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Berbice can lead economic recovery No. 104476

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 28, 2016

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President David Granger assists a Berbice girl to cut the ribbon commissioning the bus which will be used to transport students living between Adventure and Gibraltar

Central Rupununi villagers want land 11 extensions Page

-say way of life threatened by private developers

16-yr-old dies A trip to in boating Ariwa El Nino ‘beach’ drawing accident at -thecrowds for leisure…and Moruca 14 prized construction sand Page

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

Berbice can lead economic recovery - Granger

By Nafeeza Yahya PRESIDENT David Granger on Saturday commissioned two 50-seater buses which will be used by schoolchildren in Berbice, a region that he said has the potential to lead the country’s economic recovery One of the buses, David G School Bus 3, was donated by businessmen Nazrudeen Mohamed of Jumbo Jet, while the other bus was donated by Peter Lewis of Associated Construction Services. Bus 3, which was commissioned at Rose Hall Town, will provide transportation for students from Adventure to Gibraltar Village. The other bus, which was commissioned at Sisters village, East Bank Berbice, is expected to service the area of Light Town to New Amsterdam . President Granger, in his address to the gathering, thanked the donors for the buses and reiterated the call for an educated population. He added that Berbice has the capacity to be the economic powerhouse of the country. “The bus you are receiving today is not education, but it will help you to get an education that you need to

This 50-seater bus is one of three commissioned so far in Berbice.

develop yourself and to develop this great region. “Berbice has the potential. “You are the sugar bowl of the country, the rice pot of the country, the fish market of the country, and we look to East Berbice-Corentyne to lead the economic recovery of the whole country; but you can only play that leadership role if

you have an educated population, if we have talented and skilful people in the region. “That is why I am here today, because our government is concerned about human development, because without intellectual capability, skill and talent, we cannot develop this region.” Granger expressed disappointment that 4,000 students drop out of school each year, and in some cases this is due to financial constraints, especially transportation costs. He expressed gratitude to the donors because the busses will help to alleviate the problem without putting a burden on the treasury or taxpayers. The President further called on everyone to play their part to ensure every child gets to school, as it takes an entire region to raise a child. “It is the responsibility of the whole region to bring up a child.

“Lets us not have children liming anymore because they do have transport, or children at home because they don’t have breakfast. “Education is the most important thing we can give our children; employment is the most important thing for young people and we can

this bus as the bus that will take you on the road to prosperity. “The people who are contributing to this venture are contributing to the development of Guyana.” Minster of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally, said the initiative is part of the administration’s plan to ensure

“You are the sugar bowl of the country, the rice pot of the country, the fish market of the country and we look to East BerbiceCorentyne to lead the economic recovery of the whole country. But [you] can only play that leadership role if you have an educated population - if we have talented and skilful people in the region.” only get good employment if we get good education. “Let us give Berbice a chance to embark on the road to prosperity, the road to private enterprise. “So we want you to see

children attend school regularly and punctually; and it is the government’s vision to ensure that every child is afforded equal access to education. “I want to say to you this is one of nine buses. We have got six boats and 300 bicycles and more to come, and this has been done in a mere nine months. “This project is geared to bring relief to the many people who suffer because of discrimination, poverty and inequality and marginalisation; this has had adverse effects on education and consequently on the development problem”.

“I say without reservation we will change that, every child will be included to have equal access to education in Guyana. “I want you to know Region Six will only grow under this administration and because we have a President who believes in unity [and] who wants to administer the affairs of all of Guyana without discrimination and fear,” Minister Ally declared. She also used the opportunity to call on the opposition to put an end to divisive politics and work together for the development of Guyana. “Let me assure you only peace and togetherness, love and unity will develop and change our lives as Guyanese. “I want to call on the opposition to embrace togetherness, unity so that we can work together and develop Guyana. The days for divisive politics must be over. “This is the ninth month since we are [in] government and I am satisfied we have made significant achievements so far, and much more are coming, so that we can continue your development,” The programme concluded with the President cutting the ceremonial ribbon to officially commission the buses and everyone rose to sing “Let us cooperate.” Last week, the first bus for Region Six was commissioned at Kildonan village.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

United people is best defence against Venezuela - Granger By Fareeza Haniff THE best defence against Venezuela’s aggression is a united people, President David Granger has said, confident that Guyanese are not willing to give up even “a blade of grass.” Granger, speaking on his weekly programme “The Public Interest,” said a united Guyana is becoming more evident, and this is a strong message to Venezuela. “The best defence against Venezuela and the territorial claim is a united people, and this is being achieved to a great extent now that we’re going to celebrate our 50th anniversary of Independence. “The Venezuelans can look to Guyana and see that our people have no intention of giving up, literally, a blade of glass,” President Granger said. Guyana continues to make its case to the international community against acts of aggression by Venezuela under President Nicolas Maduro’s decree, which lays claim to Guyana’s Essequibo region as well as the maritime space off Guyana’s Atlantic coast. Guyana has made it clear that the Good Offices process of mediating the border controversy between the two countries has run its course, and the next best option is a juridical settlement by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) with the assistance of the United Nations (UN). As such, President Granger met last week with Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, where he emphasised “that after 50 years, the Guyanese people are united and they are determined to maintain territorial integrity.”

“…we would wait patiently on the (UN) Secretary-General to select a course of action and once that course of action is selected, we will be ready to move ahead to go to court.” CONFIDENCE IN BAN The President expressed his confidence in the Secretary-General, who is preparing to demit office this year, to

select the best course of action, which would finally resolve the controversy via a juridical process. “I do feel that Secretary-General Ban Ki -moon is fully engaged; he is aware of the various elements in our territorial controversy; and this is his last year in office and we would like to ask that he uses his remaining time to ensure that the responsibility which he has under the Geneva Agreement is actually implemented; that is to say, after consultations with both Caracas and Georgetown, he can se- “The Venezuelans lect a course of action can look to and that course that we have recommended is Guyana and see a juridical course,” the that our people Head of State said. have no intention He further noted, “So I am very confident that of giving up, while he is in office, he literally, a blade of is going to discharge his responsibility under the glass.” Geneva Agreement and - President Granger also under the Charter of the United Nations.” Meanwhile, as an immediate measure to resolve the controversy, the President explained that the Secretary-General intends to send a fact-finding team to Caracas, which would also visit Guyana. “So that is the immediate step to satisfy himself that both countries would like to move the process forward. There is little we could do; we would wait patiently on the Secretary-General to select a course of action and once that course of action is selected, we will be ready to move ahead to go to court,” the President said. It was on the eve of Guyana’s independence some five decades ago that Venezuela claimed the 1899 arbitral award which defined the two countries’ borders was null and void. An agreement signed in Geneva in 1966 provides for the Secretary-General to take action to bring a resolution to the contention by Venezuela. Guyana has accused Venezuela of a series of acts of aggression, starting with a presidential decree in June 1968. The border controversy flared early last year when American

President David Granger firm ExxonMobil announced that it had made a “significant” oil discovery. After threatening the company, the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro issued a decree on May 26th last year, seeking to extend Venezuela’s land claim to also annex the country’s maritime space. Two years ago the Venezuelans sent a naval ship into Guyanese waters and seized a U.S.-chartered oil survey ship and escorted it to Margarita Island. In September last year, Guyanese authorities also said the Venezuela army was up the Cuyuni River. Also, in late October last year, Canada-based mining company Guyana Goldfields said it had received an “unfounded” notification of possible legal action by Venezuela over its operations in Guyana.

Someone tried to run me off the road: Khurshid Sattaur FORMER Commissioner- General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Khurshid Sattaur, has alleged that someone driving a Lexus SUV attempted to run him off the road Saturday afternoon. He claimed that the incident happened a few yards west of the traffic light at the Ogle Railway Embankment Road, East Coast Demerara. Sattaur told the Guyana Chronicle he is of the view that the person who attempted this act is someone whose vehicle he ordered to be seized last year after it was discovered using a faked licence plate. This was while he was Commissioner- General of the tax agency. He explained that the vehicle was initially brought in by remigrants, but they were not the owners. However, he is of the belief that the vehicle is currently being driven by the owner who is not a remigrant. When the vehicle was brought in last year, Sattaur noted that the legal officer at GRA, at that time, had advised him that no crime was committed under the remigrant scheme, nor that any crime was committed by having a false number plate. Subsequent to the “traumatic experience,” Sattaur said he made a report at the Sparendaam Police Station, and according to him, the matter is currently being investigated. When contacted last evening for an update on the investigation, if there was indeed one, the officer on duty could not provide information, given that no traffic rank was available at the time. The officer said that they had all been sent to Giftland Mall where an event was being held. (Ravin Singh)

The vehicle which Sattaur alleged attempted to run him off the road

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

Dozens killed, wounded in Afghanistan suicide attacks killed 15 people and wounded 33, most of them defense ministry staff leaving their offices, according to ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri. Witnesses at the scene, where a large plume of smoke spiralled into the sky, said they had seen a number of bodies on the ground. The area was sealed off as police and army vehicles surrounded the blast site. “I wanted to cross the bridge when I heard an explosion,” said a witness who gave his name as Zulgai. “I went to the area and saw as many as 30 people killed and wounded. There were damaged cars and shattered windows everywhere,” he said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which the movement’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said had killed 23 officers and wounded 29 others. He said there were no civilian casualties. The high-profile attack came as officials from Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China have been pressing for a resumption of the peace process, interrupted last year, between the Western-backed government in Kabul and the Taliban. But it remains unclear whether the Taliban, struggling to contain deep internal divisions, will take part in direct peace talks that the

An injured boy receives treatment in a hospital after a suicide attack in Asadabad, capital of Kunar province, Afghanistan. [REUTERS/Parwiz Photo] (Reuters) - A TALIBAN suicide bomber blew himself up near the Afghan defense ministry in Kabul on Saturday, causing heavy casualties just hours after an attack in the eastern province of Kunar killed 13 people and put prospects for new peace talks in doubt. The attack in Kabul

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four-nation group hopes will be held in Islamabad as early as next week. In a statement issued after the attack in Kunar, President Ashraf Ghani said his government would not conduct peace talks with groups that killed innocent people, and said security forces would step up the fight against terrorism. The Taliban, fighting to restore hardline Islamist rule in Afghanistan, has conducted a series of attacks in Kabul and other areas this year, and has pressed its military campaign in the southern province of Helmand, where it has forced government troops to pull out of a number of districts. Earlier on Saturday, a suicide bomber killed a local militia commander and at least 12 others outside the

governor ’s compound in Asadabad, the provincial capital of Kunar, near the border with Pakistan. Provincial Governor Wahidullah Kalimzai said the bomber rode up on a motorcycle to the entrance of the compound and blew himself up, wounding at least 40 people. “Most of the victims were civilians and children who were either passing by or playing in the park,” he said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the apparent target of the attack, a tribal elder and militia commander named Haji Khan Jan, was among the dead. He had been closely involved in a number of operations against the Taliban in his district last year.

Trump and Rubio fight on for Republican nomination (Reuters) - FRESH from an endorsement by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump accelerated his political slug fest with opponent Marco Rubio on Saturday, just days before the delegate-rich Super Tuesday contests. With duelling appearances in Arkansas and Georgia, the billionaire businessman and U.S. senator from Florida continued an onslaught of personal insults that began on a debate stage on Thursday and looks likely to continue for months. “The majority of Republican voters do not want Donald Trump to be our nominee, and ... they are going to support whoever is left standing that is fighting against him to ensure that we do not nominate a con artist,” Rubio told reporters in Georgia. Trump, speaking in front of his private plane in Arkansas, along with Christie, whose endorsement on Friday shocked Republican leaders anxious about his likelihood of winning the nomination, belittled Rubio and accused him of being fresh. “I watched this lightweight Rubio, total lightweight, little mouth on him, ‘bing, bing, bing’ ... and his new attack is he calls me a con artist,” Trump said. “The last thing I am is a con man.”

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

Jamaica’s new PM to be sworn in Tuesday (JAMAICA OBSERVER) - JAMAICA Labour Party (JLP) Leader Andrew Michael Holness is expected to be sworn in Tuesday as prime minister following his party’s victory over the People’s National Party (PNP) in Thursday’s general election. A high-level JLP officer

office on Duke Street, Kingston; and St James Southern, which is being counted at the regional office in Montego Bay. The director of elections, as allowed under the law, took the decision to provide closer monitoring for the final count in constituencies where the preliminary re-

JAMAICA Labour Party (JLP) Leader Andrew Michael Holness told the Jamaica Observer that Holness, who yesterday met with the governor general and other critical State officials, was awaiting the final results of the election from the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) before he is sworn in as prime minister and names members of his Cabinet. He was also expected to get a briefing from outgoing Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips on the proposed bugdet and the state of the International Monetary Fund negotiations. While unable to give a hint about possible members of the executive, he said the prime minister-designate got a mandate and should use the opportunity to utilise the services of some of the newly elected members of the legislature. The EOJ said final counting for all constituencies across the island commenced yesterday and should be completed by Monday, which would be in time for the swearing-in of the new prime minister. Counting, the EOJ said, was taking place in the designated counting centres in each constituency except for five – St Andrew Eastern, St Ann South Western, St Mary South Eastern, and St Catherine North Eastern, which are being counted at its head

sults were particularly close. Based on the preliminary count, the JLP has won 33 and the PNP 30 of the 63 seats. While the voter turnout was below 50 per cent, Director of Elections Orrette Fisher said he was pleased with the proceedings on election day. “We worked with the security forces, political party representatives, observers and other stakeholders to address, in a swift manner, reports of incidents which arose. But, in general, we can say the proceedings went smoothly. As always, whenever we have an election we must prepare for a 100 per cent turnout, so it is unfortunate that only 48 per cent of the voting population turned out,” he said. In the meantime, the Electoral Observation Mission of the Organisation of American States (EOM) yesterday labelled the low voter turnout for the country’s 17th General Election as “disquieting”, particularly among the young populace. The EOM, which was led by the former attorney general and minister of foreign affairs of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Janet Bostwick, said concerns have been raised about the low voter turnout, which has been

declining since the 1990s. Bostwick, in presenting the findings and other recommendations of the general election, noted that this election was not an exception with a continuing trend of only 47.7 per cent turnout, falling below the 2011 voter turnout of 52.6 per cent. The EOM has recommended that the Electoral Commission of Jamaica, the political ombudsman, and other stakeholders redouble their voter education and public awareness campaigns to inform and energise new voters, while encouraging the participation of the general electorate in the national electoral process. In addition to the low voter turnout, the EOM has criticised the electoral authorities for making no provisions for electors who are voting in places other than their designated polling division, including persons in hospitals or nursing homes, citizens on remand or serving terms of imprisonment, and Jamaicans posted or residing overseas. “The EOM recommends that the electoral authorities consider provisions to facilitate voting by qualified voters, whose names appear on the voters’ list, but who are unable to attend their designated polling division on election day,” she said. The EOM was composed of 23 international observers from 15 OAS member states

and two observer states. The EOM also had specialists in electoral organisation, electoral technology, political financing, gender and political analysis. On election day, members were present in 13 parishes across the country and visited 367 polling stations. In the meantime, the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA) and American Chamber of Commerce of Jamaica were among the first to congratulate the prime minister-designate and his party for Thursday’s election victory. The JMA said it was fully committed to working with the new Administration to further stimulate growth and sustainable development. Congratulations also came yesterday from leader of the main Opposition United Workers’ Party in St Lucia, Alan Chastanet. “The Jamaica Labour Party won the general elections in that country on Thursday because it stuck to its task of offering alternative policies for the management of Jamaica’s affairs,” he said.. Chastanet, who is expected to lead his party into a general election later this year, said he also wanted to wish Holness every success “as he and his newly elected Government work to build Jamaica into a stronger nation on a platform of economic stability, dignity and peace.”

France detects first sexually transmitted Zika case

(Reuters) - France has detected its first sexually transmitted case of Zika in a woman whose partner had travelled to Brazil, the epicenter of an outbreak of the virus, a senior health official said on Saturday. U.S. officials said earlier this week they were investigating 14 reports of the mosquito-borne disease that may have been transmitted through sex, including to several pregnant women. Francois Bourdillon, head of France's Institute for Public Health Surveillance (IVS), said the infected woman was the country's "first confirmed indigenous case of transmission". "This was a woman who had never travelled. Her partner had come from Brazil, so she was tested," Bourdillon said in an interview broadcast on BFM TV, adding that both patients were doing well. Marie-Claire Paty, who helps monitor diseases transmitted by insects for the IVS, told Reuters the current epidemic seemed to confirm sexual transmission, which was identified as a possibility during an earlier outbreak in Polynesia in 2013-14, when the virus was isolated in sperm. Brazil has declared a public health emergency over Zika, which may be linked to thousands of cases of the microcephaly birth defect that is marked by undersized heads and underdeveloped brains. There is no cure or treatment for the virus, which is usually transmitted by mosquitoes and has spread to more than 30 countries.

Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams Sunday Editor

Neil Marks

Editorial: 227-5216; 227-5204 guyanachronicle.com wnigel10@hotmail.com gnnleditorial@gmail.com

Editorial

Our Republicanism

THIS past week, Guyana observed its 46th anniversary as a Republic; a Republican form of government is one in which ultimate power resides with the people. When Guyana became a Republic in 1970, for us it meant transferring ultimate power from a monarchy to the people of Guyana. In that regard, our move to Republicanism represented a consolidation of our independence, which was attained four years earlier. Guyana was the first Anglophone Caribbean country to declare itself a Republic, and is today one of three countries in the sub-region with that status; the other two being Dominica and Trinidad and Tobago. This year’s observance was more civic in nature; the annual Mashramani carnival has been moved to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Independence. Instead, there was in Georgetown a flag-raising ceremony which was attended by tens of thousands of citizens, who were treated to speeches that emphasized patriotism. Some have opined that this was a more fitting way to mark our Republic anniversary, and that perhaps it makes sense going forward to delink the carnival from such national observances. We feel that, given the general decline in patriotism and the overemphasis of the dancehall and party culture, it is an idea worth considering. Our national observances, we feel, should be moments for national reflection on the proverbial road travelled, and should be times when the country engages in serious introspection and recollection. This year’s Republic anniversary is part of the country’s 50th Independence anniversary. As we observed above, in a real sense, Republicanism is an extension of Independence. We have to admit that as we moved further away from the ethos of Independence and Republicanism, the nationalism which they engendered has waned considerably. One major factor in this regard has been our intense political divide, which is exacerbated by our ethnic diversity.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

Questions about the Rodney CoI Dear Editor: DR. Walter Rodney, the politician, in his lifetime criss-crossed the country rallying persons around conversations on racial unity and improvement in the lives of the working class. One would therefore have expected that any Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into his mysterious death would have among its objectives bringing closure to an era in this nation’s history and beginning the process of healing the society. These have not been achieved because of various reasons, inclusive of the role and conduct of the PPP government; the APNU+AFC government; and Sir Richard Cheltenham, Chairman of the Commission. The named are the principal players, given their authority to make decisions that impacted the commission and results. Rodney, as a public figure, does not belong alone to his blood relations, colleagues, and the WPA; he belongs to Guyanese and the international academic community. The question before us is not only about the gathering of evidence, but also a lack of systemic thinking in the entire affair. In 2005, the parliament passed a motion, with the support of the PNC, to have an inquiry. The Government of Guyana had an obligation to the society to maintain the solidarity on this matter among the political forces. Instead, the PPP government embarked on a process of appointing a commission with Terms of Reference that had all the appearances of scoring political points, and which was compounded by the selection of a panel without the required consultation. These acts robbed the nation of the opportunity of achieving consensus by the political forces, inclusive of the PNC and WPA. The Chairman should have refused to accept the assignment, given that in his tribute in June 1980 at a Rodney memorial, he took the liberty of placing guilt at the door of the government of the day, which was The deep partisan political culture has often stood in the way of national cohesion and purpose. This condition has severely hampered our ability to translate our Republicanism and Independence into socio-economic equality and development. The absence of the leadership of the political opposition and the vast majority of its followers from the recent Republic observance must once again summon us to the realization that we have a lot of work to do to make our National Motto a reality. The vacuum created by our lack of political unity has been filled by a sense of alienation on the part of the wider society. Many of our older citizens -- the Independence generation -- have moved on or have retreated into the shadows, while members of our younger generation have generally kept their distance from any serious commitment to the nation. The once vibrant sense of nationalism has been replaced by political party loyalty, extreme ethnic polarization, and a growing individualism. This individualism is especially stark among the youth, who have generally drifted into a mode of permanent revelry — almost anything and everything is cause for ‘a lime and a party’. This condition has had dire consequences for our education, our identity, and our overall cultural reflexes. We cannot continue to pretend that all is well. We

the Forbes Burnham administration. When this information was brought to the public’s attention, initially the chairman feigned ignorance, then subsequently said he did not see his 1980 tribute and present role being a conflict of interest. The Guyana Times (26/2/2016) reported Cheltenham, in responding to President David Granger’s view of the report as saying, “It is a political party and you understand what is happening. The hero of that party was Burnham, so you understand where it comes from…They had an idol.” This gentleman has done an injustice to the society and Rodney, evident in his utterances and presence, which raise questions about the findings of the CoI. It is instructive to note that prominent members of the WPA and close comrades of Rodney like Professor Clive Thomas, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and Dr David Hinds were never called to the commission and apparently did not submit statements. Hinds and Roopnaraine are on public record requesting a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and it was expected that at least they would have been called. The nation was advised that Cecil “Skip” Roberts, who headed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the time of Rodney’s death, was in the country to appear before the commission, but was never called to lead evidence, neither was a statement taken from him. Robert Corbin, former Leader of the PNC-the party of Forbes Burnham- name was mentioned in damaging testimony, but he was never summoned to appear before the commission. David Granger, who was Commander of the GDF during the 1980 incident, was mentioned in testimony, but he was not summoned to appear. Norman McLean, who was the Chief of Staff during the period, was never given the opportunity to finish leading evidence. During the life of the commission, the APNU+AFC Continued on page 7 feel that the arrest of this national slippage demands bold and visionary leadership on both sides of our political divide. We need leadership which can differentiate between party loyalty and national imperatives; which views the interest of the nation as paramount to those of the party; and which is prepared to move beyond the crippling politics of party domination. Our political leaders have to move beyond sloganeering and reach for a substantive politics that speak to more that our raw political emotions. We cannot continue with a political form that is devoid of genuine possibilities for national substance. If our Republicanism must mean anything substantive, it has to begin to invest in, and articulate, the sovereignty of the people, in whom ultimate power resides. This means that the people, all of us, must be empowered in all dimensions. Economic empowerment cannot, and must not, wait much longer; the more impoverished the poor continue to be, the more meaningless our Republicanism is. And real political power has to be transferred to the people in their localities. The long absence of local democracy has to be one of the loudest indictments of our Republicanism. We have to correct that if our Republicanism is to be revived.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

Road safety to be given high priority

THE Ministry of Public Infrastructure will be spending significant sums of money during 2016 on a number of initiatives geared at increasing road safety measures.

Recognising the number of vehicular accidents that occur as a result of either a lack of traffic lights or inadequate street lighting, corrective measures will ensue. This will see $72M be-

ing spent on highway lighting to be erected at Linden, Coverden, Corentyne and Ogle. Additionally $1.1M will be spent to replace 37 high pressure sodium vapour

street lamps; $1.4M will be spent to install 65 LED street lamps; and 300 defective photo sensors on street lights will be replaced at a cost of $18.2M. A sum of $28.6M will be

Do the City Police know street vending of pesticides is illegal? Dear Editor, HAS anyone told the Georgetown City Constabulary that street vending of pesticides is illegal? There are vendors who stand on the bridge at the corners of Avenue of the Republic and Regent Street obliquely opposite City Hall, displaying and selling openly a wide variety of poisons and pesticides. Indeed just yesterday, I witnessed a senior officer in khaki uniform and a corporal of the City Constabulary standing right next to them and chatting with them. How disturbing! These rat poison vendors can be seen plying their trade around all of the municipal markets and along the city streets. This is in spite of the fact that the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board of Guyana has been constantly announcing that given that these poisons are very dangerous to

the environment and human health, especially children and the elderly, the sale by vendors is absolutely prohibited. What is the purpose of the City Constabulary? Over the years, street vendors could be seen openly hawking packets of pesticides, making poisonous substances readily available to members of the public, but are never prosecuted by them. Are these vendors their friends? This is in spite of the significant number of persons committing suicide by consuming poisonous substances, yet the City Council pays little or no attention on regulating the sale of these dangerous chemicals around the markets or on city streets. I guess they are expecting the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board of Guyana or the national police to come and police the system for them Riley Matthews

Questions about the Rodney CoI From page 6 was elected to government. The commission publicly stated the need for and requested more time from the new government to conclude their work, particularly that of taking evidence. The Government of Guyana did not permit the duration of time requested. There are a few issues before us. One, the commission was not granted the time requested to conclude its work. Two, by the commission’s own admission of needing more time is indicative that its report cannot be considered complete. Three, the APNU+AFC government in denying additional time set the stage for confrontation with the commission. Four, the denial of additional time raised questions as to whether there is something to hide. Five, the refusal of the PPP government to engage the other political forces in arriving at a Terms of Reference that would have built on the po-

litical bipartisanship of 2005-which was a rare moment in our history- set in action a process whose results will never be accepted by all the groups in the society. Clearly, where processes are flawed and compromised, results/findings can never be credible. A grave injustice has been done to this society and the life of a man, who as a political activist, spoke about racial unity and as an academic was methodical and systematic in his thinking and writings. In terms of race and political relations, Guyana is poorer from the CoI report. The only bright spot around this report is that a body of work is compiled in a single document that provides fodder to the curious. Sincerely, Lincoln Lewis

spent to install traffic lights at critical areas that are prone to accidents. Some of the areas under consideration include the vicinity of CARICOM Building; the 5-Corner Junction in Linden; and at Corriverton in East Berbice. Not only is the Ministry installing street lights or traffic lights, but road safety mechanisms are now an added feature of road and highway projects. The cost of works to be done on the Vreed-en-Hoop to Hydronie corridor, touted as the ministry’s fourth road project, includes a US$2.5M sum which caters for a School Road Safety Education Programme. This project will see the West Coast of Demerara being widened to a three-lane highway at best, to accommodate pedestrians. The shoulders of the roads will also include a bus lane for the safe discharging of passengers. Sidewalks will be constructed to ensure that pedestrians and motorists no longer would have to compete for space on the road. This safety initiative will also be seen in Corriverton, Region 6, where a pedestrian sidewalk will be constructed to improve road safety. An amount of five bil-

lion dollars ($5.0B) will be invested into the reconstruction of Sheriff Street, and will facilitate improved traffic safety features, including pedestrian overhead crossings at strategic locations. The need for these levels of investment comes as a result of the rapid growth of vehicular traffic and an existing road network which does not cater for pedestrians. The consequences of this mismatch are many, including frustration of all road users; lost time and productivity due to delays; and frequent accidents, many of them deadly. These investments will be supported by a Sustainable Urban Transport Plan which includes, among other things, a traffic model for Georgetown, a parking management plan, regularisation of mini-bus operations, provision of public transport facilities, and the use of public transport and non-motorised modes in the most congested areas. The 2016 investments will build on what were done during 2015, which saw the re p a i n t i n g o f t r a f f i c signs and the maintenance and erection of traffic lights and street lights. (Government Information Agency)

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

SASOD discusses legalization of same-sex marriage with Gov’t

THE Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) recently met with Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence, and other officials to discuss a human rights approach to social protection issues in Guyana. A press release from the organization noted that it presented to the Minister a recently published Fact Sheet on Social Protection, while its Social Change Coordinator, Jairo Rodrigues, informed Minister Lawrence of the community’s dilemma, stating that same-sex intimacy between men is still criminalized under the laws of Guyana. “While it has been noted that these laws are generally not prosecuted, the very fact that they exist inhibit

lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people from seeking police protection when they face harassment, assault, intimate-partner violence, homophobic and transphobic violence because of fear of discrimination, re-victimization and threat of possible prosecution,” SASOD noted. Rodrigues recalled that, in June 2014, the late Dr. Faith Harding, a child specialist and former government minister, had stated: “If people are being abused and dying because of such [anti-buggery] laws, and we are not doing anything about it, then we are all killing them; for every child that commits suicide because of rejection, we must all take the blame”. The absence of specific prohibition against dis-

crimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the Prevention of Discrimination Act 1997 leaves LGBT persons exposed to discrimination with impunity in the workplace; allows employers to refuse to hire LGBT persons; to harass or otherwise discriminate against them during their employment, or to terminate their employment on these grounds, with essentially no consequences under the law,” Rodrigues expressed. Meanwhile, Managing Director of SASOD, Joel Simpson, noted that many LGBT Guyanese who are open about their sexual orientation or gender identity at work regularly face discrimination. He spoke of a documentary published by

SASOD about the working experiences of a transgender woman, who expressed that it was extremely hard for her to obtain work in the formal economy; and when she did, she was grossly underpaid and faced discrimination because of her transgender status. “Transgender persons may face more discrimination when accessing employment, because of their visibility,” SASOD stated. Simpson also cited a 2012 Report from the University of the West Indies’ Faculty of Law, titled “Collateral Damage: The Social Impact of Laws Affecting LGBT Persons in Guyana,” where Dr. Christopher Carrico reported that both men and women identifying as homosexual or bisexual “reported being

denied access to jobs as well as being blocked from career advancement because of their sexual identity.” He said that many LGBT Guyanese choose not to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity at work. In response, Minister Lawrence said she is fully aware of her responsibility to bridge the gaps in society to foster better functioning services between the people and the government. “We would like to see more collaboration; we need it. If we are to make a change, we must work together,” Minister Lawrence said. According to the release, she discussed projects and initiatives of the Social Protection Ministry that would see more cooperation with

civil society oraganisations such as SASOD, to work with people and other non-governmental organisations to foster better relationships, communication, and advocacy for marginalized groups. SASOD recommended that the Government of Guyana amend section 4(2) of the Prevention of Discrimination Act 1997 to include sexual orientation, gender identity, and health status as grounds for discrimination; and implement and support comprehensive workplace equality policies and education programmes aimed at curbing discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and health status in the workplace, both in the Public Service and in the private sector.

From Left: Alana DaSilva, Secretary of the Board of SASOD; John Adams, Ministerial Adviser on Social Protection; Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence; Managing Director of SASOD, Joel Simpson; SASOD Advocacy and Communications Officer, Schemel Patrick; SASOD Social Change Coordinator, Jairo Rodrigues (Aubrey Odle photo)

CDB pursues initiatives to lower youth unemployment By Alva Solomon THERE needs to be a greater emphasis in the Caribbean to tackle youth unemployment, Dr William Warren Smith, President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), has said. He was speaking at the bank’s annual press conference at St Michael in Barbados last Wednesday. The bank, in its 2015 Economic Review/2016 forecast, stated that unemployment remains a concern among much of the Caribbean Region. It stated that research in 2015 indicated that youth unemployment figures in the Region are among the highest

globally. In Guyana the figure is reported to be in the vicinity of 40%. The CDB last year listed several factors which it named as causes and consequences of youth unemployment. These include: the state of Caribbean economies; structure of the labour market; lack of relevant skills; lack of experience; lack of knowledge of vacancies; limited opportunities due to health status or disability; location; stigma and discrimination due to age, ethnicity, criminal record, gender, motherhood,poverty and other causes. In light of the circumstances, the issue of youth

entrepreneurship was brought to the fore as well as development and support for the creative industry, as counters which can correct the situation at least at a minimum. Dr Smith noted on Wednesday that what emerging entrepreneurs need is equity capital. He said that, in the past, the bank did not consider equity capital as a measure it could have employed to assist the situation. “That had not in the past been our core vision, but it is something that we are looking at.” He said that small businesses, especially micro businesses,” will need a whole lot of money.” Dr Smith noted that the

Dr William Warren Smith issue of credit enhancement is also an area which the bank can forge effectively. He said it will encourage banks or lending agencies to be more inclined to engage emerging entrepreneurs. “We would be

in a position to play a fallback role or remove some of the risks from them,” he said of the lending institutions. “Those institutions are reluctant to use that liquidity,” he said, noting that he understood their position. Dr Smith told the media conference that the Caribbean is well renowned for its creative industries. He said part of the problem with its development, lies with informality, which has remained the bane of that industry for a long time. “We have not managed to mainstream that level of economic activity,” he said, adding that one of the challenges is how to finance the growth and development of

the sector. The CDB has been asked to find a financing mechanism for the industry, Dr Smith noted. He said the industry is not confined to music, dance and sport, but also animation. To this end he said, the CDB has been collaborating with the World Bank on the animation industry, and CDB is also in consultation with a number of different institutions which are in the business and driving the development of the creative industry. That consultation process, he said, is aimed at developing a suitable mechanism for providing appropriate financing for the industry.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

Towards a Good Life in a Green Economy

…On what principles?

By Marlon Bristol

IN this article, I try to speak to the principles on which a good life can and should be achieved in a Green Economy. The good life here does not presuppose what Guyanese want, so it is not an imposition. It does not interpret the government’s thinking on this term either. For the purpose of this article, the good life presents a platform through which Guyanese can achieve what they have reason to value. Think for one moment that your future is shrouded by an uncertain existence of where you would end up in society. What society would you want to evolve in? There are many answers to this question. But, most importantly, whatever you’d want of the society you live in must be a self-actualised good life, irrespective of what you define that to be and what it would entail. In John Rawls’s Theory of Justice, he experimented with the concept of the Veil of Ignorance and contended that if “rational persons concerned to advance their interests found themselves in this type of ‘Original Position,’ they would agree to a Social Contract that will ensure— no matter what physical, mental, economic, or so-

cial condition they wind up with in the society— they will get a fair share of the things they need” to make for themselves a good life. The original position is the basis for the veil of ignorance. Guyana, at its 50th, is faced with the situation where the citizenry is calling for a level playing field. Unlike the utopian notion of a veil of ignorance, tacitly, most of us are interested in some form of a good life. But will levelling the playing field work? The answer lies in whether we adopt equity and/or equality as pillars of governance practice. Equity recognises differences based on context, and equality treats us all as the same. Even if we are to agree that we are not all equal in capabilities or access to opportunities, and want balance, there would still be a need to adopt equity or equality in principle. The scholar Donna Ford examined multicultural issues and the use of equity versus equality practices and found that minority representation and access in opportunities improved more from equity measures. Assume, further, that the government can influence the structure of your society, and potentially where in that society you

will end up. What principles should be engendered? Removing the veil of ignorance will expose what type of society we want to live in, but our choices have already been made for us, mostly, so much so that it determines where in the food chain we start, and possibly end up. We would still want the government to adopt some kind of philosophy that brings us a good life. In our reality, this would mean that both incumbent and opposition, at least we assume, have to work in the interest of a good, some may argue a better, life for us. This does not remove our human agency and individual responsibility accorded in the journey. Notwithstanding our individual and group biases, the will to recognise and treat differences as a matter of priority and principle is the mandate of every Guyanese in our social contract. Mainstreaming equity requires ownership and buy-in, but this can be misconstrued and propagandised as many things. If we accept that choices are validated in a state of the world where the veil of ignorance does not exist, surely we can accept the logic behind the notion that choices are also conditioned by basic needs. In this world,

The next article will look at defining and explaining issues that relate to a good life. Comments can be sent to towardsagoodlife@ gmail.com (Marlon Bristol is a PhD student researching the development impact of return migration to Guyana using parametric and non-parametric techniques. He is currently a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist with the Ministry of the Presidency. He has published, and his strengths include research methods, development economics, policy advice, project management, and monitoring and evaluation)

Amartya Sen argues for justice ‘development as freedom’ for individuals to lead lives they value. This proposition by Sen promotes the expansion of choices or freedoms that give the flexibility to define human development in a context and content-dependent manner, considering capabilities. Explained by Marta Nussbaum “Capabilities provide us with an at-

tractive way of understanding the normative content of the idea of development.” Functionally, Ingrid Robeyns beckons that capabilities assist us to evaluate and assess individual well-being and social arrangements. Now, as we move forward in the attainment of a good life, supportive or not, a critical result is the enhancement of our social contract. We are

ALL responsible, and should not dabble in cognitive dissonance, and allow our fears to guide and reinforce how much of a good life we can achieve. We can agree to disagree on approaches to deliver a good life, but the merits of a self-actualised good life that is based on capabilities enhanced through equity principles remains a good starting point.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

State properties belong to the people - and must be managed accordingly PROPERTIES of the state belong to the people of Guyana, not government officials or their friends and families. State properties are not there to be abused by those entrusted with the privilege to serve the people. We have, over recent years, witnessed ministers’ children being assigned state vehicles and having access to unlimited petrol, paid for by the workers/tax-paying public. The assigning of houses owned by the state to non-state officials, their families and friends is also of concern. The time has come for this debased culture to cease. Another area of concern is the public hospitals. The role of public healthcare institutions is to provide service to the wider community; yet, to a large extent, those institutions have been hamstrung in the delivery of their service. There have been shortages of bed space, pharmaceuticals, and other support services, which lend themselves to compromised and inadequate service delivery. In the presence of this inadequacy, government ministers and a chosen few have exercised the option - on workers/taxpayers’ money - to seek care overseas. What we are seeing here is that, on one hand

there is disinvestment in the citizens in the use of their money (i.e. taxes) in providing/ensuring adequate services to those seeking services; and on the other hand there is an abuse of the workers’ taxes to provide overseas healthcare for those identified as privileged. Immediately after the government changed hands in May 2015, this nation was, and continues to be, advised of the misuse, abuse and stealing of the state’s resources. All efforts by the state to recover those stolen assets and hold the perpetrators accountable are deserving of our support; equally as we, too, must see to it that the government carries out this exercise without fear, favour, ill-will, or compromise. Outside of those correctly placed before the courts for alleged misconduct, there is also the case of vehicles that have not been returned to the state. Brought to my attention recently was an incident involving reclaiming a state vehicle from someone who ought to have known better, given his professed closeness to God. At a police checkpoint, the occupant was advised that the vehicle he was using belongs to the state and

is on a list to be retrieved. That individual’s response to the officer was, “Do you know who I am?” The officer’s response was, “I know who you were!” and advised the occupant to park the vehicle, take out his personal belongings, and leave. The officer’s request was obeyed. While this vehicle was retrieved, what ought not to be lost sight of is that the occupant’s response confirms this sense of entitlement by some in our midst. This person should have known better, and ought to be thankful he was not arrested and placed before the court for theft, because this is what such action is tantamount to. Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, is on public record as saying that this administration is examining the possibility of putting in place special licence plates for state vehicles. Conscious of the abuse that took place over several years, this is a focus in the right direction, and it is expected that this will be implemented. An effort of this nature, when applied across the spectrum, will hold public officials accountable, minimise wastage of the workers’/taxpayers’ money, and improve governance.

Two new civil society reps on CCM TWO new civil society members have been chosen to sit on the committee of the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) which manages programmes of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Renuka Anandjit, Programme Director of the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA), and Travis Spellin, Finance Manager of Comforting Hearts, were successfully elected as representative and alternate respectively for the CCM seats allocated to the civil society constituency. Anandjit and Spellin were nominated by the Guyana Equality Forum (GEF), which

is a network of local civil society organisations working for equality and human rights in Guyana. The GEF was founded by the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) in May 2011 and is currently chaired by Red Thread, while SASOD serves as the secretariat for the network. The mandate of the CCM is to coordinate the preparation and approve proposals for submission to the Global Fund, and to monitor the implementation of all approved grants. The CCM focuses on performance by linking Global Fund resources to the achievement of clear, measurable and sustainable

RENUKA ANANDJIT

TRAVIS SPELLIN

results based upon agreed monitoring indicators. Membership in the CCM is broadly representative of a variety of stakeholders, each representing an active constituency with an interest

in one or more of the funded disease areas - HIV, TB and Malaria. “The participation of communities, particularly those infected and directly affected by the three diseas-

es, is critical for both the development of proposals and the implementation of the awarded grant funds,” the GEF stated in a press release. The GEF quoted Anandjit as saying she was grateful for the opportunity to serve the NGO (non-governmental organisations) community and Guyana on the whole. “I look forward to working with the wider NGO community, to engage and represent on the issues with partners and stakeholders,” she noted. Spellin said he intends to use this opportunity, as a member of the CCM, to advocate on behalf of persons affected and infected by HIV, especially key populations.

“I am prepared also to bring knowledge to the decision-making forum of the CCM for policy development, which would be in line with the goals and objectives of Global Fund, and at the same time address the unmet needs of civil society organisations’ clientele,” he stated. Ms. Anandjit succeeds the late Ms. Zenita Temall Nicholson, who committed suicide in October 2015. Nicholson was elected to the seat in early 2015 for a twoyear term, but her passing created a vacant seat, which required fresh elections. The elected representatives will hold these posts until the current term of the CCM ends in early 2017.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

Central Rupununi villagers want land extensions

-say way of life threatened by private developers

By Ariana Gordon RESIDENTS of Nappi and its satellite villages of Hiawa and Parishara in Central Rupununi want the authorities to urgently process their request for land extensions. They say their way of life is being threatened by private developers. These residents of the indigenous communities in the savannahs to the front of the Kanuku Mountains are worried that their only means of survival is being restricted.

Allicock. “We hope now that he will listen to our request,” said Alfred, who was supported by approximately 40 villagers. Alfred said the road the villagers use to go fishing, hunting, and gathering resources has been ploughed up by the holders of private land leases, and the residents of the three conjoined villages are allegedly being prevented from “passing through the area.” “Our fishing pools have

Walter Hendrico, Toshao of Nappi A visit to the communities on Saturday saw frustrated villagers protesting. They bore placards demanding that their fundamental rights as Indigenous peoples be respected by all. “This issue involves areas of land that we have been seeking as extensions to our titled village lands,” former Toshao of the three villages, John Alfred, told Guyana Chronicle. Alfred explained that several letters about the issue have been sent from the communities to the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs, but the community is yet to hear from subject Minister Sydney

become stagnant because a huge dam was built across the creek where we fish. We are asking the minister to please tell us about our request for land extension, and how this will be dealt with, given what is happening now…this area being titled to others,” Alfred said. Guy Fredericks, another former toshao of the villages, told Guyana Chronicle that the issue of land extension has been going on for too long. He demands that those who hold government office remedy the situation. “We are being prevented from doing the things we

have done for years unrestricted. We can no longer walk here, because private persons have come and set up property here. We are Indigenous people; we are accustomed to hunting, fishing, carrying on our cattle rearing, but now we are being limited,” he said. He noted that restrictions imposed on Amerindians are not just limited to land use for the purpose of hunting, but

from us, and then there was the change of government, and the same thing is happening. Nobody is talking to us!” Henrico stated. According to the residents, Minister Allicock had visited Nappi after taking office, and had promised to look at the request by the residents for the extension of their lands. Thus far, he has not communicated with the leaders of the communities.

“We are being prevented from doing the things we have done for years unrestricted. We can no longer walk here because private persons have come and set up property here. We are Indigenous people; we are accustomed to hunting, fishing, carrying on our cattle rearing; but now we are being limited.” fishing as well. Fredericks said the private land lease holders have created a dam that now blocks water from flowing as it did from the Takutu River. “The water is stagnant, we can’t fish…. Our palm trees are dying, and we have many uses for the palm trees,” he told Guyana Chronicle. Like his predecessors, current Toshao, Walter Henrico, said he wants the matter of land extension for titled lands to the Indigenous peoples of the three communities be resolved. “We have never been restricted,” he said, noting that Indigenous peoples have occupied the three villages for a long time, and have hunted and fished in the area without restriction. “Now we are being forced to stay within certain boundaries. We have been asking for extensions for a long time. The previous government had received letters

Residents of Nappi, Hiawa and Parishara protest for their land rights issues to be addressed

The sign on the tree warns Nappi villagers from shooting, fishing, or hunting.

Former Toshao John Alfred Another letter was delivered to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs within the last month, but there has still been no acknowledgement of the letters by that ministry. “Nobody is saying anything to us…we are excluded. These areas that are now restricted have traditionally been used for generations by indigenous people,” the Toshao said. A 76-year-old Makushi woman told the Guyana Chronicle: “Something must be done to put an end to the situation.” She spoke in her native language, but former Toshao Alfred translated. The woman said she was born and raised in Nappi, and there was never a restriction on where hunting or fishing can be undertaken. She called on the administration to respect the human

rights of the indigenous people, and their fundamental rights and freedoms as enshrined in the Constitution of Guyana. “This is frustrating…I am not used to this…there is no fresh water,” she told Guyana Chronicle. The Makushi woman said she is concerned about the future of her grand and great-grandchildren. “This is not only about us… it is about our children…the other generations to come. They want to carry on like we did, but can’t because of this (restriction).” A visit to the property of a private land lease holder, whose name is unknown, revealed that a high dam was indeed placed across the creek used by the Indigenous people of Nappi, Parishara and Hiawa. When approached, a watchman could only state that the owner of the property

and the manager were not around; the watchman could not state when the manager would return. The house appeared to be an elaborate ranch-style house, and several animals were grazing on the property. Asked if the property was being used for tourism purposes, the watchman said, “I don’t really know you know…the boss man isn’t here.” He provided a contact number for the manager, but contacts with the manager proved futile. The leaders of the Makushi communities told Guyana Chronicle that they would not sit idly by and allow their traditional lands to be taken away from them. “We will be coming to Georgetown to have our plight heard by the authorities. This will not be taken lightly,” one resident told this publication. Additionally, the residents have expressed concern about Lethem attaining township status in a few months’ time. “Why the rush for township?” the residents asked, as they voiced their displeasure with what they believe to be mounting restrictions on them. “Address our issues first,” one resident shouted, as she demanded a speedy resolution to the problems facing Nappi. “The Lethem boundary has been demarcated without the free and informed consent of the people of Nappi,” one placard had written on it. Attempts to contact Minister Allicock on the matter on Saturday proved futile.

Coverden family recovering after horrific accident A FAMILY of three narrowly escaped death in a horrific accident on the Coverden Public Road, East Bank Demerara, two Fridays ago, when a speeding minibus crashed head-on into their motor car, writing it off. They had to be pulled from the mangled wreck. But despite debilitating injuries suffered, mother, father and their 6-year-old daughter are alive, and are recovering favourably. Juliet Payne, 34, said she huddled her 6-year-old daughter throughout the ordeal, and is thankful to be alive. Juliet recalled that, with her daughter’s father at the wheel, the family had travelled all the way from Georgetown and were just a few rods away from their Coverden home when tragedy struck. A minibus travelling in the opposite direction overtook another motor vehicle, and on pulling out from behind the other vehicle, crashed into the family’s car. “All I remembered shouting was: ‘The Blood of Je-

Lucky to be alive: Juliet Payne sus!’ Then I heard the loud bang and the shattering of windscreens.” People rushed to the scene from all quarters, she recalled. A relative’s car, which was travelling behind them along the way, transported them to the Diamond Hospital, where they were given emergency treatment and stabilized before being transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital. On arrival at the hospital, it was determined that Juliet had suffered multiple injuries, including a puncture to

her right breast. She has lost much blood and is due for blood transfusion. Her face was also badly damaged, and she had to be sutured above the right eye. Albeit, she is persistently asserting, “This is God’s Hand! Thank God I could see!” Her daughter, Mary, also suffered multiple injuries, but was discharged in a stable condition on Thursday, even though the parents are still warded at the GPH. The father has suffered a slipped hip bone and other injuries.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

Guyana attends World Summit of EITI THE government has moved closer to fulfilling its commitment to having Guyana become a member of the international body - Extractive industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman, Mr. Mike McCormack and Ms. Joy Persaud, of the civil society body, Policy Forum, attended the 7th World Summit of EITI in Lima, Peru from February 24-25, 2016. In Peru, the Guyana delegation participated in plenary and break-out sessions and had valuable interactions with several country delegations and these pledged support for attaining and sustaining membership of the body. The EITI is a global organisation of 51 countries, which have subscribed to establishing, upholding and promoting the standards and tenets of good governance, transparency and accountability in the management of extractive industries. At its core, the EITI promotes the belief that natural resources belong to the people and are to be extracted and managed on behalf of the people; both for current and future generations. Countries, on assuming membership, coordinate their activities through a tripartite Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) that comprises representatives of government, industry and civil society.

Mike McCormack, Joy Persaud and Minister Raphael Trotman at the EITI World Summit in Peru According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, Guyana is at present finalising the composition of a fully functioning secretariat to advance the work. In its quest to embrace good governance standards in the regulation of extractive industries, Guyana has been receiving guidance and support from the EITI'S Norway- based secretariat and the Trinidad & Tobago Chapter (TTEITI), the ministry stated. Guyana, with an economy heavily based on ex-

tractive industries, and soon to become an oil and gas producing nation, propelled the government’s desire in 2015 to give its approval for Guyana's membership application to be expedited, and to date, two seminars have been convened and a third is scheduled for March 4, 2016. The March seminar will be conducted in conjunction with the TTEITI and the University of the West Indies. All seminars are aimed at raising awareness amongst stakeholders and streamlining the application process.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

GuySuCo HQ to possibly house Public Service Staff College PRESIDENT David Granger on Friday conducted a survey of the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) Headquarters located at Ogle, East Coast Demerara, as a possible location for establishment of the Public Service Staff College. During the visit, GuySuCo Chief Executive Officer Errol Hanoman said there are plans to move the company’s operations, and, as such, the premises will be vacant. He noted that the building and other facilities at the location have the potential to

be developed and used as a training complex. A release from the Ministry of the Presidency said President Granger, speaking during his visit, revealed that upon his assumption to office, he had made it clear that the future of Guyana depends on an efficient, reliable and dependable Public Service. Therefore, training in key areas is critical to ensuring that this goal is accomplished. The Head of State announced that the college is expected to have four faculties: International Relations

(Foreign Service), Defence, Public Administration and Information Technology. “I have no interest in having an unprofessional Public Service…I also said that I did not just want an efficient Public Service, but an 'unbribable' Public Service; professional people, people who can do their trade and people who are prepared to do their jobs without fear or favour,” he said. The college is expected to provide university level diploma qualifications, and the President expects that,

President Granger looks at a plan of the GuySuCo facility with (from right) Director of Protocol at the Ministry of the Presidency, Col. Francis A. Abraham; Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Noel Holder; and Chief Executive Officer of GuySuCo, Mr. Errol Hanoman

President David Granger speaking with staff members at the GuySuco Headquarters before he toured the facility

with this training, within the next four to five years, the level of professionalism in the Public Service would be much higher than it is today. “I don’t want people walking off the street to become Public Servants, be-

cause in the Public Service, the Foreign Service, every branch of government, I expect professionals, and part of professionalism is knowledge. You can’t be a professional unless you know what you are doing; and to gain

that knowledge, you need to be trained,” President Granger said. Minister of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon, and Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Noel Holder, accompanied the President.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

Visit of Brazil’s Foreign Minister…

Security, economic development on agenda BRAZIL’S Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is expected to visit Guyana this week, and discussions are anticipated to focus on security and economic development between the two neighbouring South American states, President David Granger has said. The President made this announcement on Friday during his weekly television show, “The Public Interest,” which was aired Friday evening on the National Communications Network (NCN). Prior to President Granger’s disclosure, Brazil’s Ambassador to Guyana, Lineu Pupo De Paula, had said that the objective of this meeting is to enhance collaboration

between the two countries. De Paula had told the media that areas such as military and technical co-operation and issues relating to CELAC, UNASUR and other regional mechanisms, to which both countries are party, will also inform the agenda. President Granger noted that the meeting will facilitate discussions about security, economic development, and continental development in general. Guyana and Brazil share several agreements through CELAC, UNASUR and MERCOSUR, while the neighbouring states share a 1,100 km border, hence the need for deliberations on matters related to se-

curity. “It’s a meeting that we look forward[to] and we feel that the continent of South America would be better for the collaboration between large nations such as Brazil,”

Mauro Vieira President Granger said. But not limited to Guyana-Brazil relations, he opined that the Foreign Minister will also be interacting with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in an attempt to further strengthen hemispheric solidarity. Traditionally, relations between Guyana and Brazil have been good. Brazil has provided small amounts of military assistance to Guyana, including in jungle warfare training. Just a few years ago, Guyana introduced Portuguese as a foreign language in some secondary schools, and this was deemed a source of satisfaction for the Brazilian Government, as well as an important step in the integration of the Region. The Brazilian Ambassador here said he was convinced that the two countries would be able to strengthen cooperation so as to meet the aspirations of their peoples for a prosperous and developed Region. “I hope that during my term as Ambassador we will see more evidence of the growing links between our two countries,” he had said.

16-yr-old dies in boating accident at Moruca

A RIVER accident involving two speed boats on Saturday afternoon claimed the life of a 16- year-old female resident of Moruca in the North West District. Dead is Alicia Romascindo of Koko, a community at Moruca. She was a student of the Santa Rosa Secondary School. Reports are that at about 14:30 hrs, Romascindo and her two siblings were in a small boat which was powered by a 15 hp engine when it collided with a bigger boat which plies the Charity/Port Kaituma route. The accident occurred in the vicinity of the Acquero Landing near the Santa Rosa area in Moruca. The young lady was rushed to the Kumaka District Hospital, but succumbed soon after. Her two siblings escaped with minor injuries. The Guyana Chronicle understands that the operator of the bigger boat which was involved in the accident sped away from the scene. However, he was later detained at the Acquero Police Station at Moruca.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

Mahdia Gold says Bartica reorganising monument gets operations golden touch - stakeholders peeved by “silence”

By Alva Solomon SEVERAL CanadianGuyanese are up in arms over what they say is the “silence” of Mahdia Gold Corporation, a Canadian medium-scale mining company which has been mining at the Omai goldfields in Region Eight. David Bending, a director and the company’s Chief Exploration Geologist, in response to an email told this newspaper that the company is undergoing a re-organisation period. “We recognise that some changes are necessary to put the company on track, and we will work to address their concerns, which are consistent with our concerns. I cannot disclose the details at this time.” Many Canadian-Guyanese are said to be investors in the company. Cambior Inc , Omai’s parent company, ceased operations at the site after mining from 1993 until 2005. Mahdia Gold conducted an analysis of the site, and its reports stated that there was still gold potential at the mines. It then commenced activity at the site, after providing shareholders with information on its plans. However, since its last update in July 2015 on its website, Mahdia Gold has been silent. Sources have reported that shareholders, including those overseas, are aware that alluvial mining has been taking place in the form of leases to small miners at the Omai mines.

“Who is receiving all the money from the alluvial mining from a company that is public and owned by shareholders, many of whom are Guyanese?” one stakeholder who preferring to remain anonymous asked. He said that many do not know Don Gordon, the person listed as CEO of the company and the author of the company’s last newsletter. This newspaper was provided with a contact number for the company, but calls to the numbers have been unsuccessful. The person who encouraged Canadian- Guyanese to invest in the company reportedly resigned from the company in 2013, but he agreed to remain on the board as well as to act in the capacity of liaison with the government here. This newspaper visited the mining operations of the company at Omai in January, when Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman and Junior Minister Simona Broomes travelled there on a fact- finding mission. The team interacted with small miners at the site, known as the “Omai Mill”, and many of them expressed concern. The miners have been working the site under an arrangement with the company, in which they pay rental fees. The miners have been operating illegally at the site, and a Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) official told this newspaper at the site that there are an estimated five small operations at the site with 15 structures

set up as homes and shops. Edwin Isaacs, a small miner, reported to the team that two weeks prior, his employees were working in the pits when security personnel reportedly attached to Mahdia Gold allegedly broke down the structure holding his sluice box. He said the men who are attached to the entity as security employees pumped bullets into the sluice boxes and hoses as they demanded payments. Minister Broomes expressed dissatisfaction as this information was mentioned. The miners told the team that they are required to pay 20 % of their production to the mining company, a sum they opposed, noting that the mining regulations have set the figure at no more than 10 per cent. The miners reported that the security personnel did not provide any documentation to support their claims. Mahdia Gold, in its last report in July 2015, stated that the company will be increasing security at the Omai site at additional cost, but that this was necessary to maximise production, field security and employee safety. It stated that it was diligently working to increase its gold production in 2015 and a target of 1,000 ounces per month from alluvial operations has been set by the company. In addition to the Omai project, the company’s website stated that it is also engaged in mining at Tiger River, near the Omai site, as well as at White Creek in the North -West District.

IN recognition of its status as the gateway to the country’s gold mining areas, the monument at the centre of Bartica, the Cenotaph, is being restored, and will have a golden metallic finish. The works are being carried out by Elite Crete Systems. “There is a lot of significance with the colour we chose, which is metallic gold; it has a lot of significance of being a memorial,” the company’s contractor, Kissoon, said. “It shows strength of the community that is surrounded by the gold industry.” He said plant pots have been installed around the base of the monument, and there will be a stamped concrete slate finish for the flooring, which will also have a golden touch. Kissoon said Guyana has to move away from the culture of just dabbing paint on memorials and monuments. “We have tourists coming into the country often, and we need to showcase proper standards, since many people love taking pictures of things which showcase what Guyana has to offer,” he said. The monument is set to be completed this week.

Workers putting the final touches on the Cenotaph in recognition of the mining industry

A trip to Ariwa

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

-the El Nino ‘beach’ drawing crowds for leisure…and prized construction sand

The Guyana boundary of the Takutu River, near St Ignatius Village

By Alva Solomon KNOWN as Ariwa Beach, it lies in the middle of the Takutu River. In fact, it is actually the dried-up sandy bed of the river, which is an international boundary separating Guyana from Brazil. But, these days, as dry weather conditions impact the Rupununi, the people have found ways of sidestepping the seriousness of the situation; at least temporarily. The Takutu River meanders around the Rupununi, and its

This sign indicates where the vehicles should park on arrival at the Takutu River, aback St Ignatius

waters are known to be fierce during wet weather conditions. Back in May-June 2011, the Lethem area was hounded by severe flooding, mainly because of persistent rains locally and because Brazil’s Rio Branco had overtopped its banks and had thrown its excess into the Takutu, causing the Takutu to rise beyond normal levels. The Rupununi was reeling from inundation, and government teams carrying food, water and words of encouragement flew to and fro across the flooded landscape of the entire region. These days, however, the situation is completely different. The land is dry, dusty and

dirty; one’s clothing is likely to become red, especially while travelling in or behind a vehicle, or simply walking along a busy roadway. Last weekend, when the Guyana Chronicle visited the area, several families were in the Takutu River aback St Ignatius, a prime hangout spot on Sundays. A small temporary car park was sectioned at the front of the site, with trees marked with signs such as “cars”, “motorbike”, among others demarcating the parking priorities. A “no-littering” sign also hung conspicuously from a tree.

This temporary bridge within the Takutu River leads to Ariwa Beach in the distance

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

The Takutu River at sunset, with the Guyana (left) and Brazil (right) borders in view A few steps further, handrails painted in white and yellow lined a walkway which was both naturally and manually carved into steps leading to the river. The sight of the dried– out river below greets visitors. The evidence of El Nino is evident on both sides of the river: dry sun-burnt grass and dusty trails. In the middle of the river, a temporary bridge was built by self-proclaimed caretakers for residents to cross over to the beach. The bridge was aligned neatly, with wire-rope at hand-reach to be used as support by any crossing it. One of the caretakers told this newspaper that the Brazilian military would patrol the river, whether in dry or rainy season, and this, he noted, happens without any issue. The same happens when the Guyanese soldiers patrol the river. He noted, however, that the Brazilians gave “permission” to set up temporary huts, equipped with wooden seating and barbecue grills carved from old drums and tyre rims. Further up the beach, a few bags of coals lay alongside a hut as two children enjoyed the water. A fishing boat could be seen in the distance, and one of the caretakers signalled to the boat operator that it was time to pull in the fish seines. According to the caretaker, at this time of year, and given its expanse and easy access, the beach is one of the more popular venues in Lethem. “All you need is to find a vehicle to drive straight here from Lethem or wherever, and you just enjoy the area,” he said as he held onto three wooden flag-poles which were planted on the beach with much significance. “It’s three flags. The one on the right is obviously showing Guyana side, and the Brazilian is on the other side. Now the white flag is the one which holding them together peacefully,” he said, grinning freely. A walk along the beach comes with much courage, especially to those barefooted, since the soil is of sand and stone. “I think is stone really, but it has sand, and that is what is in demand in this area to build the homes,” the caretaker noted. He said that truckers were in the habit of removing the sand and retailing it at huge cost in the community; it costs as much as $45,000 per load. This occurs at another section

Accommodation on the beach

Ariwa Beach has the Brazilian and Guyanese flags indicating each side’s boundaries; the white flag signifies peace.

of the community, where the Takutu passes close to Lethem. “But that is another story; for now, we just enjoy this beach,” the caretaker added. He said the structures built are made purely of palm and cheap wood, and are built mainly with changing weather conditions in mind. He pointed to the dry banks of the river, layered sections of which stretch across the landscape, each layer indicating the level of the river at various times of the year. During a visit to the area the following morning, there was a noticeable mark on the river banks. The river had risen slightly overnight. This may be credited to a recent change in the weather patterns in the North Rupununi/Pakaraimas, where the waters are known to run south into the Rupununi. The rains have been pouring along certain parts of the roadway linking Linden to Lethem, mainly along the trail south of the Kurupukari Crossing on the Essequibo River. This was noticeable during a trip along the trail last weekend. While the weather patterns may be changing in southern Guyana, the visitors to Ariwa Beach are enjoying the benefits of the waterway; and based on the experiences of the 2011 floods, the current experiences may be preferred against an overtopping Takutu River.

Gov’t Ministers in Linden

LINDEN market vendors took the opportunity to voice their concerns as Government Ministers visited the town on Saturday in a public outreach event. Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge, and Minister of Communities, Valerie Patterson, did a walk-about in the market area before having oneon-one consultation with the residents in an effort to bring solutions to the number of problems they may be facing. The vendors that are located on the Mackenzie wharf made known several

concerns that are affecting their livelihoods. The vendors are concerned that the location of the wharf as well as the state of the facility is affecting the amount of patronage that is received. Poor lighting, leaking roofs, poor sanitation facilities and the design of the wharf were some of the concerns that were raised by the vendors. “The customers can’t see what is inside the stall, so even if they want to buy they don’t know what is here,” posited one vendor. In addition to this, the vendors complained of the municipality system being

hypocritical as many of them were forced to operate their businesses on the wharf, but other persons are allowed to operate small pockets of businesses elsewhere, including street corners; and as these are more accessible to the customers, their businesses are suffering. “We were forced in here, but others are allowed to sell out of here and they are enjoying the sales,” said another vendor. Minister Carl Greenidge told the media that even though his portfolio does not include market re-organisation, he will be making recom-

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

––market vendors want issues addressed

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, and regional officials interact in Linden Saturday.

Minister Carl Greenidge meets with Linden market vendors.

mendations on behalf of the vendors to the Minister of Local Government. “I will call upon the Minister of Local Government to make arrangements to prepare a revised plan of the market, which will take into account the concerns of the current vendors,” he said. According to Greenidge, even though the complaints are many, he did not come to solve everything in one day, and he has pledged to have continuous visits to the town even though his constituency is Region 6.

HOUSING WOES M i n i s t e r P a t t e rson said that the issues brought to her attention were those that were heard at the last two public days held in Linden since she took office. In addition to issues of land allocation and land title receipt, Minister Patterson told the media that the prices of lands were also an issue of concern. Residents who have commenced payment for lands complained about the prices increasing, even after initially being told one price. The minister said that this needs urgent attention as the prices of lands should not change after an agreement has been made. She is also in the process of having land prices reduced, so that they can become more affordable for low-income earners. The minister has made known that there are currently no low-income lands available, and she has identified an area in Amelia’s Ward that can allow for 2000 allocations. The land however, is owned by Lands and Surveys and she will be persuading the entity to have that land transferred to the Ministry of Communities. “When those lands are transferred, we will now put in the infrastructure and by the end of the year we will be able to reach the demand,” she posited. The minister said that she is assiduously working to have persons granted houselots within three months after applying.

Scores of residents took the opportunity of the outreach to have consultations with the ministers and members of various organisations. Other issues that were raised were agriculture within the town, unemployment, water supply, business opportunities, etc. Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira, who was also a coordinator of the outreach, said he is happy that government is bringing the service that was promised to the people by having these outreaches. “We are taking government to the people, so there are no longer ministers sitting in their offices and persons making appointments to see them. The ministers are going to the people; the MPs are going to the people, and this is what service is, he said. This he described as commendable and promised that it is a continuous venture that will be done in Linden, since the town has been marginalised for 23 years. Coordinator Sandra Adams said that the event is just a prelude to a bigger outreach that will be held in March, which will see the involvement of several other ministers. The outreach saw the presence of the afore-mentioned ministers, the regional MPs , the Regional Chairman, the Regional Health Committee, The Regional Education Committee, the Deputy Commander of ‘E’ Division, the Board of Directors from the Linden Hospital Complex, representatives from LUSCSI and GWI etc. (Vanessa Braithwaite)

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

Miner injured in ATV accident at Buck Hall MARK Melville, also called â€˜Royâ€™, of Kaneville, East Bank Demerara, was involved in an accident at Buck Hall two Tuesdays ago, and remains in a serious condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital, suffering multiple injuries. The injured gold miner has suffered head injuries, a fractured left shoulder, a blow to his chest which resulted in internal bleeding, and other abrasions about the body.

Mark Melville The 42-year-old father of eleven recalled that on February 16, at about 14:00 hrs, he was driving an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) that had just overtaken a Barama truck proceeding in the same direction when the front wheel of his vehicle landed in a hole. The impact of the accident caused him to be pitched off the vehicle, resulting in the injuries which he has sustained. Fortunately, the driver of the truck which was behind him saw the accident and came to his rescue. At the same time, a land cruiser driven by the owner of a nearby mining operation drove up. Together, the occupants of both vehicles placed him in the land cruiser and took him back to the Barama operations site at 112 Miles, where he was given emergency treatment at the Barama Medical Centre. Later in the evening he was transferred to Georgetown for admission to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH). Though recovering favourably, Melville continues to experience severe pain in the chest, and he coughs up blood. He is expected to undergo further medical investigations this week.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

Roshan Khan nominated as Muslim Rep on ERC

THE Guyana United Sad’r Islamic Anjuman (GUSIA), on behalf of the wider Guyanese Muslim community, has announced that prominent Muslim leader and businessman Hajji Roshan Khan has been nominated as the Representative of the Muslim community to the constitutional body, the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC). According to Secretary of the GUSIA, Hakeem Khan, through a democratic process, Hajji Khan was duly selected from a list of three candidates nominated by the Muslim organizations specifically approved by the National Assembly on July 10, 2014. His nomination was agreed on at a specially convened meeting of the said

Khan explained that Hajji Khan is a dynamic Muslim personality, known far and wide for his openness and his embrace of people of all religious and ethnic backgrounds. “He is a very successful businessman, and (is) known to support the work of all major religious groups. He

Hajji Roshan Khan approved organizations, convened by the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG) at the CIOG Headquarters.

Immigration officer under investigation for alleged corruption The Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) of the Guyana Police Force has commenced investigating allegations that an immigration officer has demanded bribes from Cuban nationals seeking to enter this country. The officer has been removed from duty at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), according to reliable police sources. Haleem Khan, President of the Guyana-Cuba Solidarity Movement (GCSM), reported that he had been receiving from Cubans who travel to Guyana numerous complaints that they were being forced by immigration authorities at the CJIA to pay bribes of between US$100 and US$250 per person. He had alleged that the affected parties who were refused entry would let fellow Cuban nationals get the message that it was compulsory they had to pay bribes when visiting Guyana. “The immigration officers refuse entry to those who don’t walk with a bribe, in favour of those willing to pay,” Khan claimed. In list-

ing some of the occasions, Khan said that a Cuban by the name of Jessica Saavedro Marrero had travelled to Guyana on COPA Airlines flight CM0254 on January 6 last. Upon arrival, she was denied entry. A man who spoke Spanish, who is also an agent for the immigration authority, related to her that she had to pay US$200 before she would be allowed to enter Guyana. The taxi driver who was sent to pick up Marrero then called Khan and related the story. Khan also said that he knew of a few Cubans who had to pay bribes to an immigration officer on December, 29, 2015. He alleges that an immigration officer on that occasion asked them to show the cash U.S. dollars they had in their possession, and whatever they showed was what they had to hand over. Khan said that, on another occasion, a Cuban doctor visiting Guyana was refused entry after he refused to pay US$500 out of his US$2,500 cash that he had to cover hotel and other expenses.

has openly cooperated and worked with all the Muslim organizations in this country over the years, and has earned respect from them as a charismatic individual of great values,” the secretary explained. In accepting the nomination, Hajji Khan thanked the Muslim organizations for

their confidence in him, and promised to diligently pursue achievement of the goals of the ERC for the betterment of all Guyanese. He promised to meet continuously with the Muslim leadership in Guyana to brief them and to listen to them during his stint on the ERC. The GUSIA and its affil-

iate, Anna Catherina Islamic Complex AA (ACIC), on behalf of the wider Muslim community, expressed its support to Hajji Khan in his being selected to represent the Muslim community on the ERC, and urged him to pursue ideas which would be beneficial to the betterment of all Guyanese.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

‘Mankad’ dismissal scripts three-run win for Demerara U15s - Despite Noble 5-19 By Rajiv Bisnauth

DEMERARA won the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/Dave West Indian Exports Guy-NY Inter-county Under-15 tournament in controversial and tense circumstances, as Daniel Mootoo effected a `Mankad’ to claim the last Berbice wicket that of Nikeem Noble – with four runs needed to win. Mootoo ran through to the bowling crease without entering his delivery stride and broke the stumps, catching non-striker Noble a fraction out of his ground. Standing umpire Edward Bowen confirmed that the dismissal was within the rules of the game. Chasing a relatively gettable target of 139, left-arm spinner Michael Puran (4-14) and off-spinner Andre Seepersaud (310), spun webs around the Berbice batsmen as they were eventually bundled out for 135 in 42.3 overs. Earlier, left-arm spinner Noble caused a dramatic Demerara collapse when he grabbed 5-19 to help bowl out Demerara for 138 in 43.3 overs. After winning the toss, the hosts opted to bat first under murky conditions,as openers Sachin Singh and Shoaib Shaw put together 48 runs for the first wicket. But the introduction of off-spin-

ner Aaron Beharry (1-35) immediately saw the dismissal of Shaw for 20. Singh in company with Yudister Persaud then took Demerara’s total to 81 before Singh, who fought a lone battle was removed by medium-pacer Leon Swammy (2-15) for a well-played 78-ball 42. That quickly became 81-3 as Andrew Samaroo (2) departed as Swammy struck once more. Samaroo’s dismissal started the slide as the rest of the batsmen failed to stitch together a noteworthy stand as wickets kept falling. Left-arm spinner Nigel Deodat (1-26) dismissed Dwayne Dick for five, before Noble, finding bounce and turn, dried up the scoring significantly in the middle overs and put pressure on the middle and lower orders and his seven-over spell proved incisive. Noble claimed the wickets of Persaud (29), Andre Seepersaud (0), along with Hemnauth Dindyal (6) and Michael Puran (0) with consecutive balls before the rain intervened. After the short break, Noble removed Daniel Mootoo (0) to complete his five-wicket haul and the hat-trick before Seon Glasgow (1-27) wrapped up the innings with the wicket of Daniel Paul

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(12). In the chase, Berbice lost the early wickets of Fawaz Gafoor (0) and Marvan Prashad (2) to pacer Paul (22-14) at 172. H o w e v e r, J e r r o n France was standing like a rock at the other end and together with Glasgow added 41 runs. Puran and Seepersaud then struck three crucial blows, including France for a composed 47 to regain firm advantage with 33 runs still for victory. Puran removed Glasgow (22) and Chanderpaul Govindar (10), while Seepersaud accounted for France, who had played freely, hitting six fours. Gevon Shultz and Deodat then reduced the winning target to 16 runs when Puran bowled the latter for eight. T h e r e a f t e r, B e r b i c e slipped further, losing Shultz (22), Carl Gilgeous (0), Beharry (0) and Noble (0) to give Demerara a fighting victory. At the presentation ceremony, Noble was given the Man-of-theMatch award, while Sachin Singh (192 runs) w o n t h e b a t s m a n ’s award for the most runs in the tournament (192) and Amos Sarwan (10) won the bowers’ award for the most wickets in the tournament.

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Shaquille Williams utilising ... From page 35

Under-15 Inter-association title. Though he did not captain the team, his invaluable experience at that age imposed the responsibility of becoming the ‘man-in-charge’ of what was happening on the field for Demerara in the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/Castrol-sponsored Under-15 inter-county tournament. As he did for Georgetown, he led Demerara to the title, defeating their nemesis Berbice in the second of two matches. This useful Malteenoes all-rounder was destined for captaincy, given his professional posture and mannerism on the field, which, even to this day, demand respect from his teammates. “Goon” slowly etched his name as one of the better Youth cricketers in Guyana and went on to captain Guyana Under-15s in 2009, landing the team a third-place spot in the Regional 50 overs competition. He then went on to captain Guyana’s Under-17 in 2010 during the Trinidadians’ tour of Guyana. In 2013 he was selected to play for the President’s X1 during the Inter-county competition. During yesterday’s interview, he momentarily paused and reflected on one of the most tragic but hilarious moments of his career, recalling that during one of his first-division matches as a teen, while fielding at mid-off, he dropped a catch, after which the ball connected to his upper lip, leaving it swollen. ”There was humour in the tragedy,” he said with a smile. But then events which were supporting him to build his career took a turn for the worse. The following year, during a court conflict with no functioning Demerara Cricket Board, Williams was omitted from the Demerara Under-19 squad and subsequently the national squad - omissions which he claimed were unjustified. According to Williams, what was astounding about this development was the fact that most of his peers who had played under his captaincy had comprised the squad from which he was omitted. Sad to say, there was no decline in his career at that time, which made his omission incomprehensible. Reminiscent on Hooper’s achievement and what his goal was, he persevered in developing his craft and made a grand comeback when he gained the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in a Guyana Cricket Association (GCA) Under-19 competition, propelling his breakthrough into the Demerara senior team. Williams was able to execute a skilful performance, scoring an unbeatable 78 on debut. This performance, coupled with his consistent economic bowling figures made him stamp his name in the local Senior County cricket arena and in 2014 the selectors placed him as a standby for the Regional Super50 tournament for the national team. Staying true to the well-known quote “I never dream of success; I work for it”, Williams, that same year got his breakthrough when he was offered a Cricket scholarship by the University of West Indies Cave Hill Campus as a student-athlete in their Developmental Cricket Academy. “This granted me the opportunity to read for my Bachelor’s Degree in Banking & Finance and play cricket simultaneously, which was a major issue when I was a full-time Environmental Sciences Student at University of Guyana; I never got that privilege to effectively pursue both,” he says. Williams currently plays for the UWI Cave Hill Campus and is focused on making his entry into the Combined Campuses and Colleges team which would generate great exposure for him to showcase his apparent talent. Just last year, the University won all of their matches in the Barbados Cricket Association domestic competition which was a feat only achieved twice. The first was done by the same university in 2012 in a T20 competition. Meanwhile, commenting on his current performance, Williams was keen to note, “I see myself as a work in progress and I’m continuously learning more about my strengths and weaknesses, and working towards strengthening both.” While balancing both an academic and a sport life has been a challenge for him, Williams noted that he is built with the capacity to brave the challenges in life. He commented on his love for his home country, revealing that this success thus far should not only be credited to him, but those who supported him and Guyana which facilitated this. Williams hopes to one day be selected to represent the West Indies senior cricket team and not only be a West Indian representative, but one of the only English-speaking speaking country in South America. “I love Guyana; it is the land of my birth and I will always be a representative of that country,” he says.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

Shaquille Williams utilising his opportunity to maximise his potential By Ravin Singh IN 2002 when Carl Hooper recorded his highest innings score of 233 during a Test match against India at Bourda, Shaquille Williams was only eight years old and decided at that moment that he was going to become a successful sportsman. Today, the 21-year-old says he is utilising a sports scholarship opportunity awarded to him, to maximise his potential, having already carved his name among the best youth cricketers to emerge from Guyana. Born March 20, 1994, in Georgetown, ‘Goon’ as he is

Twenty-oneyear-old Shaquille Williams

more popularly known, attended Sacred Heart Primary where he successfully earned a spot at one of the country’s top secondary school – St Joseph High. But his love for cricket was not realised in his later years at high school. In fact, at the tender age of eight, he joined the Malteenoes Sports Club where he was kept under the wings of popular coach Neil Barry Sr. Recognised as a talented, persistent youth, a few years later Williams led Georgetown to the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB)/NALICO/ NAFICO-sponsored See page 33

Not only talented with the bat, Williams is seen here bowling off-spin in a First Division match where he represented the Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) against the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC)

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

TWIN TONS AND NEAR MISSES ON February 19, 1972, Lawrence George Rowe carved his name deeper into history when he strolled to an unbeaten even 100 in the second innings of his debut Test for the West Indies against New Zealand at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica. He had compiled a solidly stylish double-century in the first innings to become only the second man, after Reginald Foster of England, to accomplish the feat. Foster had done so 70 years before, playing against Australia in the Sydney Test of 1903-04. However, Rowe went several tiers higher and became the first person to

close to doing so. Paul Anthony Gibb was a right-handed batsman whose strong points were a combination of a sound defence and fluent drives. He possessed the knack for the big occasion and became the first Yorkshire amateur to score a century on debut, when he made 157 against Nottinghamshire in 1935. In his debut Test against South Africa at Johannesburg in 1938-39, he opened the batting with William John Edrich, who departed early with only a paltry four runs on the board. Gibb proceeded to add a crucial 184 for the second wicket with Edward Paynter as England, batting first, totalled a com-

Lawrence Rowe’s 302: A mixture of grace, power and efficiency

record separate hundreds on his first Test appearance, a record he held for 31 years. Rowe had an insatiable appetite for huge scores and had plundered the Guyana attack for 147 in the Shell Shield competition and the New Zealand bowlers for 227-all in the space of a couple of weeks-at Sabina Park. His twin hundreds in the Test match made it four in a row-a frightening proposition for opposing bowlers. His effort made him only the third player after the Australian Doug Walters and the Indian Sunil Gavaskar to score a double-hundred and a century in the same Test. It also ensured he had a truly enormous average of 314 at the conclusion of the Test. Some 34 years before Rowe eased to separate hundreds on debut, an Englishman fell agonisingly

fortable 422. Paynter’s innings ended with him on 117, but Gibb was not so lucky. His was the fifth wicket to fall caught by the South African captain Alan Melville off the right-arm leg-spinner, Bruce Mitchell, for 93. He had batted for 270 minutes and had struck seven fours as he played the role of anchor. With a slender lead of 32 on first innings, England again began poorly for the second time in the match when Edrich departed early. However, Gibb and Paynter duplicated their first-innings heroics, combining to add 168 for the second wicket with Paynter reaching an even 100-his second in the match. But it was Gibb who stole the spotlight, making sure he reached three figures on his second attempt. He eventually fell for an

excellent 106 made in 192 minutes of unerring concentration as he registered a century on debut, but not the double. In 1974-75, a young, powerfully built opener who was born in Barbados but grew up and learnt most of his cricket in England, made his debut for the West Indies against India in the first Test of a five-match series in Bangalore. A few years earlier Gordon Greenidge was approached by the then English captain, Ray Illingworth, to consider representing England for which he was qualified. He declined the offer and returned to his native island and commenced playing Regional Shell Shield cricket in 1973. His consistent performances earned him a place in the 1974-75 party to India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but he had to compete with the stolid and dependable Guyanese left-hander, Leonard Baichan, for the second opener’s spot. Greenidge was pretty consistent in the first-class games leading up to the first Test, but Baichan had registered 158 and 114 not out to be the leading contender. As fate would have it, Baichan was involved in a car accident in India just prior to the Test match and was consequently ruled out. His competitor grasped the opportunity with both hands. India won the toss and elected to send the West Indies in on a damp pitch caused by rain. Greenidge, opening the batting with the established partner-the late Roy Fredericks-saw him retired hurt with the score on 38. He was having problems of his own triggered by a combination of the state of the pitch and the state of his mind. Dropped twice at four and six, the debutant weathered the storm and added a further 139 for the first wicket with the diminutive Alvin Kallicharran. On the way, he had hit the boundary ropes 13 times and had gone over them thrice as he eased into the 90s. The luck that was on his side earlier in his innings now deserted him. On 93, he pushed the off-spinner Srinavas Venkataraghavan to midwicket but hesitated in going for the single. Gavas-

Inside

Edge

With Edwin Seeraj kar’s return to the bowler’s end found him short and Greenidge had to depart the middle, having been run out in his first Test innings just short of his century. With Fredericks unable to bat in the second innings, Greenidge took on the role of senior partner as the vice-captain and wicketkeeper Deryck Murray accompanied him at the top of the order. Murray went early for his second duck of the match, putting even more pressure on Greenidge to see off the new ball and lay a foundation for a winning total. He did not disappoint, although early wickets fell at the other end. In company with his captain Clive Lloyd, he added a blistering 207 for the fourth wicket with Lloyd blasting his way to a magnificent 163. For his part, Greenidge compiled 107 before he was dismissed trying to push the score along.

In 2003, a youthful Pakistani, finally joined Rowe as the only player to fashion twin hundreds on his Test match debut. Yasser Hameed, playing in his first Test match against Bangladesh in Karachi and batting at the critical number three position, dominated in both innings. In reply to Bangladesh’s respectful 288, Pakistan reached 346 with Hameed constructing a serene 170, stroking 25 effortless fours in the process. He faced 253 deliveries and spent over five hours at the crease engaging in a solid partnership with Mohammed Yusuf worth 131 runs for the fourth wicket. Habibul Bashar’s responsible century ensured that Pakistan were set a decent target of 217 runs for victory. Hameed made certain that there were no hiccups as he calmly inched his way to his second 100 of the match, getting to 105

before he was bowled by the spinner Mohammed Rafique. Slimly built, Hameed depended on timing and was extremely elegant when set. He possessed a sound technique, but a tendency of wasting good starts when seemingly well set finally cost him his place in the team. Of recent players, there is one who came pretty close to joining Rowe and Hameed. Andrew Strauss of England made 112 in his first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s in 2004. In the second innings he was confidently heading towards his goal when he was unfortunately run out for 83 in a mix-up with Nasser Hussain. From all reports, Hussain was at fault, but he compensated by eking out his own 100 and carrying England to victory. He promptly retired after the game.

GDA trials set for tomorrow and Wednesday IN preparation for a Guyana Darts Association (GDA) team to participate in the Caribbean Darts Organisation tournament which will be staged in July in Barbados, the GDA has invited the following players to trials which will be held at the CCWU hall tomorrow and Wednesday at 19.00hrs The players are: Bryan James, Sudesh Fitzgerald, Nicholas Seetaram, Luis Ramirez-Merlano, Delon Correia, Jamwant Bhupan, Marvin Yaw, Lalichand Rambharose, Anil Latchman, Anup Latchman, Terence Joseph, Anthony Bissoondial, Jamal Holligan, Sherwyn Greene, Adrian Damon, Victorine Chandro, Shondell Hyles, Jaswantie Hiralall, Hemwattie Amyan, Jean Desouza, Mary Correia, Natisha Fordyce

SUDESH FITZGERALD

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

GOA assists GBA star Narayan Ramdhani THE Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) presented an airline ticket to worldranked player Narayan Ramdhani, who will be attending the 11 th Peru Junior Under-19 International Championships 2016 from March 8-11, 2016 in Lima. He will be attending along with team-mate Jonathan Mangra. According to a release, “The GBA is amazed that Guyana’s top athletes still have to struggle to gain sponsorship for top and worldranked athletes to date, especially when the main factor is that the Golden Arrowhead flies in the International arenas.” The release stated: “We do hope in the future that the entities responsible for sports and also the interested private sector can understand why it is necessary to be involved with sport and the mileage it can give

In picture Garfield Wiltshire, treasurer of the GOA, presents the cheque to Narayan Ramdhani in the presence of GOA President Mr. Kalam Juman-Yassin, GOA Karen Pilgrim and Taekwondo President & Secretary

Kohli props up India after bowlers skittle Pakistan DHAKA, (Reuters)-Virat Kohli scored a confident 49 to prop up India in a tricky chase as they defeated neighbours Pakistan by five wickets in a low-scoring Asia Cup match yesterday. India, who will host the World Twenty20 next month, will be boosted by the performance of their bowlers ahead of the March 8-April 3 tournament after they skittled Pakistan for 83 inside 18 overs. India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni opted to bowl first on a greentinged pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur and his bowlers responded brilliantly, extracting good movement out of the wicket. Medium paceman Hardik Pandya was the most successful among the Indian bowlers, picking up three wickets for eight runs, while Pakistan did not help their own cause with Khurram Manzoor and captain Shahid Afridi running themselves out. Wicketkeeper Sarfraz

Ahmed’s 25 was Pakistan’s highest individual score while Manzoor,

ures with 10. India’s chase also began on a sorry note with

Virat Kohli made a match-winning 49 making his T20 debut, was the only other batsman to reach double fig-

left-arm paceman Mohammad Amir dismissing both openers Rohit Sharma and

Ajinkya Rahane leg before in the first over before they had opened their scoring. Suresh Raina fell in Amir’s next over as India were reduced to 8-3 with Kohli and Yuvraj Singh at the crease. Yu v r a j s t r u g g l e d against the Pakistan pace attack initially but managed to stay at the crease with Kohli as the duo added 68 for the fourth wicket to take India in sight of their target. Kohli looked assured and on course for his 13th T20 fifty but was given lbw against paceman Mohammad Sami though he seemed to have got an edge on the ball. Pandya fell two balls later for a duck, edging Sami to Mohammad Hafeez at first slip where the fielder managed to hold on after juggling the ball a few times. India were still eight runs away from their target but southpaw Yuvraj (14 not out) and Dhoni took them home with 27 balls to spare.

them.” This will be the first of a series of international tournaments in which Guyana will be taking part, in an attempt to ensure that the players get higher world-ranking points. These two players are the most recent winners of the season-opening Gumdac Open Doubles last week and are not new in the international arena. They also medalled in the Caribbean Games last year in both the Singles & Doubles division. They are currently in training for this Peru International in which they are expected to do well in both the Boys Singles and Boys Doubles Events. The GBA would like to thank the Director of Sport Christopher Jones and the NSC for their contribution, Mr. Wayne Kanhai of Yellow Mining and Mr. David Fernandes of Bounty Farms.

New York Business Group sponsors Berbice U-19 two-day cricket tournament THE New York Business Group (NYBG) comprising five businessmen, an ardent cricket sponsor and a community leader along with the Berbice Cricket Board and the Albion Sports Complex Executive committee last Saturday launched the Berbice Under-19 cricket tournament. The well attended ceremony was held at the Albion Sports Complex with attendance from players, representatives from the various clubs, former cricketers and coaches. The group, which consists of Ajit Mootoo, Bhola Ramsundar, Hafeez Ali, Dave Narine, Insaf Ali, Jameel Mohamed and Ralph Tamesh has donated in excess of $700,000 for what is expected to be the biggest age-group cricket tournament in the Ancient County. Speaking at the simple ceremony, Shiv Persaud, Manager of the Albion/Port Mourant Sugar Factory; Regional Chairman Region Six, David Armogan; Guyana Cricket Board Secretary Anand Sanasi; Berbice Cricket Board President Anil Beharry; and Imtiaz Baccus, President of the Albion Sports Complex, thanked the NYBG for their financial support and also for promoting young talent in Berbice. Speaking on behalf of the New York Business Group, Ralph Tamesh said: “We are here to promote the young players, but not as 20/20 players, we want to see the true talent of these players.” The BCB has assigned Carl Moore to head the committee for the cricket operation. The competition will commence in March and conclude in September, with games being played over two days. The primary aim is to prepare the players for the longer version of the game.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

USA based Ralph Green to sponsor EBFA Under-11 League THE East Bank Football Association (EBFA) through its President Franklin Wilson has secured sponsorship for the association’s Under-11 League which will kick off next weekend. Guyana based United States Soccer Federation (USSF) D, C and B (College Level) Ralph Green has agreed to sponsor the league on a n annual basis. Green who is a founding member and current President of the Camptown Soccer Club of New York said that he had no hesitation in partnering with the EBFA for this level of football since setting a solid foundation will ultimately see Guyana’s foundation being a solid one. He commended the EBFA for being very active over the past two years in the area of junior football

development having run off multiple competitions at the Under-11, 13, 15, and 17 levels. “When the proposal was put forward to me by Mr. Wilson, I did not have second thoughts because I am aware of what the association has been doing under his stewardship and I wanted to make my contribution which would be on an annual basis,” Green commented. Green reminded that through the Camptown Soccer Club of New York, they sponsored the biggest Under-15 tournament in Guyana which attracted 16 teams with each player receiving a ball and tee shirt. The EBFA competition will see the teams competing for a 25” lien trophy with the team to win it on three successive occasions able to keep it. That apart, the first,

second and third placed teams will receive medals while the fourth placed team will be

There will also be five individual trophies that will go to the tournament’s Most

EBFA President Franklin Wilson (right) receives the Lien trophy from Ralph Green recently in New York. presented with participatory medals.

Valuable Player, Highest Goal Scorer, Best Goal-

keeper, Most Promising Player and Most Disciplined Player. EBFA Wilson said that the association is very grateful to Green for readily agreeing to commit to an annual tournament. He said that this is not the first time Green is contributing to the association having also run off a two-day coach’s seminar in the recent past. Wilson also informed that the sponsorship agreement has the capacity to be expanded with the benefit of the players at the forefront. “We will review how this inaugural goes and make recommendations for a more expanded tournament next year with the possibility of tee shirts and balls being a reality since we want players to have the ability to play more football

by having a ball of their own.” Wilson, while expressing gratitude to Green on behalf of the association on a recent visit to New York, also informed that a few more individuals have been approached to make this initiative a reality. He said that it is the intention of the association to take the sport to another level as they seek to expand the sport on and off the field of play despite the many challenges. Himself a Youth Soccer Coach since 1989, Green who currently Coaches Academy players for Woodhaven FC (for the past 16 years) as well as Teams in the Long Island Junior Soccer League underscored his commitment to Guyana’s football which he said would take off. Herstelling Raiders FC are defending champions.

Guyana’s squad for CFU tourney Bravo’s half-century gives Windies warm-up win to be named mid-March –GFF GUYANA will participate in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Caribbean Men’s Cup scheduled from March 2016 – May, 2017, with its team expected to be named by mid-March. The Golden Jaguars has been placed in Group five (5) of seven (7) with Anguilla and Puerto Rico being the other members of group 5. Guyana’s first match will be played against Anguilla on March 23, 2016 at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence at 19:00hrs. The second will be played against Puerto Rico in Puerto Rico on March 29, 2016. Anguilla will play Puerto Rico on March 26 at the Raymond E, Guishard Technical Centre, Anguilla. National Coach Jamaal Shabazz said there are no more easy teams in football. Speaking about the CFU draw that pits Guyana against Anguilla and Puerto Rico, “There are no more push-overs in international football. The ball is round and the field is rectangular for everyone.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Sunday February 28, 2016) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) Rohan Kanhai & Lance Gibbs (79 Tests each) (2) Australia-135 ODI matches

Today’s Quiz:

(1) Shiv Chanderpaul has scored 30 Test centuries. How many have been made against India? (2) How many ODI runs Sir Viv Richards scored?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

“ How well we prepare is critical. The ability to get the Federation, the staff, the players and the fans to sing the same song from the same book is vital.” Shabazz intends to have a five-day camp before the games against Anguilla and Puerto and also hold one session a week with the main core of the locally-based players. “We must work to raise the level of players and add to the good work done in the clubs “ We are nothing without the club coaches; they do all the work with the players week in, week out. We only have the team for short periods, so we must work together,” stated Shabazz. The Technical Staff is National football expected to name a squad of coach Jamaal Shabazz thirty (30) players by midMarch. The competition will be played in two phases – the preliminary phase and the final phase. (please see details below) Round 1 will be played from March 21-29; Round 2 May 15-21; Round 3 October 3-11; the fifth- place playoff November 7-15; and the finals are scheduled for May 2017. Among the other teams participating in the tournament are Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, St. Kitts & Nevis, Grenada, St. Maarten, United States Virgin Islands, Cuba, Bermuda, French Guiana, Barbados, Curacao, Guadeloupe, St. Martin, Suriname, Martinique, British Virgin Islands and Dominica. Games will be played in 21 countries.

SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates, (CMC) – A Dwayne Bravo half-century was enough to lift West Indies to an 18-run victory over Zimbabwe, in their first unofficial Twenty20 warm-up in preparation for the T20 World Cup here yesterday. The right-hander struck 55 as West Indies tallied 147 for seven off their 20 overs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Wicketkeeker Denesh Ramdin hit 40 and captain Darren Sammy, an unbeaten 21. Seamers Tinashe Panyangara (2-30) and Tendai Chatara (2-37) finished with two wickets apiece. In reply, Zimbabwe were limited to 129 for seven with Richard Mutumbami leading with 40, Malcolm Waller getting 33 and Panyangara, 25. Bravo completed a tidy all-rounder performance by picking up two for 20 while left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn claimed two for 25. Bravo’s knock was important after West Indies slipped to 41 for three following the cheap dismissals of Andre Fletcher (1), Johnson Charles (16) and Marlon Samuels (4). Bravo and Ramdin then put on 60 for the fourth wicket to rally the innings past the 100run mark, with Bravo striking four fours and two sixes and Ramdin, two fours and two sixes. Opener Mutumbami then struck six fours and a six to lead the Zimbabwe reply while Waller struck two fours and a six in his knock. Panyangara, who hit a single six, posted 53 with Waller in a threatening fifth wicket stand, after the African side slumped to 69 for four. However, once they were dismissed, the Zimbabwe innings tailed away. Bravo claimed two for 20 from his three overs while Benn finished with two for 25 from his four overs. West Indies will face Zimbabwe again in another warm-up T20 tomorrow.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 28, 2016

DeNobrega wins BR Investment/Deokie Construction feature 35-lap race TEAM Alanis’ Paul DeNobrega narrowly edged Team Evolution’s Marlon “Fishy” Williams to win the BR Investment/Beokie Construction feature 35lap race in the National Park yesterday, stopping the clock at one hour 19 minutes 17.25 seconds. The race was part of an 11-race programme that was organised by national cycle coach Hassan Mohamed for a second year. The first time the 11-race programme was staged was in 2013, when Robin won the feature event in one hour 18 minutes 32 seconds. In yesterday’s event, DeNobrega, Williams and Shaquile Agard broke from the main pack after the eighth lap, but seven laps later, a bunch of about five cyclists connected to the leading trio. However, soon after, they (chasing pack) were dropped one at a time, leaving DeNobrega, Williams and Agard

Paul DeNobrega (right) edges Marlon Williams across the finish line to win the BR Investment/Deokie Construction feature 35-lap race in the National Park yesterday. Third was Shaquile Agard (photo by Adrian Narine). at the helm of affairs and the trio kept extending their lead. With four laps remaining,

the trio had an approximately 250-metre lead on the fourthplace finisher (Orville Hinds)

Christ Church, Bishops’ High record Milo U20 victories THE penultimate day of the round-robin stage in the Petra-organised Milo Under-20 Schools Football Tournament saw only Christ Church and Bishops’ High score wins yesterday at the Ministry of Education Ground (MoE), Carifesta Avenue. Match one was a walkover that went in Richard Ishmael’s favour, given to them by Sir Leon’s Lessons who withdrew from the event. In the match that followed, Brad Evans piloted Christ Church to a 4 – 0 win over Carmel Secondary. Evans put his side ahead in the 22nd minute, then doubled the lead five minutes later with another goal. Waynewright Adams

made it a three-possession game in the 30 th minute, while Shamar Carrington scored the only second-half goal in the 56th minute. Bishops’ High commanded the match against Central High to take a 3 – 1 victory. They led 2 – 0 at the half after Lloyd Anderson and Shamar Britton found the back of the net in the 12 th and 21 st minutes, respectively. Romeo Bradford accounted for the third goal in the 58th minute, two minutes before James Walcott scored a consolation goal for Central. School of the Nations and South Ruimveldt romped to a 1 – 1 draw after battling to a goalless first half. Lyndon Dorway in the 43rd put

Nations ahead, but South Ruimveldt equalised through Junior Thomas in the 56 th minute and the see-saw battle continued without the deadlock being broken. Today, six more teams will return to the same venue as proceedings get under way at 11.00hrs.St. George’s will take on Tutorial Secondary,.Queenstown challenges St. John’s in match two from 12:30 hrs, then the penultimate match will see Charlestown and Freeburg face off from 14:00 hrs. Mae’s and St. Roses will contest the final match of the round-robin stage from 15:30 hrs. This event is organised by the Petra organisation

Part of the action in Milo Under-20 schools football tournament yesterday. (Adrian Narine photo).

and a further 50 metres on the others. With 125 metres remain-

ing, Williams attacked the two others (DeNobrega and Agard), but rounding the home turn, DeNobrega responded, came on the outside of Williams and edged him across the finish line, winning by a front wheel. Williams ended second, Agard third and Hinds fourth. The other two top places were occupied byMichael Anthony and Silvio Inniss. Williams won three of the eight prime prizes that were up for grabs, while Agard won two. Junior Niles, Leer Nunes and Hinds won one each. The 10-lap race for juvenile cyclists was won by Romelo Crawford in a time of 22 minutes 51 seconds. Second was Deoraj Garbarran and third was Briton John. Richard Charles won the five-lap race for mountain bikers ahead of Sean Budhan and Shamuel Daniels respec-

tively. The BMX boys’ threelap race was won by Amaldo Narine. Second was Jerome Stephen and third was Ranella Samuels. Sean Green of the United Kingdom was the winner of the veterans’ over 50 years five-lap race. Second was Shameer Baksh and finishing third was Warren McKay. Linden Blackman won the veterans’ over 50 five-lap race, while Clifford Thom won the veterans’ over-60 years five-lap race. The BMX boys 6-9 years old two-lap race was won by Jessica Mohabir. Second was John Niles and third was Shay Sue-hang. Simeon Chee won the BMX boys’ 9-12 three-lap race ahead of John Niles and Zab Jamon respectively, while Adealie Hodge and Taran Garbarran were first and second respectively in the three-lap race for BMX boys 12-14 years old.

ICC names two female umpires for World T20 THE International Cricket Council (ICC) has named two female umpires on a list of 31 match officials for the World Twenty20. Kathleen Cross of New Zealand and Australia’s Claire Polosak are included for the tournament that runs from March 8 to April 3 in India. Cross will make history in the women’s match between Pakistan and Bangladesh on March 16 when she will become the first female umpire to officiate in the World T20 alongside Anil Chaudhary. In 2014, Cross became the first woman to be included in an ICC umpires’ panel after being added to the ICC Associate Affiliate Panel of International Umpires, and she has officiated in three Women’s World Cups.

New Zealand umpire Kathleen Cross

Australia umpire Claire Polosak Polosak is to make her World T20 debut on March 18 when she performs on-field duties with Vineet Kulkarni in the women’s match between New Zealand and Ireland. She made history by being appointed third umpire for the Matador One-Day Cup, becoming the first female to officiate in a List ‘A’ Australia competition. An ICC statement added: “Their appointments in the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2016 comes as the game’s governing body continues to place an important emphasis in recognising that cricket is a game for all, and hopes that this will inspire more women across the globe to become involved in officiating and participating in cricket.”

ICC names two female umpires for World T20 See story on page 39

‘Mankad’ dismissal scripts three-run ––Despite Noble 5-19 win for Demerara U15s See story on page 33

The winning Demerara team pose with GCB officials and representative of the sponsors

Johnson century puts Taylor, Dottin help Windies Jaguars in strong position Women secure series SKIPPER Leon Johnson fashioned his fourth Firstclass hundred and the second of the season to put Guyana Jaguars in a commanding position at the

against Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Beausejour Cricket Ground. Johnson slammed 107, and with his effort the Jaguars closed the day on 310-7, a

LEON JOHNSON

end of day two of the eight round of the WICB Professional Cricket League (PCL) Regional 4-Day game

first innings lead of 94 with three first innings wickets remaining. Raymond Reifer is unbeaten on 27.

Vishaul Singh stroked 58, Assad Fudadin (15), Tagenarine Chanderpaul (46) and Anthony Bramble (4), were the other batsmen dismissed during the second day’s play.(Scores: Volcanoes 216 all out (68.2 overs, Jaguars 310 for 7 (106 overs). Position: Jaguars lead by 94 with three first innings wickets standing Points-todate: Jaguars 6 (3 bowling points + 3 batting points), Volcanoes 3 (1 batting point + 2 bowling points) Meanwhile, scores from the other two games: Barbados Pride replying to Jamaica Scorpions first innings total of 177, were bowled out for 217. Batting a second time Jamaica Scorpions were 22-2 when rain intervened, and Trinidad and Tobago Red Fore were 246-6 at stumps, replying to Leeward Islands Hurricane 225.

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WEST Indies Women narrowed the gap down to four points between themselves and first-place Australia in the ICC Women’s Championship points

the eight-over mark after electing to bat when captain Stafanie Taylor (79) and Deandra Dottin (61) teamed up for a 135-run stand, four short of equaling the West

West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor topscored for her side with 79 off 83 balls.

table after a 57-run win over South Africa Women in East London. The result follows a 15-run win by West Indies at the same venue on February 24 and they’ll seek a series sweep in the final ODI tomorrow. West Indies were 25 for 2 at

Indies Women’s record mark for a third-wicket partnership set by Juliana Nero and Pamela Lavine against Ireland at the 2005 Women’s World Cup. It’s also the sixth-highest partnership overall in West Indies Women’s ODIs and the fifth century stand between

Taylor and Dottin in ODIs. The stand ended on the first ball of the 32nd when Taylor was runout and Dottin perished not long after to end the 34th. Dottin was the first wicket on the day for 20-year-old legspinner Suné Luus, who finished with 3 for 34 as West Indies were eventually bowled out in the last over for 232. South Africa made a bright start to the chase, reaching 85 for 1 in the 22nd over before Shaquana Quintyne sparked a slide by taking the wickets of captain Mignon du Preez and Marizanne Kapp two overs apart. South Africa’s hopes rested on opener Trisha Chetty to carry her team through but she was the fifth wicket to fall for 51, bowled by Anisa Mohammed for 51. South Africa then lost their last five wickets for 40 runs with Hayley Matthews spinning out the tail to end South Africa’s reply for 175 in 45.3 overs. (ESPN Cricinfo).

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2016