors that they have now started on a career that will make or break them. While commending them for choosing the profession, he emphasised that this career choice is all about serving people. “You must be very humble and polite to the public who come to you for service,” he said.

He added that they must be punctual and dress appropriately.

Permanent Secretary Cadogan urged that the relationship between the doctors and the management of the facilities, nurses and patients must be above question.

“I want you also to understand that you are at the expense of the Guyanese people… you are not bigger than anyone else or all the pa-

Four held for Taurus pistol

P

olice have arrested four men after they were found with an illegal pistol in Georgetown early Tuesday morning.

According to police, about 01:30h on Tuesday, ranks stopped and searched motor

car HB 1140 at Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown, during which they found a .38 Taurus Revolver with three rounds. The four occupants of the car were arrested. Charges will be laid shortly.

tients… so please be humble, develop yourself, and start identifying areas for research,” he declared.

Head of the Cuban medical brigade, Dr Maria Del Carmen noted that in the past seven years, the doctors received the necessary training that qualifies them as medical doctors under the Cuban School of Medicine.

In this regard, it is anticipated that the new doctors will put into practice what they learnt to aid in the strengthening of Guyana’s primary health-care system.

She emphasised that since the group of doctors is large, they can make a big difference in the prevention and cure of illnesses.

Dr del Carmen acknowledged that medical studies never end, and encouraged the doctors to study every day and pursue higher education in the medical field.

The return of more and more trained doctors to Guyana signals an anticipated improvement of the health system, since more physicians will see more Guyanese, regardless of their location, having access to better health care. This has been the intent of the government, since the start of the programme.

security guard attached to Medicare Pharmacy was on Tuesday remanded to prison after he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to two counts of possession of narcotics.

Rajendra Routie, 29, of Lot 188 Danraj Street, Newtown, Kitty, pleaded not guilty to the charges which read that on September 16 at Hincks Street, Georgetown, he had in his possession 1.2 grams of cannabis resin and on the same day he had in his possession 14 grams of cannabis.

According to CANU’s special prosecutor, Oswald Massiah, the defendant is a security guard at Medicare Pharmacy and acting on information, ranks from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit went to the location on

Monday night and stayed within a certain distance where the defendant was seen. He further stated that Routie went to the guard hut and dealt with some persons who approached him.

The officers went over to the hut, identified themselves as CANU ranks and conducted a search on the hut. During the search, two calabashes were discovered; one containing a ziplock bag with cannabis resin and the other containing another ziplock bag with cannabis.

A further search was conducted on Routie’s person and the officers found $80,260 and US$110. He was told by the ranks that they suspected the money to be the profit of the sale of narcotics and Routie told the officers that he was just doing “a little hustle”. He was arrested.

In her application for bail, Attorney Latchmi Rahamat stated that her client has no priors and has been cooperating with CANU since the incident occurred. She went on to say that Routie is not the only security guard who occupies the hut and he is willing to subject himself to any condition the court wishes to impose on him.

She also added that he is charged with possession and not trafficking.

Prosecutor Messiah objected to bail, stating that there is no certainty of the defendant’s address and if granted his pretrial liberty, there will be great difficulty to get him to come to trial.

Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry refused bail. The matter was transferred to Court Five for today.

Pensioner granted bail for possession of cocaine

A

69-year-old pensioner of Dannielstown Village on the Essequibo Coast was granted bail in the sum of $60,000 for the possession of narcotics.

Mandree Singh appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Charity Magistrate’s Court where she pleaded not guilty to

the charge which stated on September 13, during a police raid, she was found with one gram of cocaine.

According to the prosecution, police entered Singh’s home and upon seeing them, the pensioner took a plastic bag and dropped it into her latrine. Police then recovered the plastic bag and opened it

where a creamish substance was found.

Police then told Singh of their suspicion that the substance was in fact cocaine, a charge she denied. She was subsequently arrested and charged. Singh was represented by Attorney Lachmie Dindyal. She will return to court on October 1.

No bail for cocaine trafficking accused

A

32-year-old bus driver from Danielstown Village on the Essequibo Coast was remanded to prison for the possession of cocaine. Ricardo Chester appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Charity Magistrate’s Court for the possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

Chester pleaded not

guilty to the charge which states on September 13, police found in his home 21.1 grams of cocaine. According to the prosecution, around 14:30h on the day in question, police conducted a search of Chester’s premises where they found a transparent plastic bag hidden next to a wooden post. Police then opened the bag where 79 foil

papers were found to contain the substance.

Chester was represented

by Attorney Lachmie Dindyal who requested bail for her client.

However, Prosecutor Krishnadatt Ramana objected to bail on the grounds that the defendant may not return to court. Ramana also said the offence is a serious one.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, september 18, 2013

thursDAY, march 11, 2010 | guyanatimesGY.com

archie

By Bernice Bede Osol

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19) Speak up and share your thoughts, but don’t meddle in other people’s affairs. Put your time and effort into career advancement, not into changing others.

dilbert

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19) Your ideas may seem a little avant-garde. Keep your plans a secret until you are satisfied that you will get the results you are looking for. Protect your assets.

Calvin and Hobbes

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Discuss money matters openly and consider the best way to get the most for your dollar. An unusual investment will be enticing, but pursuing your own plan will net higher returns.

Peanuts

SUDOKU

CANCER (June 21July 22) Enjoy friends, family and outings that will inspire you to do something creative. Make it a point to stick to basics and to incorporate your own unique footprint in whatever you do.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22) Size up whatever situation you face and react quickly once you have all the facts. Taking control before someone else does will help establish your position.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22) Focus on your relationships with others today.

Discussions will lead to satisfying settlements in a partnership situation.

Don’t lend or borrow money or possessions for the time being.

ARIES

LIBRA

(March 21-April 19)

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Inconsistency will not help you gain the confidence of others. If you make your plans carefully and then stick to them, Dame Fortune will be in your corner.

Add structure to your life to help you reach your career goals. Peace of mind comes at a cost, but you must be prepared to pay the price if you hope to get anywhere.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Getting to know your co-workers better will help you get the results you are looking for. Strive for perfection and completion in a group project. Leave time for love and romance.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22) Follow your dreams and focus on your talents. Don’t be afraid to do things differently. Your tactics will draw positive attention and help you get ahead. Love is in the stars.

Tuesday's solution GEMINI (May 21June 20)

SAGITTARIUS

Fix up your place or do what you can to improve a situation that concerns you. Call in favours if it will help you reach your destination. Don’t be fooled by someone’s sob story.

Be honest when it comes to sensitive situations. A no-nonsense approach will ensure that you don’t face costly or hostile interference.

Listen to others and respond with reason.

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

news 19

YELLOW PAGES

wednesday, September 18, 2013

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flowers Available: Fresh long-stemmed roses, fresh dried and silk floral arrangements, gift items, bridal boutiques and wreaths. Nesha’s Flowerland. 78 Church Street (opposite St George’s Cathedral). Tel: 227-3553/225-3315

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Special health team at Masakenari contains diarrhoeal outbreak

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spirituality

H

ealth Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran, via Skype on Monday, connected with an emergency response medical team, which is currently in Masakenari, a Wai Wai community in Region Nine, responding to a diarrhoeal outbreak.

The team was dispatched from the central Health Ministry to the most remote of Amerindian communities and has been able to contain the situation, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.

Headed by Dr Arbib Godette, the team includes health-care professionals, and representatives from the Amerindian Affairs Ministry and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF). They arrived in the community on Saturday.

The ministry had hired three aircraft to airlift the team members and large quantities of medicines and medical supplies, along with food and other items, to the village. The supplies include a massive amount of bleach and chlorine tablets.

During the Skype conference, Dr Godette reported that a child who was being treated had experienced a relapse. The team had conducted blood tests and diagnosed the child with dengue in addition to diarrhoea. That child and a 72-year-old cancer patient were expected to travel out of the community Sunday via aircraft with Dr Godette. He is being replaced

by Dr Rajiv Singh.

Large team

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Epidemiologist Dr Maurice Edwards and Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran communicating with the medical team in Masakenari, a remote community in Region Nine

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Epidemiologist Dr Maurice Edwards, Regional Health Services Director Dr Monica Odwin, and Indigenous Communities Coordinator Michael Gouveia were at the minister’s side during the Skype conference.

The Masakenari participants included Paul Chekema, the toshao of the community. Chekema thanked the ministry for the quick response by the large team. He described the evolution of the outbreak and identified several needs of the community in the efforts to suppress the outbreak and prevent a recurrence.

Minister Ramsaran noted that the effort will require the inputs of other ministries and agencies such as the Water and Housing Ministry.

He opined that large black tanks and support plumbing would be required to ensure the community enjoyed a sustainable safe supply of water.

The minister on Monday instructed his staff to immediately engage the Water and Housing Ministry to this end.

Minister Ramsaran indicated that, on the next flight, cement will be sent in to seal the well, which the team determined was porous.

several spray cans and insecticides be sent in on the next flight along with personnel to train the community in their safe and correct use. The minister advised the medical team to work closely with Toshao Chekema to select several able-bodied youths to be trained to safely and effectively spray the community.

The minister also asked the team to look for the mosquito breeding grounds so that they can be eradicat-

Team leader Dr Arbib Godette and members of the team using Skype to interact with the Health Ministry from Masakenari, Region Nine

On Wednesday, Gouveia reported success in securing the tanks and material (including several sacks of cement) to effect repairs to the well. These materials were airlifted to the community that day.

Continuous monitoring

Meanwhile, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Resident Representative in Guyana Marianne Flach also travelled to the affected village.

Minister Ramsaran had met with the representative even as the Skype conference was in progress on Monday, and requested additional material support, based on the findings of the medical team.

The ministry has committed to keeping a team in the community for the next month at the least and to maintain a continuous Skype connection with the community.

Minister Ramsaran committed to sending in additional insecticide-treated bed nets for the residents of the village, formerly called Konashen and Gunns Strip.

He also instructed that

ed. The ministry will also be sending in six garbage bins, and a quantity of garbage disposal bags for the school and health hut.

Importantly, the team reported that it carried out house-to-house visits to inform the residents about proper hygiene and garbage disposal, and also held a community meeting and interacted with every grade at the village school. To ensure purified water is available for the children, water containers will be sent in.

There are 242 people residing in the community, including 43 children under five years old and four pregnant women.

One child in the village has died as a result of the outbreak. A post-mortem examination was performed by a pathologist airlifted into the community by the Health Ministry. The results are pending. The child was treated with herbal medicines at the height of the illness.

The ministry will continue to closely monitor the situation in the historic Wai-Wai community.

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wednesday, September 18, 2013

Carter ton helps West Indies A level series A

fter being beaten hollow on Sunday, West Indies A made as many as three changes to their line-up. At least two of those turned out to be inspired choices as they squared the series by batting India A out of the game. Jonathan Carter, the Barbados allrounder, played an innings that mirrored Yuvraj Singh’s comeback century for its pace and impact - cautious at the start, ballistic towards the end.

With this tour serving as a selection trial for the senior team’s tour in November, Carter may well have pushed his case forward.

Carter was an unfamiliar face to the current crop of India A bowlers, who were not part of the squad that toured the Caribbean last year. His stand of 131 with Leon Johnson, another player brought in for this game, defined the game for West Indies, pushing the score to 279, which was beyond India to chase.

Carter came in at the fall of the second wicket, and his stint may well have ended on 6, had Yusuf Pathan not put down a regulation chance at slip off Shahbaz Nadeem. Yusuf had it covered but the ball popped out and he failed to take it on the rebound. It was the first example of India’s insipid catching and particularly, the ground fielding. This lapse cost India dear.

Slow start Carter was slow to begin with, scoring at a strike late of 50 and thereabouts.

Kirk Edwards found his touch with three boundaries through the off side in one over by Vinay Kumar.

The reckless dismissals of Edwards and Andre Russell - both coming straight after hitting sixes - pegged back West Indies, but when the time came for Carter to take charge, he did it with measured aggression.

The tactic of attempting to clear the rope off every ball, as Russell did in his 4-ball stint, wasn’t the way forward. Carter was more selective in his strokeplay. After top-edging Vinay down to fine leg, his first convincing boundary came off a sweep off Nadeem. He gained in confidence against the spinners, cutting Yusuf past short third man and pulling when the spinners dropped it short.

He was equally comfortable against the pace of Jaydev Unadkat, pulling and whipping him for consecutive boundaries to bring up his fifty. It took 82 balls to get there, and much like Yuvraj’s knock on Sunday, the pace quickened drastically after passing the milestone. What helped Carter progress was the presence of an equally positive Johnson.

Johnson too, was let off early - on 7 - but to be fair to Robin Uthappa, it was a tough one-

Unmukt Chand’s throw was wide and Carter was lucky to still be there.

Every missed opportunity against Carter came with a price. He lofted Pathan several rows over longon, lofted Vinay over cover, scythed full tosses from the spinners over deep midwicket. Few of Carter’s slogs looked ungainly. None of the seamers were able to contain him, as he pounced on anything pitched up. The absence of yorkers hurt the Indians, as it did the tourists in the opening game.

Carter moved to 99 with a massive six over deep midwicket that nearly landed on the second tier.

He reached his centu-

ry with a single to long-on and in contrast to Yuvraj’s restrained acknowledgement to the crowd, Carter did a leap, roared towards his team-mates and was so caught up in the moment that he failed to turn around to look at his partner. Johnson did the honors by jogging across and embracing his partner.

Carter was the beneficiary of two misfields at the rope that resulted in boundaries, reflective of a poor day in the field for India. Carter was eventually lbw playing all around a full delivery from Unadkat for 133.

Thanks to his assault, West Indies managed 135 off their last 15 overs. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Jonathan Carter’s 133 took West Indies A to a strong total of 279

handed chance at slip.

Determined Carter was determined to make the best use of the batting Powerplay - taken after 35 overs - carving the ball over extra cover and using his feet against

the spinners, one shot nearly cleaning up Pathan and the umpire. Earlier, he survived a run-out chance on 66, when Johnson pushed the ball to cover and sent back Carter who was nearly halfway down the pitch.

West Indies A innings A Fletcher c †Ojha b Vinay Kumar 15 K Powell* c †Ojha b Vinay Kumar 4 K Edwards st †Ojha b Pathan 36 J Carter lbw b Unadkat 133 A Russell c Narwal b Pathan 12 L Johnson c Chand b Vinay Kumar 39 D Thomas† not out 13 A Nurse not out 12 Extras: (lb8, w7) 15 Total: (6 wkts, 50 overs) 279 Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-21, 3-100, 4-112, 5-243, 6-260 Bowling: J Unadkat 10-1-571, S Narwal 10-2-52-0, R Vinay Kumar 10-1-56-3, S Nadeem 10-0-38-0, Y Pathan 9-0-612, Mandeep Singh 1-0-7-0 India A innings R Uthappa b Carter

10

U Chand c Fletcher b Nurse 38 Mandeep Singh c †Thomas b Cummins 3 Yuvraj Singh* c Powell b Miller 40 K Jadhav c †Thomas b Cummins 35 Y Pathan c Nurse b Miller 0 N Ojha† b Cummins 34 S Narwal c †Thomas b Russell 18 R Vinay Kumar b Cummins 1 S Nadeem not out 21 J Unadkat c Permaul b Carter 15 Extras: (lb1, w6, nb2) 9 Total: (all out, 48.4 overs) 224 Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-18, 3-82, 4-114, 5-114, 6-148, 7-177, 8-187, 9-187, 10-224 Bowling: M Cummins 10-031-4, A Russell 10-0-56-1, J Carter 6.4-0-33-2, A Nurse 8-0-32-1, V Permaul 5-025-0, N Miller 9-1-46-2

Rooney on target in Man Red Force leaves United win for India

W

ayne Rooney reached the landmark of 200 goals for Manchester United as manager David Moyes made a winning start to his first Champions League group campaign on Tuesday.

Rooney has emerged as United’s outstanding performer so far this season after a summer of transfer speculation and he was the inspiration once more as Bayer Leverkusen were comfortably beaten.

The striker - still wearing protection on the head wound that sidelined him for the defeat at Liverpool and England’s draw in Ukraine - put the hosts ahead in contentious fashion as the German side appealed furiously for offside.

And United had to survive a minor scare when Leverkusen captain Simon Rolfes equalised early in the second half before Moyes’ side fashioned the emphatic victory their superiority deserved.

Robin van Persie’s acrobatic volley put United back in front before Rooney turned on the style once more by scoring United’s third and setting up another for Antonio Valencia with a pass weighted to perfection.

Omer Toprak’s scrappy late second for Bayer could not take the gloss off a highly satisfactory night for Moyes on his

P

Wayne Rooney

first European adventure with United.

Rooney produced a body of evidence that only emphasised why Moyes and United were so steadfast in their refusal to consider his sale, despite the player’s discontent and offers from Premier League rivals Chelsea.

Rooney’s rehabilitation has been impressive and he was easily United’s most dangerous performer as the Premier League champions got the three

points they needed to start this Group A campaign.

He proved too powerful for the Bundesliga side to control and it would have been a familiar sight to their coach Sami Hyypia after his 10-year career at Liverpool.

Son Heung-Min was unfortunate to be shown a yellow card for a tussle with Rooney but Leverkusen’s pain was even more acute when he put United ahead in controversial fashion after 22 minutes. (BBC Sport)

iarco, Trinidad - A happy bunch of cricketers left the Piarco International Airport last evening, to represent this country at their final Champions League T20 tournament in India.

Leading up to their departure, there were still some issues to be sorted out between the management of the team and the T&T Cricket Board (TTCB).

However, manager Omar Khan said last night he was happy the issues were dealt with, and members of the team were all satisfied with the outcome.

“The board and the team came to an amicable agreement on all terms and the players are happy and focussed on representing the country. We are looking forward to this final Champions League and we are going there to represent the people of Trinidad and Tobago well.

“All the guys have that fire in them and want to do well. Going back to India brings good memories because they have held their own in that country and this time around they are looking to go all the way.”

T&T finished runners-up in their inaugural Champions League in India back in 2009. On that occasion they played unbeaten until the finals, when they went down to New South Wales Blues.

Last year, T&T failed to get out of the qualifiers but this time around, they have been placed in the main draw and will break crease on Sunday, when they face Brisbane Heats out of Australia in their first match.

The team left T&T at 5pm yesterday

and will spend the day in London today before making the final leg of their journey to India this evening, landing in New Delhi and then onwards to Ranchi, where they will take on the Perth Scorchers in their only warm-up game on Saturday. (First Published In The Trinidad Guardian) T&T Red Force: Denesh Ramdin, Rayad Emrit, Jason Mohammed, Nicholas Pooran, Sunil Narine, Evin Lewis, Samuel Badree, Navin Stewart, Shannon Gabriel, Yannick Ottley, Adrian Barath, Sherwin Ganga, Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul and Darren Bravo.

T&T MATCHES

Sun, Sep 22—Group B: Brisbane Heat vs T&T JSCA International Cricket Stadium, Ranchi.

International Cricket Stadium, Ranchi Tue, Sep 24—T&T vs TBC Punjab C.A. Stadium, Mohali.

Mon, Sep 30—Group B : 16th T20 Titans vs T&T Sardar Patel Stadium Motera, Ahmedabad Wed, Oct 2—Group B : 20th T20 Chennai Super Kings vs T&T Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi.

Fri, Oct 4—1st Semi Final T20 TBC vs TBC (A1 vs B2) Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur Sat Oct 5—2nd Semi Final T20 TBC vs TBC (A2 vs B1) Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi Sun Oct 6—Final T20 - TBC vs TBC Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

wednesday, September 18, 2013

guyanatimesGY.com

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cycling events this Ronaldo hat-trick as Two weekend Real Madrid hit six C

G

areth Bale came on to help Cristiano Ronaldo score one of his three goals as Real Madrid beat Galatasaray 6-1 in their Champions League Group B clash on Tuesday.

Within moments of replacing opening goalscorer Isco, Bale delivered a freekick that eventually landed at the feet of Ronaldo, who tapped in for 4-0.

Ronaldo is now the fourth-highest scorer in Champions League history with 53 goals.

Ruud van Nistelrooy has scored 56, Lionel Messi has 59, while Raul has 71.

“We couldn’t have started better. To start in this manner gives us a lot of confidence,” Ronaldo said.

“We did our job against a very complicated opponent. Despite the result it was a difficult game.

“In the first few minutes they had their best chances. After our first goal we controlled the game and played well.”

Bale, who came on in the 64th minute having made his club debut at the weekend, added: “The biggest reason why I joined such a club is to play in the biggest competition. It’s great to get a win and get off to good start.

“I had no pre-season whatsoever. I felt good when I came on today. It’s been a different situation not having a pre-season. I

Cristiano Ronaldo

feel like I’m getting there with minutes on the pitch.”

In the other Group B match, Juventus came from behind to draw 1-1 at FC Copenhagen. Nicolai Jorgensen gave the Danish side the lead in the 14th minute before forward Fabio Quagliarella equalised in the second half with a left-footed finish.

Holders Bayern Munich eased to a 3-0 win over CSKA Moscow in Group D, with David Alaba scoring the pick of the goals - a stunning free-kick in the opening five minutes.

Manchester City kept pace with the German champions with a 3-0 win at

Viktoria Plzen.

In Group C, Italian midfielder Thiago Motta scored twice as Laurent Blanc’s Paris St-Germain recorded an impressive 4-1 win against Greek side Olympiakos. In the group’s other fixture, Benfica defeated Anderlecht 2-0.

In Group A, Wayne Rooney twice found the net as Manchester United eased to a 4-2 win over Bundesliga visitors Bayer Leverkusen, while Brazilian midfielder Alex Teixeira scored both goals for Shakhtar Donetsk as they recorded a 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad in San Sebastian. (BBC Sport)

Ambrose speaks out on CCC decision

S

T JOHN’S, Antigua – Former West Indies fast bowler Curtly Ambrose has responded for the first time to criticisms over his decision to work with Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC), a firstclass cricket team based in Barbados.

Ambrose, who said he has enjoyed his stint with CCC, said he has never been asked by Antigua & Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA) to work with the national team in an official capacity despite having stated his desire to do so.

“For me, I can’t just walk into a camp and decide to just take over the coaching.

I have always said for 13 years since I stopped playing cricket, or even before that, that when I finished, I would really like to get involved with helping Antigua cricketers to get better and nothing was ever done,” Ambrose said.

“I used to help out the Antigua & Barbuda national team when Hugh Gore was the manager and John Archibald was the coach. We used to do a lot of work with the guys and when Winston

Curtly Ambrose

Benjamin was the coach as well we used to do a lot of work with the guys and then when those guys were no longer the coaches, that was it. I was never asked to help or anything which I found was strange.”

The right-arm pacer added that his services were also not sought at the subregional level but said it is time to move on and concentrate on more positive things.

“I have been to Leeward

Islands camp here in Antigua; sat there and watched the guys doing their stuff and nobody ever once asked me for an opinion and I am not going to just jump into a man’s camp and then be embarrassed,” Ambrose said.

“Two years ago, CCC or Floyd Reifer and Sir Hilary Beckles called me from the CCC and asked me to be part of the CCC set-up because they figured I have a lot to offer which I accepted. From the very day I accepted that job, the whole of Antigua start make noise about ‘oh, he sell out and he gone a CCC’ and I said, ‘but I have been here for 13 years.’”

Ambrose was named part of the CCC coaching staff in February 2012.

The Antiguan represented the West Indies between 1988 and 2000 and is one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game.

He played 98 Test matches and took 405 wickets at 20.99 runs apiece. His best bowling figures were eight for 45 against England in Barbados in 1990. (First published in

the Antigua Observer)

yclists are in for a packed weekend with two cycling events organised by national cycling coach Hassan Mohamed.

On Saturday, the National Park will be the venue for the second annual RRT Enterprise 11-race programme, set to pedal off at 09:00h.

The experienced Robin Persaud is set to defend his title in the feature 35-lap School Boys and Invitational race; he won the event last year in one hour, 18 minutes, 17.12 seconds.

Managing Director of RRT Enterprises, R. Ramrattan and other staff members are expected to assist with the presentation of prizes at the conclusion of the event.

On Sunday, the riders will take to the West Demerara roadways for the third annual Banks Malts Non–Alcoholic beverage 50-miler. The race will commence on the West Bank of Demerara at 08:00h from Wales Police Station, proceed to Bushy Park on the East Bank of Essequibo before returning to Demerara Harbour Bridge for the fin-

Robin Persaud

Raul Leal

ish.

The Veteran, Upright and Female riders will turn at the Uitvlugt Community Centre on the upward journey and finish at the Demerara Harbour Bridge.

The first six finishers in the Open category will be rewarded, while the first three juniors, veterans, uprights and female riders will also receive prizes. The top veteran Over-60 rider will also be recognised for his effort.

Eight prime prizes will be up for grabs during the course of the race.

Robin Persaud is the defending champion of the Open division, having won the 2012 race in a time of one hour, 52 minutes, 01 seconds.

The other winners last year were Raul Leal (Juniors), Talim Shaw (Veterans), Julio Melville (Uprights), Walter Isaacs (Veterans Over-60) and Naomi Singh (Females).

As has been the norm over the years, Outdoor Event Manager and Clayton McKenzie will be on hand to reward the top riders at the end of the race.

Decision on SA tour deferred till month end

U

ncertainty remains over India’s tour to South Africa this summer after CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat and BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel met in Dubai.

The pair held talks on Monday evening, while both were attending the ICC Chief Executives’ Conference, but did not reach any understanding on the number of matches or the dates for India’s tour.

CSA said confirmation will only be reached after the BCCI’s AGM on September 29.

Although CSA would be hopeful the BCCI arrives at a final decision by end of this month, the likelihood of a longer wait cannot be ruled out. ESPNcricinfo has learned that N Srinivasan, if he succeeds in extending his tenure as BCCI president for another year, will meet the CSA president Chris Nenzani at the ICC board meeting in London on October 16 and 17 to finalise the tour.

The itinerary, as announced by CSA in July, contained three Tests, seven ODIs and two Twenty20s but India objected to it, saying it was without their consultation. They have since shortened the window for the tour, which was due to begin on November 18 and end on January 19 from 60 days to around 40 by a scheduling a home series against West Indies and bringing forward their tour to New Zealand.

The time left may allow

Haroon Lorgat

for the ICC minimum requirement of two Tests and three ODIs but the Dubai meeting gave no hint of that.

Lorgat remains hopeful a solution will be found.

“I am happy to say that we had a constructive meeting and I would like to thank Sanjay for his friendliness and support in trying to find a way forward,” Lorgat said.

“After listening to Sanjay, it is clear that we will now have to wait for the BCCI’s AGM to be completed before any tour schedule can be confirmed.”

The BCCI’s annual meeting could prove decisive in the finalisation of the tour dates, because it will determine the shape of the organisation’s leadership. It is widely expected Srinivasan will be re-elected.

Srinivasan and Lorgat have a history of bitterness:

Srinivasan requested an investigation into Lorgat by the ICC ethics committee, and they clashed over India’s request for a tax documents during the 2011 World Cup. No communication between the two boards was held between then and the Dubai meeting. What has come out of the BCCI is other fixtures - home Tests against West Indies to mark Sachin Tendulkar’s 200th Test and an ODI against New Zealand that is due to played on the last day of the Wanderers Test between India and South Africa.

There is also talk of a triseries between India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan due for late November.

CSA have not commented either and as far as their affiliates are concerned, the schedule as announced, still stands. Even their ticketselling partner, Ticketpros, has the fixtures listed as CSA publicised them although they can only be purchased from October 28.

The relationship between CSA and the BCCI is considered to be at at all-time low but Lorgat’s statement seemed to suggest all is well.

“It is key for all of us to make sure that the good relationship between our respective Boards is maintained and, in fact, strengthened and that we also honour the proud history between our two countries,” he said. “Our Board Presidents are also in discussion and we will now arrange for them to meet soon after the BCCI AGM.”

(Cricinfo)

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wednesday, September 18, 2013

IGG basketball steps Cool Runnings complete successful interaction up preparation T for IGG

By Treiston Joseph

T

he Inter-Guiana Games basketball team is working their way through a rigorous training camp as they prepare to face hosts Suriname in a twogame tournament from October 17.

Having the full use of the Cliff Anderson sports Hall, Chris Bowman indicated that the team is a young one that will have the opportunity to blossom, since only Leonard Primo will be returning to the squad from last year.

“It is a new team, brand new, this year we have just one retuning player from last year and for us it’s all about encouraging the youngsters to do their best and I think we what we are trying to do is to give quite a few under-17 players exposure,” Bowman stated in the exclusive interview.

Bowman, who runs a basketball club out of Marian Academy, is known for his systematic approach to playing basketball and spoke about the shelf life of the new IGG team.

“I think last year’s team ended a cycle. A new cycle is obliviously going to start now and the first year is really to get a feel of the competition and to get the exposure.

“They are going to be competitive never the less but we are beginning to rebuild a new team and can be competitive to win IGG if not this year in years to come,” Bowman told Guyana Times Sport.

The squad which will feature mainly under-17 players will have to go up against a more senior Suriname team. Bowman believes the unit has the talent to do well despite their youth and inexperience.

Chris Bowman

“They are well coached, Lugard (Mohan) has been the coach for some time now and it’s just for the youngsters to adjust, they have the talent but it will take them time to get to the point where we want them to be,” Bowman pointed out.

The IGG basketball team has come up short in recent years and has drawn their share of critics and comparison that Bowman believes is misguided and unfair.

“Many of the people that criticize are not following school basketball and they are blind to some of the other challenges basketball face on a larger scale.

“They also try to compare this generation of players to the past generation of players to the past generation of players which is totally unfair because basketball structure was stronger and more competitive and that sort of encourage a higher level of basketball eight years ago, we are rebuilding and teaching fundamentals so it is a tough task,” Bowman noted.

he Cool Runnings beach football club, in collaboration with the Bayroc Youth Friendly Space, on Saturday completed another successful interaction with the Coomacka Youth Development Club.

Guyana Beach Football coordinator and president of the football club Rollin Tappin, said the aim of the interaction was to foster better relations between the two clubs and to foster more grassroots development in local beach soccer. He noted that the community of Coomacka has long been earmarked for the development of beach football in Guyana.

During the coaching segment of the exchange, the Coomacka youths benefited from a few pointers and rules of the game.

The club was also presented with a ball, two technical electronic DVDs highlighting how to play the game and also a coaching manual.

Tappin said this was just one of many initiatives that the Cool

Cool Runnings youth development officer Sonia Mckenzie presenting equipment to secretary of Coomacka Youth Club

Runnings beach football club has planned on its agenda. The club is looking forward to future

interactions countrywide in an effort to increase involvement and development of the sport.

Gafoor wins GASP Open tournament

M

oen Gafoor recorded an easy victory on Sunday in the Guyana Association of Scrabble Players (GASP) staged an Open tournament at the Malteenoes Cricket Club pavilion.

He completed five wins with a spread of 672. His closest rival Michael Benjamin also had five wins but only managed a spread of 171; Kamata Ramnarine was third with four wins and a spread of 37.

On Gafoors’ way to winning the title he defeated Devraj Deonarine (151), Ashwant Mohabir (74), Maurice Munro (162), Orlando Michael (268) and Robert Williams

(18). Gafoor was also upstaged by a point by Benjamin, who also beat Ruby Cummings (55), Munro (27), Michael (54) and Wayne Cave (39).

Meanwhile, Benjamin, after leading the game by as much as 140 points survived by the closest of margins to put himself in position to win the tournament. But a fundamental error almost cost him the game when he played a word Gafoor challenged on the penultimate play.

Gafoor, needing 64 points off the final play to win could only muster 42 with the word KEF; he

took Benjamin’s rack which was worth 20 points for a total of 62.

The final round began with only two players having a chance of winning. Benjamin entered the final round with an unblemished record from five games while Gafoor was four of five. However, Benjamin lost the nail-biting encounter with Kamata Ramnarine by three points.

Gafoor defeated Robert Williams by 18 points on the final play to secure the win by virtue of a superior spread.

The next competition is another Open one on September 29.

National hockey ladies depart for PAHF Cup in Argentina

T

he national women’s hockey team will travel on September 18 to Mendoza, Argentina, to face their toughest opposition yet to compete in the Pan-American Hockey Federation Cup, which is a qualifier for the hockey World Cup scheduled for Hague, Netherlands, next year.

The team has been preparing since early last year for the event and will be the first time that Guyana is appearing in a PAHF Cup. After returning to international competition following nearly two decades of absence, the Guyana women’s team entered the Central American and Caribbean Games in 2010 ranked at the bottom of the Pan American rankings.

According to head coach and president of the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB), the team did not qualify for a spot in the competition but managed to secure a place after Cuba withdrew from the tournament. After entering the competition as the lowest ranked team, Guyana emerged sixth place out of the eight teams.

Their performance in Puerto Rico permitted Guyana to then

Tiffany Solomon running a play during the practice session

enter the PAHF Challenge in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in July 2011.

The Guyanese ladies were surprise finalists, registering victories against Paraguay and Bermuda,

a draw with hosts Brazil and lost only to eventual winners Uruguay.

The top two finishers in the PAHF Challenge qualified for the prestigious PAHF Cup which is the re-

gion’s World Cup Qualifier.

From their lowly ranked position of 18th in the Americas in 2010, Guyana now finds itself among the region’s elite teams as they enter the PAHF Cup seeded the lowest of eight teams. The competition includes world beaters Argentina (ranked 2 in the world), USA (10), Chile (18), Canada (23), Trinidad (27), Mexico (30), Uruguay (50) and Guyana (58).

Guyana finds itself in pool A with pre-tournament favourites Argentina, Canada and Trinidad.

While the team arrives in Mendoza on Thursday, they will conduct some light training on the artificial pitch until their first match against Canada on Saturday. Guyana will then face Trinidad on September 22 and Argentina on September 24 to complete the pool round.

Asked about Guyana’s expectations, Fernandes indicated that the top teams in the competition were beyond the reach of the others. In his opinion winning a medal in this competition would not be a realistic objective as there are world class teams in the competition who train twice per

day on artificial pitches with a professional coaching staff of several persons. Fernandes opined that the Guyanese team needed to aim toward securing wins against some of their opponents in an effort to continue its upward drive and improve its global ranking.

“Rome was not built in a day,” remarked Fernandes, adding “so we need to improve incrementally, especially given our severe handicap of not having proper hockey facilities here in Guyana”.

Fernandes added that the recently installed an artificial grass mat at the Bourda ground which benefitted the team.

Full squad: Alysa Xavier, Ulrica Sutherland, Tiffany Solomon, Marisha Rodrigues, Vanessa Pires, Trisha Woodroffe, Marzana Fiedtkou, Leigh Sandison, Ashley DeGroot, Chantelle Fernandes (Captain), Gabriella Xavier, Kerensa Fernandes, Samantha Fernandes, Cora Towler, Aliyah Gordon and Janella Munroe. The Manager is Rawl Davson, Coach Philip Fernandes and Assistant Coach Peter DeGroot.

23

wednesday, september 18, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

wednesday, september 18, 2013

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Courts golf tourney tees off on Saturday …forms part of 20th anniversary celebrations

T

he best golfers in Guyana will converge on the Lusignan Golf Course on Saturday to compete in the annual Courts golf tournament, scheduled to tee off at 10:00h.

Courts (Guyana) Inc. officially handed over the sponsorship cheque of $250,000 on Tuesday at its Main Street Branch as part of its 20th anniversary celebrations; Public Relations Officer Kester Abrams stated that the company is proud to be associated with the sport.

“September marks the 20th anniversary for Courts in Guyana and we are excited to be participating in a series of activities throughout Guyana engaging the Guyanese public - our supporters. Golf is a developing sport here and Courts is pleased to be a part of its growth and development since it is one of the most lucrative sports internationally,” Abrams said.

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Courts Customer Experience Manager Shonelle Bacchus (second left) hands over the cheque to vice-president of the Lusignan Golf Course David Mohamed, while the company’s PRO Kester Abrams (right) and the tournament’s defending champion Joaan Deo look on

Lusignan Golf Course, David Mohamed indicated that all the leading golfers will compete in the tournament, since it is one of the marquee golf competitions they look forward to every year.

He applauded Courts for their continued support towards the development of the sport.

“Courts is doing a good job with this tournament.

Their plans are good. Last year the tournament was big and this year it promises to be even bigger. We have all of the top golfers competing for the coveted champion trophy,” Mohamed said.

Dave Mohammed and Joaan Deo are the male and female defending champions.

Mohamed shot a net 63 from a gross 84 playing off a handicap of 21 to edge while Deo recorded a net 65 from a gross 86 playing off a handicap of 21 when the tournament was staged last year.

National hockey ladies depart for PAHF Cup in Argentina See story on page

22

The national hockey team at their final briefing session

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