Guyana Times Daily

ANSA McAL says losing millions to fake products

ANSA McAL Trading Limited is experiencing a drop in sales due to the increasing presence of counterfeit products in the Guyana market.

On Tuesday, the company confirmed that millions are being lost, while the health of Guyanese is at risk. ANSA McAL Managing Director Beverley Harper disclosed that there has been a 15% drop in sales for Proctor and Gamble products, primarily Head and Shoulders, Pantene and Olay due to the increasing circulation of the counterfeit goods. ANSA McAL is the authorised distribu-

tor in Guyana for Proctor and Gamble, Heineken and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Novartis, Alcon and Grace Kennedy products under various bands.

Harper said the shortfall in sales was linked to the illegal products, after the issue was brought to the company’s attention by the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department. Based on a request by the Food and Drug Department, the bogus products were sent to Proctor and Gamble in March when a series of tests were executed to confirm or negate whether the products were legitimate. Based on the tests and

observations conducted, it was discovered that small but important details were missing, although the original and counterfeit products appear identical. The batch production code is always printed on the back of each bottle, but this important feature is missing from the bogus Head and Shoulders product. Additionally, a test was conducted to determine whether Pyrithione zinc (ZPT) was present. Pyrithione zinc is an important ingredient in Head and Shoulders required to fight off dandruff.

“The colour, texture and smell were verified and proved to be different from

the standard by Proctor and Gamble. The test turned out negative, no presence of ZPT in the formula. The original formula turned black due to the presence of ZPT and the same remains the same colour,” Proctor and Gamble explained in a letter which was issued to the press by Harper.

Glaring differences

For the benefit of the press, Harper threw out portions of the original and counterfeit Head and Shoulders products in separate transparent glasses and there were glaring differences. The original product when poured out into the glass appeared thick and cream; however, the phony product looked blue and thin.

The ANSA McAL Managing Director said though it might be difficult to detect the original from the phony, consumers must pay careful attention to the particular details highlighted. She is also encouraging consumers who are victims of this act of fraud to report it to the Food and Drug Department if the items are still up for sale by retailers or wholesalers.

She said too that this intrusion into the market has created a dent on the original Head and Shoulders, Olay and Pantene brand, explaining that there is the long term reputation damage to genuine products and trusted brands, but said the Guyanese populace is at risk of hair loss, change in colour or irritation to the face.

“We hope and pray that it is not going to be harmful, because when you mess around with formula and chemicals, you never know whether it would be harmful. Let’s hope that the

worst thing that will happen is that the customer got duped.”

It was also disclosed that the company has experienced a 25% shortfall in the sale of Heineken due to the import and sale of expired Heineken. According to Harper, retailers are now removing the expiry date and selling it to the man in the street. “Unscrupulous people who have no interest in the consumer but have interest in the sale are doing this,” she lamented.

ANSA McAL said products often remain with importers longer than recommended and after becoming aged and expired, these products with questionable ingredients are sold to unsuspecting customers at a heavily discounted price.

maceuticals to improve their health or a shampoo to keep their hair clean.”

Despite the challenges faced, the company said it is determined to raise awareness on the issue by edifying consumers on the dangers of using bogus products. It has vowed to work with the Food and Drug Department and the Guyana Revenue Authority to curtail the selling of these items.

Harper was addressing the press at ANSA McAL Beterverwagting Office in the presence of Proctor and Gamble Divisional Manager Nafeeza Khan-Chand and the Public Relations Officer Darshanie Yussuf. The company has applauded the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department

“What is also disturbing is that there are those who manufacture and distribute counterfeit goods/drugs without any reservations; this shows that apart from ignoring the health risk, they are defrauding consumers, as well as preventing consumers from receiving a safe, effective product that was supposed to help them; whether it be phar-

led by Marlon Cole for its proactive role in combating the invasion of counterfeit products into the Guyana market.

It is unclear how many of these illegal products are in circulation, but based on information, importers and distributors have been named. Investigations are continuing by the food and drug department.

Weather: Thundery showers are expected during the morning with heavy rain showers in the afternoon. Clear skies can be expected in the evening over coastal regions and near inland locations.

Wind: East north-easterly between zero and 5.36 metres per second.

High Tide: 03:53h and 16:19h reaching maximum heights of 2.68 metres and 2.55 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 09:54h and 22:05h reaching minimum heights of 0.53 metre and 0.67 metre respectively.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Kwayana tells CoI…

The PNC orchestrated Rodney’s killing

By Alexis Rodney

Veteran politician and cofounder of the Working People’s Alliance, Eusi Kwayana, on Tuesday told members of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry that the political climate of the 1970s was more of a “closed kind of society developing”, while noting that the People’s National Congress Government was in a state of preparedness for Rodney’s return to Guyana.

The now 89-year-old Kwayana, who travelled from San Diego, California to present his evidence, told the commission that the then PNC Government had already labelled Dr Rodney a “troublemaker”, both in Tanzania and Jamaica, and was somewhat prepared for his re-settling in Guyana. His rejection from the University of Guyana, he said, was therefore no surprise.

He noted that Rodney had already secured the post as head of the History department of the University of Guyana; however, this position was rescinded by the UG council, which according to him, was infiltrated by the ruling administration. The move, however, was not readily accepted by his supporters.

“We didn’t care. We said this is everybody’s business; everybody has children to be educated. This man is an outstanding scholar and teacher and so we began to mobilise and hold public meetings to protest the dismissal of Dr Rodney”.

Kwayana said the action of the WPA had evoked some level of fury from the Government’s side. He cited the participation of the House of Israel organisation which he claimed was the driving force behind the breaking up of many of their rallies. “Our public meetings were attacked and assaulted,” he said.

He pointed out that the issues of the 1970s, including the high presence of the House

of Israel in the capital, was a result of “ethnic insecurities”. Kwayana told the commission that many persons, especially Africans of the lower-income class, found themselves in the clutches of the organisation mainly because they were being starved of attention.

He too, like previous witnesses, zeroed in on the political atmosphere at the time. He spoke of the 1973 election, when the ruling administration had declared that it had won a two thirds majority of the seats in the poll. He said that win was a matter of “selection rather than election”.

“This was really fantastic”, Kwayana told the commission. He continued on the issue, recalling an incident involving People’s Progressive Party member Arnold Rampersaud who was charged with the murder of a Constable Henry on the Corentyne. He said the Government requested that the trial be transferred to Georgetown, since, according to him, the jury would be prejudicial to the state.

He said the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) was formed with persons from different ethnic backgrounds. He noted that the objective at the time of the coalition was to get groups that were part of the 1955 breakaway from the People’s Progressive Party, to be actively involved in a revolu-

tionary process.

He said the party had spoken vociferously on the wrongdoings found in the 1973 general elections. This, he said, was met with great hostility. “I had spoken to the press about the election of 1973 and the Catholic Standard had called it the “Fairy tale Election”.

He noted that the Government, in its hostility was also preventing freedom of speech. “Our Papers, the “Dayclean” was printed in Trinidad and Tobago because no one here would print it. There was a ban on newsprint, so this thing about the right to freedom of expression and those other rights that have to do with communication were against us. No printer would print our papers because they think they would be penalised by the Government,” Kwayana told the inquiry.

Hostility

He spoke too of rallies held by the late founder of the People’s Progressive Party, Dr Cheddi Jagan, that were on many occasions broken up by Government elements. After Dr Rodney’s return to Guyana, Kwayana said, he too had joined with the many that raised their voices in condemnation of the inhumane acts by the leadership of the day. He said too that although many Guyanese had never before met Dr Rodney, he had become quite popular on their lips after he was banned from Jamaica.

However, according to Kwayana, even before Rodney’s return to Guyana, there “were fear and hostility” towards him. “This hostility had begun before that. The Head of Government (Forbes Burnham) did not wait on any of these things to deny Walter Rodney employment at the University of Guyana…. as I am concerned the scene is being set, a scene is being set. Here is a man, a public danger in several countries coming back home to make trouble and if anything happens to him, then you can fill in the rest, fill in the blanks nobody’s business, nobody’s fault”. He said too that the Government of the day had little concern for human life, citing the killings of Father Darke, Government Minister Vincent Tekah, and teenager Keith Caesar.

Kwayana pointed out that although Dr Rodney was of a younger political generation, he was an astounding political educator, and was respected by all Guyanese. He said too that his return to Guyana was highly anticipated, by Guyanese of all racial and social classes.

The Commission of Inquiry continues today when Kwayana will continue his evidence. Also listed to testify during this session, which will last some nine days, are Father Malcolm Rodrigues; former member of the House of Israel Joseph Hamilton; WPA executive member Tacuma Ogunseye and Norman McLean.

Editor: Nigel Williams

Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Reparations in USA

Don Rojas, long time Caribbean activist, reported on the state of the reparations movement in the USA. The progress there should give heart to our local Reparations Committee.

“On April 19, at Chicago State University, Professor Sir Hillary Beckles delivered the keynote speech to hundreds assembled and thousands around the world viewing the live webcast of a reparations rally organised by the Institute of the Black World 21st Century (IBW).

In the late 1990s through the early 2000s, the reparations movement in the United States had generated significant momentum, which came to a head at the UN’s global conference on racism in Durban, South Africa, in the fall of 2001. Shortly thereafter came 9/11 and later, in 2008, the election of Barack Obama as America’s first black President, two seminal events in contemporary US history that considerably slowed that momentum. Now as the Obama era comes to a close and with social and economic conditions in black America stalled, and in many cases receding, the US reparations movement, inspired by what’s happening in the Caribbean, is starting to stir into life again.

Sitting on the Chicago stage listening to Professor Beckles was a stellar row of other speakers, including Minister Louis Farrakhan, Leader of the Nation of Islam and Congressman John Conyers, Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus and author of HR-40, the landmark Reparations Bill he introduced in Congress some 15 years ago.

During his one-hour address, the audience sat in rapt attention, listening to Beckles...articulate a well-documented argument about how Britain and other European countries used slavery to build their empires on the backs of Africans. He noted how British slave ships transported 3.3 million Africans to the plantations in the new world, and discussed how France abolished slavery in 1794, but reinstated it in 1802 after Josephine, a white Creole from Martinique who became Napoleon’s wife and Empress of France, successfully pushed to have France reinstate slavery to assist her family’s failing sugar plantation in the Caribbean.

There are plenty of historical precedents for reparations to ‘repair the damages’ done as a consequence of crimes against humanity. Like the Jewish Holocaust, African slavery in the Caribbean and the rest of the Americas were also crimes against humanity. In 1945, Israeli authorities made a claim to the four powers occupying post-war Germany regarding compensation and reimbursement, based on the fact that Israel had absorbed and resettled 500,000 Holocaust survivors. They calculated that since absorption had cost US$3000 per person (almost US$27,000 in today’s dollars), they were owed US$1.5 billion (some US$13.4 billion in today’s dollars) by Germany.

Following negotiations, an agreement was signed by West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett and World Jewish Congress President Nahum Goldmann on September 10, 1952, in the town hall of Luxembourg. The German Parliament (Bundestag) passed the agreement on March 18, 1953, by a large majority, 239 for and 35 against.

Reparations for centuries of brutal oppression and exploitation of enslaved African people, in the Americas, is undoubtedly one of the great moral imperatives of the day. It is inextricably connected to growing income and wealth inequality in the United States, the Caribbean and other parts of the Americas that President Obama has famously described as the ‘defining challenge of our time’.

The so-called pragmatists who argue that the question of reparations is impractical, unachievable, utopian, a waste of time and energy are those who are ignorant of the moral power of a cause whose time has come. In the United States, a revitalised reparations campaign can and must become a critical component of the civil and human rights movements of the 21st century.

Like its counterpart in the Caribbean, the US reparations movement is not a thing of the past. It is about historical justice for today and tomorrow, and until justice is done reparations will always be relevant, will always be a struggle to right the wrongs of a tortured past.”

HIV in the Caribbean: science, rights and justice

Dear Editor,

Recently, the discussion on HIV has been a mix of the selective review of scientific evidence, comments on an administrative procedure at the regional university, and perceptions on the existence of agendas that seek either to change or hold back Caribbean societies. Lost in this debate is a Caribbean reality. At the end of 2012, UNAIDS estimated that there were 260,000 people living with HIV in the region. In many countries, approximately one in three new cases is among men who have sex with men. How do we deal with this as we work to end the epidemic in the Caribbean?

First we must recognise that HIV is a virus, not a crime. Laws that criminalise being HIV positive, sexual behaviours such as anal sex or sexual orientation, make it difficult to mount an effective HIV response. Persons who know their sexual behaviour or orientations are illegal are less likely either to go to health services or to speak openly about their sexual behaviour while there, thus limiting their treatment options and prevention efforts.

A soon to be released UNAIDS Internet survey of more than 3500 men who have sex with men across the Caribbean, the CARIMIS study, shows that about two in three men who got a negative HIV test result from the private or public health sector, did not talk to their doctors about their sex with men. Our laws should help

create an environment in which there is no impediment to delivering targeted prevention and treatment services to a population particularly affected by HIV. There is consensus around this among leaders of the region’s HIV response. Over the last 10 years, under the umbrella of the Pan Caribbean Partnership against AIDS (PANCAP), civil society, national AIDS responses and international partners have supported the goal of removing laws that criminalise sexual orientations and behaviours. The 2008-2012 Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework reinforced this target. This is a regional goal and a global one. It is one of the key steps that must be taken to end AIDS.

Second, we must remember that stigma and discrimination still exist. It is not only the law that complicates people’s lives; it is the prejudice that the law codifies and reinforces. The UNAIDS CARIMIS study shows that within the month before responding to the survey, almost a quarter of the men were verbally abused because of their same sex attraction. Recent surveys of doctors and nurses in two Caribbean countries show that approximately 25 per cent reported seeing HIV positive persons receiving low quality medical treatment and about 10 per cent would rather not provide services to men who have sex with men. These workers had been trained. They had the clinical knowledge.

What they did not have was the ability to overcome their prejudices. Until we overcome prejudice, people will not seek services and we will see a steady rise in new cases. Sexual behaviour and sexual orientation exist in a social context in which prejudice, stigma and the fear of violence influence the behaviour of both those who seek health services and the medical professionals who offer those services. That’s why removing criminal laws against consensual same sex sexual conduct cannot be a stand-alone strategy.

UNAIDS urges all governments to implement laws to protect men who have sex with men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people from violence and discrimination; to address homophobia and transphobia through public education campaigns; and to ensure that adequate health services are provided to address their needs.

UNAIDS stands for all those living with or vulnerable to HIV, regardless of their social or legal status.

Finally, we must ensure the rights of all Caribbean citizens. Caribbean history is one of a struggle to ensure the inclusion of all citizens, against a backdrop of exclusions based on race, class, ethnicity and colour. The individuals who stood for the rights that we now enjoy were called names, jailed, beaten and killed. Today, those who stand up for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered citizens are labelled

as supporting a “gay agenda”. There is no gay agenda. There is a human rights agenda which seeks to ensure that all Caribbean citizens are treated with respect and dignity. Every individual should benefit from HIV prevention, treatment, care and support and all people should have the same human rights everywhere.

All rights are coupled with responsibility. Freedom of expression carries the burden of responsibility for the consequences of one’s speech. In Belize, Mr Caleb Orozco, the young man who asked the court to determine whether the sodomy law violated his constitutional rights, faced verbal abuse, physical violence and death threats. The recent media coverage has led to increased threats against him.

The voices speaking for the removal of punitive and discriminatory laws are women, adolescents, gay men, public health professionals, human rights supporters, researchers, leaders in the regional HIV response, priests, pundits, and imams. These are people from different walks of life, with differing backgrounds and beliefs, united against prejudice. This is what standing up for justice and freedom should be about. This is what will be required if we are to end AIDS and leave no Caribbean citizen behind.

Yours sincerely, Dr Ernest Massiah UNAIDS Caribbean Regional Support Team Director

The

combined

Opposition is using its

one seat majority to create mayhem

Dear Editor,

The PPP/C, under the leadership of Dr Cheddi Jagan, made a sterling contribution to those struggles especially in the decades prior to the winning of independence. While the PPP focused on the main task of winning freedom, it had to also struggle against many forms of political opportunism and those who wanted to derail the process. It was a long and bitter struggle against reactionary forces, both at home and abroad, for political independence.

Independence, for the PPP/C, was a victory and a stepping stone towards the achievement of an indepen-

dent, prosperous Guyana. That vision was, however, shared by the PNC/UF coalition which was in power in 1966.

Though the PPP was the leading political force in the country at the time, local and foreign forces conspired to keep it out of power. The 1964 elections saw the PPP gaining more seats than all the other parties but the People’s National Congress and the United Force joined forces to form the Government.

The then Government honeymooned with all sorts of reactionary forces, including the British and American governments.

These two countries had a long history of interfering, at intervals, in the internal affairs of Guyana, including the removal of the PPP/C earlier from office, though it was constitutionally elected.

The honeymoon period, however, soon came to an end. The PNC under Forbes Burnham dumped the UF and went on its own path of co-operative socialism. To stay in power it blatantly rigged elections and brought destruction and decay in all areas of social, economic and political life.

The struggle against the PNC dictatorship to bring back the nation on track was also long and bitter. It was

a period of total violation of civil, political and human rights.

It was a period of brutal suppression of the political Opposition when death, imprisonment and torture of Opposition Politicians were the norm. It was in that period Dr Walter Rodney was killed. That dark period came to an end in 1992 when the vast majority of Guyanese and, some foreign forces that initially backed the PNC, demanded free and fair elections.

Sincerely

Vickram Bharat PPP/C, Freedom House

The central banks would start stockpiling gold once again

Dear Editor, I was asked by a very important person of this country to give a view on the versatility and expectations of gold on the market. I was hesitant but he insisted. I said to him that even my guru, the maestro, the scholar on trade and economics, the man who earned quarter of a million US dollars for a one and a quarter hour speech to a business forum in Toronto, Canada, cannot make an assertive prediction.

As a matter of fact, the economic genius, the world’s brightest brain on financial matters – Mr Ben Bernanke said, “Gold is an unpredictable commodity”, you may have indicators, but nothing is conclusive and no one can make a perfect prediction.

With my limited knowledge of the commodity, I will look at some of the indicators concerning this amazing product, “gold”.

The US Federal Reserves have cut back in its money printing programme. The world’s biggest economy (United States of America) states that its official national debt is close to 18 trillion US dollars, with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and now Obama Care; the debt is close to 200 trillion US dollars.

The Japanese national debt just hit one quadrillion yuan. Many countries in the Eurozone are drowning under debt as the European Central Bank recently started talking about printing more money to get the Eurozone out of this mess.

Narendra Modi, the newly democratically elected Prime Minister of India, is a pro-business leader and will embark to implement a wide range of economic reforms. Analysts believe that the new Government of India may ease several restrictions on gold imported into India. This will certainly cause a new wave of increased demand for gold into India.

As the conflict in Ukraine continues, another un-con-

servative move by President Putin was an order to Moscow not to supply gas to other European countries through Ukraine. If Ukraine does not pay their debt of three and a half billion dollars by June 1, this is an indirect threat to the European Union and from all indications Kiev cannot settle that huge debt.

For decades, Russia has been trading their gas, oil and petroleum products for US dollars, but because of the sanctions imposed by the West and Europe Union to Russia; gas, oil and petroleum products coming out of Russia are now being traded for other currencies.

In addition, President Putin is of the view that the US dollar will lose its status as the world reserve currency; while most of the Western central banks and the Bank of Japan continue to develop their respective currencies. We can predict an intensified currency war in the near future.

Iran and China have al-

ready consented and started to use other currencies and to accumulate more gold for its national reserves. The geopolitical tension around the Middle-East and the Balkans are intensifying with no political solution in sight and inflation will soon be a major global issue as the world economies remain in crises.

The leading banks, Federal Reserves, Bank of England and Bank De France have confirmed that they have leased their gold on the market and once these leases mature, they would not be rolled over.

From this statement one can draw a logical conclusion that the central banks would start stock piling gold once again; thus increasing the demand and pushing the stock market price up sometime in the future.

The prudent minority would not be beguiled into holding paper currency; rather they will diversify into hard assets, such as gold and silver. Once this time emerg-

Granger and Harmon

Dear Editor,

The two men at the top of APNU are David Granger and Joseph Harmon. It was Harmon who suggested to Granger that he should “go for it” meaning to be leader of the PNC and its presidential candidate. These two men go back a far way. They have secrets for each other.

One was, however, smarter and more political than the other, and that explains why one became a Brigadier and the other a Lieutenant Colonel. It is a mutual interest that endured over the years.

gence strongmen of the hated and despised PNC; one of whom is now the leader and the other the co-leader.

One is chomping at the bit to be President, while the other is ruminating in the grasses of prime ministerial pastures. Readers must take note of this frightening possibility and decide whether their assumption to office will be good for Guyana.

es investors’ from every corner of the world will flock to buy gold causing an increase in demand.

This will have the potential to push the commodity to new heights, never seen before, but for the moment gold is expected to trade sideways. I am very bullish on gold.

Respectfully,

Nazar Mohamed

Granger and Harmon were the two soulmates who watched over the security interest of the dictatorial PNC during the dark, oppressive and repressive days of the 1979 to 1985 period. Together, based on intelligence generated by local operatives at the political, civilian, Police and military levels, they worked overtime against the political Opposition to ensure that the old and tottering political order upheld by the PNC was kept intact for as long as possible.

These two political neophytes, no doubt afflicted by red carpet fever, are now feeding at the trough of political power. Their aspiring to political power is indeed a frightening proposition. Here you have before your very eyes two former military intelli-

The strategic objective of this gang of two is to put into practice their anti-people, anti-democratic intelligence techniques. No one should be fooled. The gang of two is the same two who call the shots in the APNU. Forget Amna Ally, she’s just a tool to get things done. The other APNU constituents are merely baggage to create the mirage of a united front. Whatever the behaviour of the APNU in or out of Parliament, it is Granger and Harmon who decide.

Therefore, the behaviour of APNU in Parliament is basically the handiwork of Granger and Harmon which they sold to the other inmates of APNU to execute. Thus, it is clear for all to see that Granger and Harmon are high political risks, if not a political disaster in the making for Guyana.

The public must take note and be warned.

Yours sincerely, Dexter Glasgow

Page Foundation

BY MARILYN PRICE-MITCHELL PHD

Learning from mistakes: Helping children see the good side of getting things wrong Importance of parental affection

Adults understand that making mistakes is part of life. What’s important is how we learn from them. Yet, many children are growing up in a society that pressures them to be perfect – to get the highest SAT scores, to land prized scholarships, to get into the best universities. Some parents correct or complete children’s homework to get them a better grade. So how does all this focus on testing and perfection affect children's learning? And how can we help them learn from mistakes?

I recently came across an article in Scientific American, Getting it Wrong: Surprising Tips on How to Learn that supports a number of learning and developmental theories. Historically, many educators have created conditions for learning that do not encourage errors. And parents have followed suit. For example, if we drill children over and over again with the same math problem, they will eventually remember the answer. And if they are lucky, they will remember the answer on a standardised test.

This approach to learning assumes that if students are allowed to make mistakes, they will not learn the correct information. However, recent research shows this to be an incorrect assumption. In fact, studies have found that learning is enhanced when children make mistakes!

Whether it involves homework, developing friendships, or playing soccer, learning is enriched through error. Learning from mistakes is part of how children are challenged to learn to do things differently. It motivates them to try new approaches.

Carol Dweck, a Professor at Stanford, studies the importance of challenging children, even if they get things wrong. Her research shows that praising children for their intelligence can actually make them less likely to persist in the face of challenge. She and her col-

leagues followed hundreds of fifth grade children in New York City schools. One group was praised for their intelligence while the other group was praised for their effort.

When the fifth graders were challenged with an extremely difficult test designed for eighth graders, a surprising result occurred. The students who had been praised for their effort worked very hard, even though they made a lot

of mistakes. The children praised for being smart became discouraged and saw their mistakes as a sign of failure. Intelligence testing for the children praised for their effort increased by 30 per cent while the children praised for their intelligence dropped by 20 per cent.

I’ve written before about the value of specific rather than general praise in relation to developing character strengths. It’s the same concept – and an important one.

Expressing unconditional love

I will never forget a parenting meeting I facilitated when my daughter was in eighth grade. One father in the group, a business executive with Microsoft, asked the other parents, “How do I let

my daughter know that I still love her even if she makes mistakes?” There was a brief silence. Then someone said, “Have you ever told her?” Another silence. Then tears came to this father’s eyes. “No,” he said, “I haven’t. But I will now.”

That moment of simple realisation was profound for all of us. Do our children really feel that our love is dependent upon being a perfect student? I’m sure we all went home and reinforced this message of love to our children – just in case it wasn’t already loud and clear!

Children make many kinds of mistakes – some are simple and some are more complex. For example, some mistakes, like forgetting a homework assignment or not studying for an important test, have expected consequences. Others, like lying, cheating, or actions that negatively affect friendships, have more complicated causes and are more complex to remedy. But all mistakes contain seeds of learning.

Learning from mistakes – parenting guidelines that foster positive youth development

* Acknowledge that you don’t expect them to be perfect.

* Let them know your love is unconditional, regardless of their mistakes or lapses in judgment.

* Don’t rescue children from their mistakes. Instead, focus on the solution.

* Provide examples of your own mistakes, the consequences, and how you learned from them.

* Encourage them to take responsibility for their mistakes and not blame others.

* Avoid pointing out their past mistakes. Instead, focus on the one at hand.

* Praise them for their ability to admit their mistakes.

* Praise them for their efforts and courage to overcome setbacks.

* Mentor them on how to apologise when their mistakes have hurt others.

* Help them look at the good side of getting things wrong! (Roots of Action)

BY BRIDGET COILA

Picking up and cuddling a baby or young child isn’t just a sweet gesture; it’s also an important contributor to the mental, social, emotional and physical health of the child. A lack of parental affection can affect everything from how early the child starts puberty to her emotional stability as an adult, and the effects can persist throughout a person’s entire life.

Showing affection in infancy

In infancy, skin-to-skin contact is essential for proper mental development, according to developmental psychology researcher Ann Bigelow. Newborns who get this type of affection are calmer and sleep better than those who don’t. They also develop the ability to recognise caregivers earlier than touch-deprived babies do, which makes the overall bond stronger.

Long-term mental health

A study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Health in 2010 found that babies who received more maternal affection at eight months old were more emotionally resilient as adults. In particular, these adults had much lower levels of anxiety than their peers who had received less affection as babies. Stress hormones, such as cortisol, may be to blame for this effect. Children who receive plenty of affection have lower cortisol levels well into adulthood. While the study specifically looked at the interaction between mothers and babies, affection from fathers and other caregivers also contributes to more balanced cortisol levels, according to research published in 2011 in the journal “Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.” However, these researchers also cautioned that when affectionate parents become overly protective, this can also increase cortisol levels in the child.

Physical development

Studies done in the 1990s on Romanian orphans who received little to no affection from orphanage personnel indicate that a lack of affection from caregivers in early childhood can stunt a child’s physical growth as well as his emotional development. These orphans, who were almost completely denied affection during their early years, were on average much shorter and weighed much less than their peers. Affection from parents can also affect the timing of puberty: a 1999 study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that girls who had experienced higher levels of motherdaughter affection or fatherdaughter affection started puberty later than girls who were deprived of this affection.

Considerations

Parental affection comes in many forms. Parents can offer plenty of hugs, kisses and cuddles to young children, and babies may benefit from infant massage or being carried and held frequently. Physical affection is a necessary component, but positive verbal statements and expressions of love are also part of an affectionate home life throughout your child’s development. (everydaylife. globalpost.com)

Tuschen gets $98.8M nursery school

– through Govt and CDB funding

Residents of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo and surrounding communities on Tuesday welcomed the commissioning of a spanking new, stateof-the-art nursery school built at a cost of $98.8 million. Architecturally, the building is the first of its kind in the country, built specifically with all the necessary amenities to accommodate nursery-age children.

Funding for the school was made possible through the Caribbean Development Bank’s Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF). Prior to the construction of this school, nursery-age children were housed at the Tuschen Primary School. The school

commissioning ceremony were Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Denzil Douglas; Minister within Guyana’s Finance Ministry, Juan Edghill; CDB President, Dr William Warren Smith, and members of the bank’s Board of Governors.

Delivering the feature address, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds said education and training is the way to greater production and productivity and will no doubt result in people becoming better citizens. He said that from very early on, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Administration recognised this and committed to ensuring that education and training remain its

together much better than when we started off; there has been a steady increase in expenditure… we have made great progress in this area,” the Prime Minister said. He noted that while the Government recognises the need to grant assistance to other vulnerable groups, such as old age pensioners and other dependent groups, the way to overcome poverty is to make people more productive. This, he said, can only be done through education and training.

Investing in young people

Similar sentiments were expressed by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh who said there is no more

pressing fiscal challenges, the Government has persevered with mission-like zeal in increasing investment every year in the social sector, particularly education, which receives the largest single allocation in the national budget. This level of investment has enabled the country to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of universal access to primary education, and is well on its way to achieving universal secondary education.

“These are not investments whose returns we will see immediately, but they are investments that are absolutely critical and unavoidable if the longterm future of Guyana is

currently has an enrolment of 180 students.

Also present at the

most important goal.

“Today, the quality of our school buildings is al-

important an investment to be made than that in young people. As such, despite

to be protected and preserved… our Government’s commitment to the people of Guyana is to continue to invest in the education of the young people of our country so that they individually can be assured of brighter prospects,” Minister Singh posited.

Meanwhile, Dr Smith was quoted by the Government Information Agency (GINA) as saying, “We at the CDB have made the education of our people a priority for our institution; all of the evidence suggest that in the Caribbean there is no other investment that provides enduring benefits for our people, like education. It is the principal vehicle through which the cycle of generational poverty is most effectively broken.”

The facility represents a major improvement over

the previous school arrangements where children of nursery school-age shared facilities with older children. It is completed with nine classrooms fully furnished with indoor and outdoor assets; including a staffroom, food preparation area, parents’ waiting room, water storage facilities, open multi-purpose space with carpet for playing, administration area, sanitary blocks, and storage space.

“CDB is a firm supporter of projects that uplift our people; we like to associate our brand with projects like this one, which promises recurring benefits to the community for years to come…we are extremely pleased to be part of the regional thrust to set both our boys and our girls on the path to realising their full potential by exposing them to early childhood education,” he said.

Man drinks poison after former spouse files restraining order

A33-year-old man is now hospitalised after he consumed a poisonous substance moments before making a court appearance with regard to a restraining order that was filed against him.

Shannon Hooper is in critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital; however, be-

cause he is conscious, he is in the Male Medical Ward. Doctors at the institution believe that the man might have drunk a mixture of two agro-chemicals. However, persons close to Hooper claim that he drank Gramoxone.

Guyana Times understands that Hooper was appearing in Court

Three of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after his former partner, Hyacinth Ellis, filed a restraining order against him.

He was also taken to court for child support. Ellis told this newspaper that Hooper had threatened to kill her before and had recently served a sentence for domestic violence.

According to Ellis, on the day in question, they were both in Court Three when they had to leave the courtroom for an in-camera matter. She recalled that while outside, Hooper approached her and asked her why she had to take him to court for child support when he helps to maintain their 18-monthold daughter.

continues on page 9

Relatives confirm slain man is “Satan Ambassador”

The identity of the man whose body was found on Saturday evening on the Eccles Access Road, East Bank Demerara, has been confirmed as wanted man Rawle Newton, also called “Satan Ambassador”.

On Monday morning, relatives of the dead man positively identified his body in the presence of Police at the Lyken Funeral Parlour. Newton’s body was found around 22:30h on Saturday by a Police patrol.

His body reportedly bore a gunshot wound. The body was unidentified until Monday when it was revealed that it bore a tattoo with the words “Satan Ambassador”. Police then suspected the body to be that of the wanted man.

Guyana Times understands that relatives had turned up at the parlour on Monday to identify the body. However, they were told that they had to get an officer from Brickdam Police Station to identi-

fy the body, so they said that they would return on Tuesday.

This newspaper spoke to the sister of the dead man who claimed to know the identity of her brother’s killer is. She revealed that he was getting death threats while in prison and so when he came out, he had to go into hiding for his safety. The family was very tight-lipped about the events leading up to her brother’s death.

The woman vented her

anger over claims that the Police had hinted her brother was a criminal and no investigation would be conducted. The Police had issued a wanted bulletin for Newton, 27, of Lot 119 Caesar Street, Agricola, and Lot 35 Princes Street, Lodge, Georgetown, in February last for questioning in connection with an armed robbery.

Fugitive

Additionally, Newton was charged in 2010 for the murders of two gold dealers, Jagnarine Raghubir and Ramdeo Deonarine. He was charged alongside with an ex-soldier for the double murder. Several other persons were charged for aiding and abetting him and receiving stolen cash and jewellery.

The bodies of the two gold dealers were found in a house in Bartica and millions of dollars along with a large quantity of gold were missing. Newton, along with another person was

apprehended, after they went on a shopping spree after the murders. The men had even offered financial enticements to investigating officers.

Newton was subsequently charged at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court, but was later acquitted earlier this year of the double murder charges. In February, the Police had issued a wanted bulletin for the man in relation to a robbery in Recht-Door-Zee, Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara. The bulletin was issued some three weeks after the man was released from prison.

Newton had been released from prison just three weeks prior to that robbery. The murder case had collapsed after several witnesses failed to appear before the Magistrate at Bartica.

The body of the 27-yearold man remains at the parlour awaiting a post-mortem examination, which will be conducted today.

Eyew tness

Hustling...

...for election bucks

Well, its got to be true – the PNC thinks there’ll be general elections soon. We got a whiff of this thinking when they decided to sell two acres of their sacred Congress Place. The PNC’s not about to rip up threaders from their front stairs just to use for firewood to cook their supper, yes? They want that money for something big. Big like elections.

The other foot just dropped on that issue. Imagine, on Independence Day, PNC’s David Granger was in New York scrounging for money. Not just any part of New York – Queens, New York!!! In case you’ve been doing the Rip Van Winkle thing, Queens is where the PPP/C usually fills their coffers to overflowing, come elections time. Money flowing in the streets and all that.

Last go around, the AFC didn’t do too badly over there...trouble was, that most of the moolah ended up in “you know who’s” pockets. Yep! The same fella who just can’t get his head out of the bottle. It’s a shad, shad story. News came via a letter from Malcolm Harripaul – but the Muckraker carried it as a front page headline complete with pictures and everything. Poor fella... got to toe the line for Granger and the Opposition –even though the President helped him with his sweetie factory. So he says.

Anyhow, back to the panhandling Granger. Seems he was hosted by the taxi driver from the Bronx, Mike Persaud who (in his own words) Corbin once threw out on his ear from Congress Place. As we all know from his frequent and prolix letters in the press – Mike has the solution to all of Guyana’s political problems. And it’s so simple, he just can’t understand why no one’s listening to him. Especially Corbin.

Mike first asks, “Everyone votes race, in Guyana, right”. OK...let’s all nod. And the two parties represent the two major races, right? Nods all around? And now for his solution for which Corbin gave him the bum’s rush for his troubles. “The PPP/C should put an African Guyanese as their presidential candidate and the PNC, an Indian one...and all will be peace and love and joy henceforth.” No nods all around?

Well, as we said, Corbin didn’t think much of it also. So we wonder what Granger did? He was in Mike’s house in the Bronx, you know. The Bronx isn’t a place you want to be wandering around in, if your host kicks you out of his dinner party. Remember the movie, Fort Apache!? Let’s just say the Bronx makes Albouystown look like Bel Air.

Harripaul didn’t say how much Granger collected. Pity! Maybe they wouldn’t have to hock Congress Place. There’s already more than enough homeless around.

...and eye pass

Last week, Pressie went to the opening of the MuckrakerKN owner’s new sweetie factory. A lot of eyebrows were raised – including those of this Eyewitness. After all, the Muckraker had been accusing Pressie of every weakness under the sun...and then some. He had his hatchet man insulting Pressie every day, of being “ignorant”. As they say in Wakenaam, which is where Mook Lall is from – there was so much cussing out of Pressie that “wata na deh fuh wash am”.

But here was Pressie, on the front page of the Muckraker allowing himself to be lectured by the Mook. Now there were hundreds of pictures taken of that day at the sweetie factory. Why was that picture chosen?

Because the Mook wants to show Pressie has to listen to him.

...and even more eye pass

But that wasn’t the end. After the sweetie factory opening, the Mook had this to say of Pressie: “Three years ago, we took a man with no brains, no heart, and no balls and made him President.” When will Pressie realise that ‘all skin teeth, na laugh’.

And while the Mook might be his friend, he has to protect the dignity of the office.

PSC concerned about crime rate

…says business sluggish for first quarter of year

By GaBreila Patram

Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Ramesh Persaud said that the body is very concerned about the rise in criminal violence here, especially attacks on businesses and is calling on the Guyana Police Force to increase its surveillance

Persaud made the comments during an exclusive interview with this newspaper on Tuesday, pointing out that the commission has noted the increased incidence of robbery and murders. He said too that the commission was made aware by their members that they have had to invest a lot of money in security, especially for the protection of their businesses, family and customers.

Persaud added that the commission has since engaged the Force in talks, to see how they could assist in helping the force to reduce the crime rate to a manageable level. Persaud stated that they have been paying keening attention to this sector and hopes that there will be some form of relief to businesses and the country as a whole. He also stated that his heart goes out to family members who have lost loved ones through crime.

Back in March the Guyana Police Force had reported that there were a total of 923 cases of serious crimes between January and March. Some of the offences monitored are murder, robbery under arms, robbery with violence, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape and kidnapping. At the end of March there were 37 murders in comparison to 27 murders for the same period in 2013, a 37 percent increase. Of the 37 murders at the end of March 2014, five were of the disorderly type, seven were committed during armed robberies, one was execution type, 10 were domestic related,

while the other 14 are so far undetermined. Additionally, at the end of March 2014, robbery under arms overall increased by 21%, with 285 reports compared to 235 for the same period in 2013. The statistics indicate an increase of 38% in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms; and a four per cent decrease in armed robberies where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators.

Slow business

Meanwhile, the PSC Chairman disclosed that business has been slow for the first quarter of the year. “Business had been a bit slow for this first part of the year and ... the recent drop in the declaration of gold has made it a bit worst for some of our members” Persaud stated. He also highlighted that the're are many other issues affecting business, such as the stalemate in the passage of the Anti Money Laundering Bill. “What we have found is that a lot of investors are not investing like we want them to because they are afraid of the consequences that might happen if this bill is not passed,” Persaud stated. He added that even though “we do not know

what will happen, investors have lowered their investing line in Guyana.” “They are not investing in stocks or bringing in items like before, because of the amount of paperwork they have to fill out now due to the tightening of security around the world when it comes to the country of Guyana” the PSC Chairman stated. “A bill of this nature should never be up for bargaining; this is a bill that affects the lives of every Guyanese now and in the future; and more so the consequences of not passing this bill will have serious ef-

fects on the country and on private businesses, Persaud told Guyana Times

Not a front group

Asked to respond to comments that the organisation was seen as too sympathetic to the Government, Persaud noted that the PSC works very professionally with all political parties of Guyana. He explained that most of the policies the PSC wants to have passed have to go through the Government, because they are the head of the country, so by law it has to go through them.

Man drinks poison...

The woman said she then told him that she did what she had to for her safety and he then made a comment about people getting shot.

“When he said that, I asked him if he was threatening me and told him that I was going to tell the Magistrate (Judy Latchman) what he said. He then turn and tell me that he won’t have to go to court and then he walk away and I go back in the court,” she stated.

When the matter was called up, Ellis said the Police Officer went outside to call Hooper, but came back and informed the court

“What I have learned is that it’s better to work with persons than to fight against them; if you say something for the Government you are pro-government, if you say something in support of the Opposition you are for the Government; so what we have found is that commentators looking in will say such things because they do not understand the role of the PSC,” Persaud explained to this publication. He stated that the PSC will continue to work with the political parties to make Guyana better.

From page 8

that the man had drank poison and was vomiting outside. Ellis said she remained in the courtroom out of fear until the man was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital. She added that she then contacted his mother and went to the hospital to see him.

Ellis claimed that during their four-year relationship, she suffered a lot of physical abuse at the hands of Hooper. She disclosed that he had even broken one of her hands and she got back with him, much to the disapproval of her family.

The woman noted that

she could not take the abuse any longer and ended the relationship in December last year.

While at the Georgetown Public Hospital, Hooper’s mother came and blamed Ellis for her son’s condition. Ellis defended herself, saying that she left the man to protect herself as she was not feeling safe around him. “It is unfortunate that it had to come to this, but it’s not my fault. I didn’t tell him to go drink poison, he choose to do that. I did what I had to do to protect myself as a woman and as a mother,” she lamented.

48-year-old charged with murder of former teen lover

The Angoy’s Avenue man who allegedly stabbed the teenaged mother of his child to death was on Tuesday charged with murder.

Forty-eight-year-old Robert Sandy appeared at the New Amsterdam Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Sherdel IsaacsMarcus. When the charge was read to the accused, he remained stoic. It was alleged that he murdered 18-year-old Onicia Greaves of Caracas Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam,

Berbice, on May 20 by intentionally and viciously stabbing her about the body.

Reports are that the teenager suffered nine stab wounds, six to her back, one to the right side of her abdomen, and two near her chest. The post-mortem examination performed by government pathologist, Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan revealed that she suffered shock and haemorrhage due to the wounds and died as a result.

After committing the act, Sandy made good his escape and then allegedly consumed a pesticide. He was hospitalised for a week at the New Amsterdam Hospital. The tragic murder reportedly stemmed from an altercation between Sandy and the deceased.

Reports are that the dead teen had refused to reconcile with her 48-yearold former reputed husband and he refused to accept that she no longer wanted to be in a relationship with him.

He was allegedly overheard by several persons who have since come forward and given statements to Police threatening to kill the teenager and end his life if she refused to continue their relationship. Greaves was the mother of a fourmonth-old daughter.

The defendant has been remanded to prison and is scheduled to make his next court appearance on June 26.

Independence thoughts

Satiricus wondered if he was living in a parallel universe. He’d read all the Independence greetings from the big leaders. “Budday! Is which worlds they livin’ in?” he exclaimed. But then he remembered the story his grandfather used to tell him. Not the one about Little Red Riding Hood. That used to scare him: his grandfather relished playing the role of the big bad wolf. He certainly had the requisite big teeth. Was the story about the six blind men and the elephant.

You know...each of the old codgers felt a different part of the beast and reached a different conclusion. Fella touching the squirmy trunk for example was sure it was an anaconda. A fat anaconda. Satiricus realised, with a start, that the leaders’ messages told more about themselves than about Guyana’s “Independence”.

He wondered what their message would’ve been if they were honest and fell asleep.

From GrainJa:

Fellow Guyanese, I ain’t no spring chicken and time moving much faster than when the Founder Leader pick me from Queens and send me to England for his new army. I serve the Founder Leader well. But when Hyte clean out all the Burnhamites, he pick that National Service boot-licker, Sing-Sing ahead of me to become the big army enchilada.

I serve my time, comrades. Just ignore that pipsqueak GreenBridge and vote for me the next time. We got the numbers now. I know how to make everybody jump. I is the army man and we gon do things the army way. Or is the highway for them.

Field Marshall, GrainJa

From RumJhaat:

Fellow Guyanese, Lemme seh dat on dis Independence Day, me na drink yet. Me wan tell all a yuh something from me heart. Me waan fuh tun President prappa bad. Me ready fuh sacrifice. If me tun President me gon cut down me drinking to one bottle a day. If y’all know me, yuh gon know wha kind a sacrifice ah da.

An me nah gon thief too much...me done full me pocket with foreign donations fuh de party.

Me tank alyou fram de battam ah me heart.

Rum Jhaat

From RupNaRain:

Dear Sisters and Brothers, Comrades.

To be or not to be, that is the question. Well, all of us better “be”, since it’s the first time in years all four of us in the WaPA have gathered in Guyana. You know Elder OooSee, who is the real Black Sage, came back to give evidence about who killed RodKnee. He had been interpellated over in California since 2001 after the bounders of Buxton bounced him out.

I only hope he doesn’t light up a spliff, now he’s sporting with his new Rasta locks and all. Rodee doesn’t groove the California laid back lifestyle. May the force be with you, RupNaRain

Another cutlass found in NA

Ajoint Police/Prison Service operation at the New Amsterdam Prison Tuesday evening unearthed several illegal articles, including an 18-inch cutlass, improvised cellular phone chargers, cellular phone batteries, and improvised weapons.

The search comes in the wake of an attack on four prisoners by a fellow inmate last Friday which resulted in them being chopped and burnt with a corrosive substance. One prisoner lost four

of his fingers during the attack.

The four were rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital and subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where they remain patients under guard. Investigators are still trying to determine the origin of the cutlass and the improvised weapons which were found during Tuesday’s search.

Charges are expected to be laid against the prisoner who carried out Friday’s attack on the four prisoners.

Prison

Prison authorities are trying to put a stop to illegal activities in the New Amsterdam Prison and have vowed to continue searching the prison regularly.

During 2013, authorities at the prison were plagued with the importation of illegal drugs into the prison. However, several searches and prosecutions of those found with the substance have resulted in a reduction in the frequency with which such items are discovered in the New Amsterdam Prison.

Guyana can tap into Green Climate Fund –

could help region’s renewable energy strategy

Asenior official of the Barbadosbased Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) says the operationalisation of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) will provide an important opportunity for regional countries to not only adapt to climate change but also to mitigate its effects.

Selwin Hart, the Climate Change Finance Advisor with the CDB said the fund could also assist the Caribbean's move towards renewable energy and energy efficiency. “The cost of energy in the Caribbean is the highest in the world. This represents a serious strike on competitiveness, economic growth and job creation and the GCF presents a once in a lifetime opportunity for countries to have a stable source to financing to address the vulnerabilities, both as it relates to importing fossil fuels, as well as the impacts of climate change,” he said.

Hart, who was at the time speaking on a National Communications Network programme, said one of the major problems Caribbean countries faced in the past was the lack of capacity to effectively access and use funds, even when such funds were available. “Many of the requirements for accessing global funds lie outside, off the reach of the many small capacity-constraint countries of the region. You have to undertake a rigorous examination in terms of fiduciary standards and social and

“We hope that the developed countries will be there to provide grants and concessional loans to the fund to enable it to fulfil its mandate in the initial few years… now is the time for action and actual pledging,” Cheikhrouhou said.

In 2009, the initial announcement was made that developed countries will scale up their financial transfers to developing countries to help them cope with climate change. It was envisaged that this process would start with about US$10 billion per year, increasing to about US$100 billion by 2020 and beyond.

GWI to repair Paramakatoi well

… sourcing sealant for non-functional reservoir

The Guyana Water Inc (GWI) said they are in the process of acquiring a sealant to repair the non-functioning reservoir at Paramakatoi, which has been a source of major distress for residents who have had to walk long distances to access potable water.

environmental safeguards,” Hart said.

The CDB, as part of its climate resilient strategy, has been assisting countries to build that capacity. However, in some instances, it is more feasible for that capacity to be built at a regional level, rather than at the level of individual countries.

The Bank has also been tasked by regional heads to lead the resource mobilisation effort on behalf of the region in terms of climate financing. In this regard, the CDB is trying to position itself to serve as a regional financial intermediary. The CDB will undertake the responsibility of meeting the fiduciary standards and social and environmental safeguards and this will assist countries in crafting GCF-ready project proposals. It will also undertake the responsibility to manage projects on behalf of countries of the region.

The GCF will support

projects, programmes, policies and other activities in a developing country using thematic funding windows. It is intended to be the centre piece of efforts to raise climate finance of US$100 billion a year by 2020.

Concessional financing

Meanwhile, also speaking on the programme was Executive Director from the GCF’s Secretariat Hela Cheikhrouhou who said that this is an important development which will put in place a multilateral financing institution that is focused on providing concessional financing to both private and public sector beneficiaries in developing countries. This will help them to invest in low emission and climate resilient development (cleaner technologies for producing in their economies and for transportation), and to be able to better adapt to changes in the climate that are already being experienced.

The GCF was structured to act as one of the main conduits for these resources, and today it is ready now that all of the requirements set out by the board and developed countries have been met. The Executive Director said that from GCF’s engagements with some of the developed countries represented on its board, there is a reasonable level of interest and commitment to come through with financial contributions, even though several of them are still recovering from the global financial crisis. She said that while developed countries are willing to make contributions to developing countries to move to cleaner energy pathways, they will be looking for value for money, in terms of impact. “The GCF has put in place some policies and procedures that make sure that when we are selecting an activity or project for support, its merits are significant,” she said.

Though stressing that the water supply system which serves Paramakatoi is not under its purview, the GWI said it has been assisting the local administration in fixing the problem. The GWI’s statement comes in wake of comments made by the Alliance For Change (AFC) last week calling on the Government to immediately fix the well at Paramakatoi. The AFC said that it had learnt that sometime earlier in the year, the well was damaged and residents had been forced to fetch water on a daily basis to do their household chores. “In the case of the school dormitory, the children there are forced to trudge five gallon bottles of water on their shoulders so that the kitchen can have water to use. The children also have to fetch water for the toilets and other uses.

“At a time when the Government is claiming that it is committed to Amerindian development, it is shameful that the village of Paramakatoi cannot have an operable well. If this is a demonstration of the Government’s level of commitment to the Amerindian people, it leaves much to be desired. The Alliance For Change has often had cause to accuse the Government of victimising the people of Region Eight for the way they voted at the last elections that gave the AFC the majority in the region. This seems to be another such act. The PPP/C Government must behave as Government for all the people and not just their supporters,” the AFC charged. However, in its response, GWI said it does not have a presence in Region Eight and the responsibility for operation and management of the water infrastructure lies with the local authorities.

turn to page 12

This is totally unacceptable,” the AFC said last week at a news conference. The party added that close to two months ago, the Regional Chairman of Region Eight Mark Crawford raised the matter with GWI.

wednesday, may 28, 2014 |

Guyanese observe 48th Independence Anniversary in New York

Hundreds of Guyanese in the Diaspora turned out over the weekend to celebrate Guyana’s 48th Anniversary of Independence in New York.

Many attended church services, parties and even picnics. In New York, a special church service was held in honour of the country at the St Gabriel’s Episcopal Church on Hawthorne Street in Brooklyn.

According to a release, representatives from sev-

eral Guyanese organisations and agencies were very much in attendance.

Apart from the reciting of the National Pledge and the singing of the National Anthem, a special message from President Donald Ramotar was show on large television monitors located throughout the church.

During the service also, a brief history of Guyana was read to the largely mixed (Caribbean) congregation by Ann Chance.

Following the church

service, a fabulous Guyanese brunch was served in the Golden Hall of the Church. Several Guyanese also travelled to Atlanta, Georgia for their annual pilgrimage to that state’s Peach Carnival. As usual, Guyanese from different parts of North America also converged in Atlanta for “Memorial Day” celebrations with parties, picnics and games, all in honour of the nation’s fallen soldiers.

The tight power supply schedule to Mahdia and other surrounding communities in Region Eight is expected to improve, as the new generator purchased by Government to address the problem is now installed and will become operational very soon.

Regional Executive Officer (REO) Ronald Harsaywack informed residents over the weekend that the new generating set that was procured at a cost of $85 million has been installed, and will be tested over the next few days, before coming into full operation.

Residents have been affected by severe rationing of electricity in Mahdia, reducing their power supply from 24 hours to 12 hours. Harsaywack explained that this was due to Mahdia Power and Light’s shortfall as a result of limited re-

sources. He explained that the operational cost of the Mahdia Power and Light has for long, far exceeded the revenue accrued. The company does not have enough customers on the power grid to get enough revenue so as to generate 24 hours of electricity. Harsaywack explained that there are just about 500 customers on the grid and about 85 do not pay for their power generation, for the reason that the first 15 kilowatts of power is free.

Harsaywack said that there is also the issue of many of the big businesses in Mahdia and Campbelltown not paying their electricity bills on time, which causes constraints when the power company has to buy fuel and there is not enough money to do so. The issue of fuel was also brought to the fore, since the power company has a 750kva generating set,

but only utilises roughly 250 kva. In essence, the set is too large for the small customer base and the main reason why Government would have invested in a smaller generating set to meet the needs of residents. This would allow for the consumption of less fuel and by extension, less overhead cost for the Mahdia Power and Light, while at the same time, providing more hours of electricity generation to the residents, Harsaywack said.

The REO met with residents of Campbelltown and Princeville over the weekend, in the company of the Local Government and Regional Development Minister Norman Whittaker, where they heard the concerns of residents as part of Government’s focus on reaching out to residents on issues of community and national development.

GRC distributes over $2.5M in aid to Annai children

In observance of the Guyana Relief Council’s (GRC) 20th anniversary –which was during the month of February – Chairperson of the organisation, Yvonne Hinds over the weekend visited Annai, Region Nine where she distributed school supplies and other items to students of the Annai Primary and Nursery schools, as well as other residents of the community.

The GRC since its establishment has proven to be an important support to the functioning of the social fabric of the Guyanese society. Hinds stated that the activity was in keeping with the council 20th anniversary. She noted that it’s always a joy to bring goodies to the children of Annai. She explained too that the council has a very deep relationship with the community.

The teachers of the school who declined to give their names stated that they were very happy to have received the items; the teachers were also beneficiaries of this project. They continued by saying that sometimes the children’s parents find it very difficult to afford the simplest of necessities for their them and so when donations like these come, they are extremely grateful for the items.

Speaking on behalf of the Annai Nursery School was little Lewis who confidently said “thank you, GRC, for the stuff”, which aroused applause from persons present in the school.

Meanwhile, with respect to the primary school, they also received the same care packages. One of the teachers, Ms Lewis in tears explained to Guyana Times that she has a heart for teaching and sometimes she wishes

she can do more for her students because she sees needs and her heart goes out to them.

Speaking on behalf of the Annai Primary, Ms Lewis thanked the GRC and expressed hope that such a venture would happen again. The event saw the bonding of the council’s members, recognising each other’s

strengths and weaknesses.

The organisation carries the responsibility of bringing temporary relief, and where appropriate, rehabilitation to persons affected by disasters of any kind, and to those who are otherwise in need of urgent assistance in any part of the country. The GRC also focuses on disadvantaged groups and others who, as a result of some natural or social phenomenon, seek the support and solace of the larger society.

GWI to repair...

The company noted that after being contacted about the water disruptions affecting the community approximately one month ago, it dispatched a team, led by Capital Investment and Planning (CIP) Director Ramchand Jailal to assess the situation and provide any technical assistance to the local administration.

According to GWI, it was observed that the original system that was constructed was modified by the residents of Paramakatoi because of the dry season being experienced. During GWI’s visit, the release stated that it was observed that the system consisting of a storage reservoir, which receives water from a spring, was operable at the time. The reservoir was 75 per cent filled and supplied water to the community via a photovoltaic pumping system. However, it was ob-

served that the tank was leaking a small amount of water and a sealant was required to repair the leak.

Additionally, GWI said despite the leak on the storage reservoir, the system was fully operational and water was being supplied to the dormitory and other nearby locations, noting that it has images which depict water being accessible at the dormitory and other locations within the community.

According to the GWI CIP Director, it was observed that the spring, which is one of the sources of water supply for the community, had a significantly reduced flow, and this was attributed to the dry season that was being experienced in the region. “The GWI team shared these observations with the local administration and offered to provide any further assistance

needed. Before departure, GWI representatives urged the local administration to contact the utility with any further issues which may require the company’s assistance. Subsequently, a meeting was held with the Toshao of the community in Georgetown and he was advised that a sealant to assist with the repair of the tank is being imported and repair works will be undertaken shortly.”

The water company said it commenced acquisition of the sealant required to repair the reservoir, which could not be sourced locally and will be in a position to dispatch a team to execute the repair works within two weeks. The company said it will continue to provide all assistance necessary to the local administration in an effort to provide improvement to residents of Paramakatoi.

Three Guyanese students to participate in SPISE Programme

The Education Ministry is pleased to announce that three outstanding students: Cecil Cox who topped the Caribbean in the Sciences in 2013; Benedict Sukra; and Lawrence Faria have been accepted to the Programme for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE), which is held on the campus of the UWI, Cave Hill, Barbados.

SPISE is a four-week residential summer programme for Caribbean high school students who are gifted in Science and Engineering, and who are interested in studying and exploring careers in these fields.

During the four weeks, students will be completely immersed (24/7) in university-level calculus, physics, biochemistry, entrepreneurship, Mandarin, one-Caribbean studies, and hands-on projects in robotics and electronics and computer programming.

The three young ambassadors will be exposed and coached by role models from the Diaspora and the Region on career paths and choices, and assisted with their university application packages and internship applications to research centres in the Region and abroad.

The goal is to help address the low numbers of Caribbean students pursuing advanced degrees in science and engineering.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand said she was proud of the students who were selected: “I am extremely proud of the

students who were selected to an academically elite programme and who will be ambassadors of Guyana for their stay there.”

Minister Manickchand also expressed approval of the continuous development of the education sector. “I am pleased that our system has improved so tremendously, evidenced by the fact that our Guyanese boys and girls are repeatedly competing internationally and shining,” the Minister notes.

Visionaries Challenge

This programme, along with the Sagicor Visionaries Challenge (SVC), is one of the initiatives of the Caribbean Science Foundation (CSF) with the long-term goal of helping to diversify the economies of the Region and raising the standard of living of the people by stimulating more technology-based entrepreneurship within the Region.

Key important partners of the CSF are the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, and the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC). SPISE is modelled after the well-known and highly successful Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES) programme.

The SPISE environment discourages rote learning, and teaches students how to focus on understanding and applying the fundamentals to achieve mastery of the material, and thus to be able to solve complex problems. Grades are not emphasised; mastery of the subject is.

SPISE is not a summer camp and is not designed for the average student. The value of teamwork (learned in the hands-on projects) is yet another essential skill that is emphasised, along with proactive time-management skills. Last year, two Guyanese students participated – Janelle Codagan and Vanessa Narine of Queen’s College.

Applicants must be at least 16 years of age but less than 18 years of age on July 1, and should have completed CXC exams or equivalent in Mathematics and

Miners in court for alleged gold heist

Two miners accused of absconding with their employer’s gold were on Tuesday granted bail by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Forty-two-year-old Westley Morham, of Lot 9 Belle Vue Housing Scheme, West Bank Demerara and Royston Herod, of Lot 10 Two Friends, East Coast Demerara, were charged with stealing raw gold from their employer.

Science subjects. The programme culminates with student project competitions in which each student team first gives an oral presentation of their hands-on project before demonstrating the workings of their project. These final competitions are open to the public, and sponsors and parents are encouraged to attend and cheer for their students.

It is anticipated that students who complete the SPISE will attend some of the best science and engineering universities in the world, and join the next generation of science, engineering and business leaders in academia and industry within the Caribbean.

Cox, Sukra, and Faria are expected to commence their training on July 19.

The charge alleged that on April 25, at Anarka Backdam, the defendants stole 20 ounces of raw gold, property of Ivan Wyatt, their employer. Prosecutor Bharrat Mangru objected to bail and stated that the men left Wyatt’s employ unbeknownst to him and had been avoiding Police and as such, they were flight risks. However, bail was granted to them both in the sum of $300,000 and the matter was transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.

may 28, 2014

Copa Airlines announces appointment of Sales and Marketing Manager

The Management of Copa Airlines has announced the appointment of Nadine Oudkerk as the local Sales Manager for Copa Airlines in Guyana. The appointment became effective on May 19.

According to the airline, “Ms Oudkerk is a Guyanese national who brings a wealth of marketing experience to the job. She has been in the marketing and tourism field for more than 10 years and has made significant strides in producing results.

Prior to joining Copa Airlines, she was the Senior Marketing Officer with the Guyana Tourism Authority.”

In the press release issued by the airline, Oudkerk said: “Copa offers an incredible opportunity for the people of Guyana to experience a higher and distinctive level of travel and service. With 69 destinations in 30 countries, Copa’s offers to the market will connect us in ways that were never before possible and at very competitive

prices. I am looking forward to working with this dynamic airline and the passionate team to ensure the success of Copa Airlines in Guyana.” Copa Airlines and Copa Airlines Colombia, subsidiaries of Copa Holdings, are leading Latin American providers of passengers and cargo services. The airlines currently offer service to 69 destinations in 30 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

IPI condemns death threat against Trinidadian journalist

The International Press Institute (IPI) Monday condemned recent threats against Trinidad and Tobago journalist Mark Bassant that led to the reporter leaving the country last week in fear for his life.

“We condemn the threats made against Bassant, which have highlighted the dangers that journalists face when attempting to reveal information that is in the public interest, even in a country like Trinidad and Tobago, where this form of harassment is unusual,” IPI Press Freedom Manager Barbara Trionfi said in a statement.

“We urge the authorities

to fully investigate these threats and bring the perpetrators to justice, thereby ensuring that press freedom in Trinidad and Tobago is upheld and that courageous

Colombian FARC rebels ‘dream of effective peace’

The leader of Colombia’s largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), says his guerrilla group “dreams of an effective peace”.

Speaking in a video message published on the 50th anniversary of the group’s foundation, Timochenko warned that his fighters had not been defeated.

He said that the FARC would never agree to a “humiliating surrender”.

Rebel and Government negotiators have been engaged in peace talks in Havana, Cuba, for the past 18 months.

Rodrigo Londono Echeverri – better known by his nom de guerre, Timochenko – said the FARC had not come to the negotiating table because it had been defeated militarily.

“We’re in Havana because we dream of an effective peace,” he said. But he also warned that “after 50 years of incorruptible battle, we will continue to fight as long as it takes if the oligarchy again insists on impeding peace”.

The FARC and the Government began peace negotiations in Havana in November 2013. The two sides have reached agreement on three key issues: land reform, political participation of the rebels and illicit drugs.

They have yet to discuss disarmament, victims’ rights and the eventual implementation of the peace deal. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has said he hopes he can reach a comprehensive peace agreement with the FARC by the end of the year. (Excerpt from BBC News)

journalists, like Bassant, can carry out their work.”

Bassant, a senior investigative journalist with the Caribbean Communication Network (CCN) TV6, said

he had received the threats while working on sensitive investigative material and that both National Security Minister Gary Griffith and Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams had been made aware of the hit.

The Trinidad Express newspaper, a sister company of the television station, reported that “key underworld criminals” had made the death threat against Bassant.

Bassant told the newspaper that on May 7, “I got a call from a very reliable underworld source that certain criminal elements wanted to harm me because of stories I wrote recently that were showing them up.

Murders up eight per cent in The Bahamas

Murders increased by eight per cent in The Bahamas between January 1 and May 23, compared to the same period in 2013, according to The Nassau Guardian’s records.

There were 46 murders recorded during this period compared to the 50 murders recorded this year so far. In the last week, five people have been murdered in the country. All of those murders took place on New Providence.

There have been 10 murders this month so far. There were 12 murders in April.

Seven deaths have not been classified to date, including the four bodies found on April 3 on Anguilla Cay.

The bodies had tyres

placed on top of them and were burnt beyond recognition, according to authorities. While Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade has provided indications of the murder trend in recent months, he has not released crime statistics for 2014.

In April, Greenslade said violent crimes with the exception of murder were trending downward. Authorities have recently expressed concerns that crime could negatively impact tourism.

National Security Minister, Dr Bernard Nottage said on May 6 he was “personally satisfied” that the Government is on the right track in the fight against crime, adding that the crime problem will not be fixed overnight. (Caribbean News Now)

St Lucian health officials: Chikungunya virus outbreak “much worse” than reports indicate

Health officials are warning of an increase in the number of cases of Chikungunya virus and that the “situation on the ground is believed to be much worse than the figures presented”.

Epidemiologist Neham Jn Baptiste said the island had so far recorded 20 confirmed cases and 120 suspected cases of the virus that is spread by the aedes aegypti mosquito.

“The situation on the ground is believed to be much worse than the figures presented as according to information from the Health Ministry.

“Some persons with Chikungunya have opted to use home remedies like bush medicine, rather than

The Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) reports more than 55,000 suspected and confirmed cases in the Caribbean

reporting their condition to a doctor or health clinic,” he added. He said that it is very

important to know which areas are affected so as to provide strategic environmental control. While the

virus is more prevalent among women, Jn Baptiste said that pregnant women especially must be protected from contracting the virus which he said could be much more harmful to this group.

Chikungunya, a virus more commonly found in Africa and Asia and transmitted by the same daytime-biting aedes aegypti mosquito that causes the more deadly dengue fever, was first detected in the eastern Caribbean five months ago.

Since then, it has jumped from island to island, sending thousands of patients to the hospital with painful joints, pounding headaches and spiking fevers. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Murder toll in TT surges to 181

For the year so far there have been 29 more murders than for the same period last year following two killings on Monday. The toll for the year is 181; the figure last year was 151 for the same period. In the first killing on Monday, 50-year-old Wilton France was shot dead while plying his private car for hire along Laventille Road, near Lowlands.

According to Police reports, France, of Snake Valley, Laventille, was driving along the roadway at around 10:30h when a gunman stepped into his path and opened fire. The attacker missed the first time, shattering the front windscreen.

France then reportedly tried to escape through the back right passenger door,

but was shot dead before he could get out.

Relatives on the scene said he was the father of 15 and sold DVDs and market goods as well to make a living. In the second murder some 30 minutes later, 23-year-old Robert Maynard, of Gurahoo Trace, Chase Village, Chaguanas, was shot dead.

Senior Supt Johnnie Abraham told the TT Guardian that Maynard was with Joshua Cabralis, 19, a cousin, at the back of Maynard’s house when two men ran towards them and fired at the men before returning to their car and speeding off.

Maynard was shot seven times and was taken to the Freeport Health Centre, but reportedly died en route to the health facility. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Plans afoot to improve Barbados’ foreign relations

Boosting relations with Africa is high on Barbados’ agenda. Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Senator Maxine McClean made that clear today.

Speaking at the opening of the International Academy of African Business Development’s 15th annual conference at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination, the Minister said she was “currently reviewing” the draft of an improved foreign policy for the island.

McClean said the status quo had “an obvious shortcoming”, referring to inadequate engagement with countries on the African continent. “The Government of Barbados through the Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Ministry is actively reviewing our foreign policy as we seek, among oth-

er things, to better engage with the continent of Africa and more especially subSaharan Africa. In fact, I am currently reviewing the draft of that policy,” she said.

“We have had diplomatic ties with many countries on the continent of Africa since becoming independent in 1996, we have engaged with the countries of the African continent in various multilateral fora, the United Nations, the African, Caribbean and Pacific... States, the World Trade Organisation and the World Bank for example.

“To date, however, not enough has been done in respect of bilateral engagements, particularly in respect of trade and other commercial activity,” she added, calling this fact “an obvious shortcoming,” McClean added. (Nation News)

Modi meets Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif

We agreed our Foreign Secretaries will meet soon, says Sharif

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent much of his first day in office getting to know India’s neighbours, holding a series of unprecedented one-to-one meetings with regional leaders on Tuesday. He had some unexpectedly tough messages for some of his visitors, including Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary Sujata Singh said, underlined India’s concerns on terrorism, skirmishes on the Line of Control, and slow progress in the trial of 26/11 perpetrators for Sharif. He accepted Sharif’s invitation to visit Pakistan at a later date but made no commitment on Pakistan’s call for

resuming the stalled dialogue on all issues, including Kashmir, agreeing only the Foreign Secretaries of both countries would meet to see what could be done.

Later, Sharif told the media that he used the meeting to call for both countries to “change from confrontation to cooperation”. Sharif, who attended Modi’s swearingin, described his meeting as “good and constructive”, and said they had agreed that their Foreign Secretaries would be meeting soon to review and carry forward the bilateral agenda.

During his 45-minute long meeting, Sharif said he “intended to pick up the threads of the Lahore Declaration, from where it

had to be left off in October 1999”.

He also told a Pakistani television station he had raised the India-Pakistan conflict over Kashmir, calling for a resolution that suited both countries, as well as the State’s residents.

Sharif’s presence at Monday’s historic swearing-in was the first time since India and Pakistan won freedom from Britain in 1947 that a Prime Minister from one state had attended such a ceremony in the other.

Modi tweets about Sharif Modi tweeted about his conversation with Sharif.

“Earlier in the evening in my conversation with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, he shared some very emotional things.

“Nawaz Sharif ji told me that he stays in Islamabad but goes to meet his mother once in a week. This time when he was eating with his mother, he saw visuals on TV of my mother offering me sweets. The visuals touched both Nawaz Sharif ji and his mother. He told me that after seeing the visuals, his mother got very emotional,” Modi said in a series of tweets. (Excerpt from The Hindu)

More than 50 rebels killed as new Ukraine leader unleashes assault

missing limbs, a sign that the Government had brought to bear heavy firepower against the rebels for the first time.

“From our side, there are more than 50 (dead),” the Prime Minister of the rebels’ self-styled Donetsk People’s Republic, Alexander Borodai, told Reuters at the hospital.

The Government said it suffered no losses in the assault, which began with air strikes hours after Ukrainians overwhelmingly voted to elect 48-year-old confectionery magnate Poroshenko as their new president.

Ukraine’s Interior Ministry says the military is now in full control of the airport in the eastern city of Donetsk after a day of bloody clashes.

Ukrainian aircraft and paratroopers killed more than 50 pro-Russian rebels in an assault that raged into a second day on Tuesday after a newly elected President vowed to crush the revolt in the east once and for all.

The unprecedented of-

fensive throws a challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has said he reserves the right to defend Russian speakers under threat, but whose past assertions that Kiev is led by an illegitimate “junta” were undermined by the landslide election victory of billionaire Petro Poroshenko.

Reuters journalists counted 20 bodies in combat fatigues in one room of a city morgue in Donetsk. Some of the bodies were

Pakistani woman stoned to death by family outside court

APakistani woman has been killed by her relatives outside Lahore High Court for marrying against their wishes.

Police said 30-year-old Farzana Bibi died on the spot after being attacked with bricks and sticks.

Her father handed himself in, but Police say her brothers and former fiancé, who also took part in the attack, were still free.

Correspondents say hundreds of girls and women in Pakistan are killed every year by family members. However, many more kill-

ings are believed to go unreported.

Farzana Bibi’s parents accused her husband, Muhammad Iqbal, of kidnapping her, and had filed a case against him at the High Court. However, she testified to Police that she had married him of her own accord. Police said the couple had been engaged for a number of years.

As she arrived at the court building for a hearing, Police said about a dozen family members pulled her aside and began to attack her and her husband, who

managed to escape.

Police official Umer Cheema told Reuters that all the family members escaped after the killing, apart from her father, who has admitted his role in her death.

The BBC’s Shumaila Jaffery says marriage against the wishes of relatives is culturally unacceptable in some parts of Pakistan. Under Pakistani law, the victim’s family is allowed to forgive the killer. However, in many cases family members are themselves responsible for the killing. (BBC News)

Deadly raid by Boko Haram on Nigerian base

At least 24 people have been killed following an attack on a military base in Nigeria by Boko Haram fighters, witnesses said.

The gunmen attacked the base in the north-east Nigerian town of Buni Yadi in Yobe State, where the group massacred 59 students at a boarding school in February, witnesses told the AFP news agency on Tuesday.

Multiple witnesses said that the armed men stormed the remote town at 20:00h on Monday, firing first on soldiers manning a check-

point and razing the local police station. A witness and resident of Buni Yadi, who identified himself only as Mustafa for fear of retribution, said the militants arrived in an armoured personnel carrier and six Hilux trucks before dismounting and firing into the air.

They then torched the home of the local Government leader and several Government buildings before turning their guns on an empty primary school, said witness Kura Babagana.

“When they started attacking, people began to

flee,” he said. “There were casualties on the part of the security personnel but I don’t know how many.”

Scores of vehicles were also burnt during the attack, he added, an account supported by other witnesses including Buni Ibrahim, a trader who was in the town at the time.

Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris, reporting from Abuja, said the attack reportedly lasted for three hours.

“This is not the first time that they have carried out such attacks and they have become bolder,” our correspondent said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Vietnam, China trade barbs after Vietnamese fishing boat sinks

Putin demanded an immediate halt to the offensive. Moscow said a visit by Poroshenko was not under consideration, though it has said it is prepared to work with him.

Until now, Ukrainian forces have largely avoided direct assaults on the separatists, partly because they fear tens of thousands of Russian troops massed on the border could invade.

Vietnam and China traded accusations on Tuesday over the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat not far from where China has parked an oil rig in the disputed South China Sea, as tensions fester between the two countries over the giant drilling platform.

Hanoi said some 40 Chinese fishing boats surrounded the Vietnamese

craft on Monday before one of them rammed it and it sank. Vietnamese fishing boats operating nearby rescued the 10 fishermen on board, the Government and the Coast Guard said.

China’s official Xinhua news agency, citing a Government source, said the vessel capsized after “harassing and colliding with” a Chinese fishing boat.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang said Vietnam caused the incident with its “insistence on forcefully disrupting China’s normal operations and its dangerous actions on the seas.

“We urge the Vietnamese side once again to immediately stop all disruptive and damaging (activities),” he added.

Scores of Vietnamese and Chinese ships, including coastguard vessels, have continued to square off around the rig despite a series of collisions this month after the platform was towed to the site. Each side has blamed the other over those incidents. Until Monday, no ship had sunk.

The disputed incident took place around 17 nautical miles from the Haiyang Shiyou 981 rig, which is drilling between the Paracel islands occupied by China and the Vietnamese coast. China calls them the Xisha islands. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

wednesday, may 28, 2014 | guyanatimesgy.com

Two cases of Chikungunya identified in Berbice

Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran on Tuesday revealed that two cases of Chikungunya have been identified in Guyana.

He made this disclosure at a media briefing during which he said that the cases were from Canje, Berbice, and authorities have since dispatched a five-member medical team to the area.

The Minister said after there was an outbreak of the disease in the Caribbean, steps were taken by the Health Ministry to monitor the situation in Guyana.

Dr Ramsaran disclosed that they had quietly engaged in a countrywide campaign, which saw medical

staff at the various health centres and hospitals being informed to look out for Chikungunya symptoms in patients. The ports of entry were also warned to look out for the disease. “We have been very vigilant,” the Minister said.

He noted that a report was made that there was an increase of cases with the same symptoms as Chikungunya in New Amsterdam; as such, samples were taken from those cases and sent to a lab in Trinidad for testing.

The Minister disclosed that a total of 84 suspected cases were identified; however, only 30 samples were sent to Trinidad. He added that on Saturday, eight case re-

ports were returned, and two samples were positive for Chikungunya.

One of the cases is from Cumberland and the other from Canefield, both in Canje. These cases involve a four-year-old child and a 40-year-old woman. The Health Minister said the team sent to Berbice would be stationed there until the campaign is over.

He added that now that the infected area has been identified, his Ministry is working along with the Region Six officials to provide more protection to residents.

Dr Ramsaran pointed out that with this disclosure, they have heightened fog-

ging and vector control exercises not only in Berbice but will continue the campaign in Georgetown as well.

Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer Dr Shamdeo Persaud is advising citizens to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves from the disease.

He urged residents to make use of nets and get rid of any water-filled containers or pot-holes in yards since they are breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Dr Persaud is encouraging persons who have dengue-fever symptoms to seek immediate medical attention since it might be Chikungunya as the symptoms are similar.

Please return my baby! – mother

of abducted infant pleads

Police in Berbice have intensified their search for the infant who was abducted on May 24, and have been pursuing all avenues based on the information received thus far from the family and relatives of little Avi.

This is according to B Division Commander Brian Joseph in an invited comment with Guyana Times According to Commander Joseph, even though they came up empty handed thus far, they are not fazed and won’t rest or ease up the investigation. He had an opportunity to look at the surveillance footage provided by a businessman of Rose Hall Town that captured the crime. B Division has also liaised with the other divisions to pursue all avenues so as to reunite the family with their son as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, the griefstricken mother, 22-year-old

Sandra McLean is pleading with the abductor to return her child “If she is a mother, she would never have done something like this. She should have known how to treat a mother and not punish me like this, because she is a woman; she wouldn’t want somebody to punish her like this. This is four day

now; me nah eat, drink, or sleep because when I start to eat me a study if me baby eat, if he comfortable, if he does sleep. Me a beg she no matter where she deh, me a beg she to bring back me baby,” McLean pleaded.

The young mother in tears refuted claims that she sold her baby for $200,000 based on comments made by some people. “I want back my baby safe. I don’t have a bad mind for anybody no matter if she do this to me, still can sorry for she; me just want she to bring back my baby. Even if she nah give me, give any family to give me or drop him off or all and me go collect he.”

Search continues

As family members also continue their search, the father of the baby, Ravikan Bistonauth is hoping that he can see and touch his baby boy soon. Owing to religious beliefs, he could not see the

baby until after the ninth day. Since Saturday, Bistonauth and others have been searching several villages house-to-house, but have come up empty handed. On May 24, a woman who gave her name as Bibi Khan befriended the family and abducted the nineday-old baby boy at the Port Mourant Market after she sent the mother to buy some Hassa while she kept the baby a short distance away. She made good her escape while the mother ventured into the fish section of the market.

She was last seen wearing a red short-sleeved shirt and a blue skirt, she was also wearing a black Khemar and glasses. She has a nose ring and a gold tooth and is said to be in her early fifties. Anyone with information is asked to contact the nearest police station or call 3381297, 660-2651 or 693-9484.

Foul play suspected in Enmore woman’s death

Relatives of a 57-yearold woman are looking for answers after the woman was found dead in her Enmore, East Coast Demerara (ECD), home on Sunday morning.

The dead woman has been identified as Keila Persaud of Lot 29 Enmore North, ECD. According to reports, the woman was discovered by her reputed husband on the floor in their bedroom around 11:00h. Her body bore several marks of violence.

The woman’s reputed husband, 59-year-old Nazir Khan, called “Chaila” was taken into Police custody on Sunday to assist with the investigation. Guyana Times spoke to one of Persaud’s daughters, Basdeo Motilall, who stated that around 08:00h, she received a call from her cousin informing her that her mother had died. “We rushed over to the house and when we got there, she (Persaud) was lying in the room and we called the Police,” the distraught daughter recalled.

She noted that while she could not bear to look at her mother’s body for long, she noted that there was something amiss about the whole situation.

“I don’t think it was a normal death,” she stated. Motilall disclosed that she heard that her mother’s body had ‘black and blue marks’ and there was a wound to the back of her head.

“I don’t know if she fell and hit her head or if someone hit her… I can’t really say what happen because I don’t know but what I know is that this is not a natural death,” the distressed daughter said.

Motilall further disclosed that her mother’s reputed husband had related to them that on Saturday night, he and the woman went to bed.

However, he claimed that Persaud said that she was going to sleep in another room and so he fell asleep and when he woke the following morning, he found her lying on the ground in their bedroom.

According to the daughter, this was strange since she is not aware of any instance where her mother and stepfather slept in separate rooms. Motilall noted that her mother and Khan have been together for the past eight years and he was always nice to her mother and would treat her well.

Persaud’s body is at the Lyken Funeral Home awaiting a post mortem examination, which is expected to be performed today. The woman leaves to mourn her five children, siblings and other relatives.

Da Costa Handel Marshall v the Queen [2013]

TBy Anna Jacobs, Hugh Wooding Law School

he Applicant, Da Costa Handel Marshall was jointly charged with Davidson Jones for importation, possession and trafficking 346.6 kilograms of cannabis (marijuana) under the Drug Abuse (Prevention and Control) Act of Barbados. Both men were found by Police in a broken-down boat south-west of Carlisle Bay in Barbados' waters. Marshall was found sitting on some bales of marijuana in the boat. Marshall’s defence was that he thought he was going fishing and knew nothing about the bales of marijuana. He was convicted and his appeal was dismissed. He applied for special leave to appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice. He complained that the prosecutor’s opening statement to the jury that he was caught “red-handed” was damaging and deprived him of a fair trial.

The Court emphasised that the “opening statement is the lawyer’s opportunity to tell the jury what he expects the evidence will be during the trial; this helps the jury to understand the evidence when it is actually presented.” Viewed in this light, the statement that the accused was caught ‘red-handed’ simply indicated the type of case the prosecution intended to prove. The Court held that the remarks were within the normal standards of prosecutorial ethics and were consistent with the prosecutor’s role as a Minister of Justice. Given that no limit was overstepped, there was no merit in this ground of appeal.

The Court also rejected the alternative argument in support of the application for leave, namely, that Marshall’s presence in the boat was not sufficient to establish possession. The Court noted that the judge in her summing up carefully presented Marshall’s defence and properly warned the jury that they could not find guilt by association. Accordingly, the Court found that there was no real possibility of a miscarriage of justice. The CCJ dismissed the application for special leave.

This summary is intended to assist the Caribbean public in learning more about the work of the CCJ. It is not a formal document of the Court. The judgment of the Court is the only authoritative document and may be found at http://www.caribbeancourtofjustice.org/ wpcontent/uploads/2013/11/2013-CCJ-11-AJ.pdf.

Independence Day escapee gets 12 months

Lennox Cort who briefly escaped Police custody on Independence Day was on Tuesday sentenced to 12 months in prison by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates Court.

The defendant pleaded guilty to unlawfully escaping Police custody at the Providence Police Station on Monday, May 26. The charge states that on the day in question, the accused

escaped from his holding cell after being locked up for an unlawful wounding matter. The father of three, who is a vendor by profession, told the court that he had asked Police ranks at the station several times to call to find out if his cousin, who had been the victim of an accident and was critical at the hospital, was still alive as he feared the worst. However, the Police refused to give him a call and he escaped to visit his cousin.

New Miss World Guyana crowned

The National Cultural Centre (NCC) erupted just after midnight on Monday, as the audience rebelled against the judges’ decision to crown Rafieya Husain, Miss World Guyana 2014, instead of the highly favoured Ayana Whitehead.

The evening, which was riddled with technical glitches and poor organisation, ended in an uproar with the majority of patrons voicing their displeasure with not only the poor quality of the pageant but ultimately, the decision by the judges to crown Husain queen.

Some sections of the audience thought that the decision was taken before the actual pageant was held, as seemed to be the case in the Miss Guyana Universe 2013 pageant, where Whitehead

came in as first runner-up to Katherina Roshana.

Loud outbursts followed by the abrupt exit of patrons notwithstanding, the judges’ decision, as always, was still final. The newly crowned Miss World Guyana will represent Guyana in London for the international pageant, where she will compete against 139 other delegates for a shot at the Miss World title.

The 23-year-old queen also copped the Beauty with a Purpose Award as well as the Missology People’s Choice Award.

Apart from capturing the judges’ hearts with her well-executed Indian contemporary dance as her talent piece, Husain took to the stage with a body-hugging evening gown designed by

Lauraine Welch, which accentuated her petite figure perfectly.

She also stunned in her swimsuit, but it was Atisha Gaskill who owned the swimsuit segment without a doubt, working the stage well as she executed her routine effortlessly to the music.

Moments after being crowned, Husain said that she worked hard and would have brought her A game on pageant night, as she saw all the contestants as strong competitors.

She promised to work with various organisations to fight the scourge of domestic violence, by tackling it from the grassroot level. In addition, she is optimistic that she has what it takes to bring home the Miss World

crown later in the year.

The newly-crowned queen noted that in any competition, the judges’ decision is final and even she too was shocked at being selected queen. The elated queen will now have a few months to prepare for the international pageant.

Coming in as first runner-up was Atisha Gaskill who also copped the beach beauty and fitness awards, followed by Denicia Williams and rounding off the top four was Miss Region Six, Ayana Whitehead who was awarded the best talent prize for her dramatic presentation on suicide. Miss Region Nine, Tiffany Megnath copped the best interview prize and Miss Region Seven, Gericia Francis copped the multimedia video award.

Technical difficulties

Much to the dismay and frustration of patrons who were seated on time, the pageant did not commence until 30 minutes after its scheduled starting time. When it finally was underway, the night’s proceedings began with masqueraders emerging from the aisles of the NCC and making their way to the stage where they were accompanied by Miss World Guyana 2013 Ruqayyah Boyer who performed her masquerade piece to rhythms of the drums and flutes.

Soon after, the eight delegates appeared on stage also dressed in masquerade costumes, poised for the introduction segment.

Hotel Tower had dramatic decline in business – management

Amid protest action by workers, the management of Hotel Tower on Monday said it will be taking steps to facilitate payment to staff members that were affected by the abrupt closure of the hotel, within a month.

In a release issued to the media, the cash-strapped entity explained: “This decision was a last resort, especially given the number of employees that were likely to be affected. In recent times, the hotel has seen a dramatic decline in business and despite the best efforts of management; the hotel was still unable to meet certain financial obligations.”

It added that it was cognisant of the effect that closure would have on their workers.

The company explained that although it is “assetrich”, it did not have sufficient liquid cash to pay its employees, which also contributed to the decision to suspend operations at the company for a period.

“Management is aware that the employees have families and dependents to provide for and sincerely regrets any hardship caused by the decision to close the hotel.”

It was also pointed out that as a result of a lack of funds, Guyana Power and Light (GPL) disconnected the electricity to the building on May 24. With respect to the guests who were staying at the hotel at the time, it was related that arrangements were made for them to access “alternative” facilities.

Negotiations

Meanwhile, Clerical and Commercial Workers Union (CCWU) President Sherwood Clarke told reporters that himself and Lynette Taylor are to engage management in discussions today.

He pointed out that whether or not the staffers of Hotel Tower are willing to accept the proposal made by the company is entirely up to them. He said a complaint has since been lodged with the Labour Ministry.

Chief Labour Officer Charles Ogle has also pronounced on the issue, stating that by not paying the workers, the company puts itself at risk of having a lawsuit filed against it.

He pointed out that the appropriate action for management to take in such a situation would be to sell

some of its assets and pay the workers.

About 40 hotel workers on Saturday took to the streets in front of the establishment ,protesting the decision by the company to abruptly close its operations and not pay them.

“We want we money, all of we money…lockout with no pay,” the workers shouted in protest, calling the action by the hotel’s management an injustice.

Speaking to Guyana Times at the scene of the protest on Saturday, union representative Taylor said the employees were summoned to a meeting on Friday afternoon, where they were told that the entity will be closed and they would not be paid.

“He just tell us he ain’t got money to pay us and he closing the doors for six weeks.... I don’t know if that’s law in Italy, but that don’t work here in Guyana... I working here 22 years now and I want my money,” an angry Taylor said.

According to the union representative, the new management of the hotel seems to be uncertain about the future of the establishment.

She said on several occa-

SMEs are a gateway out of poverty – Ali

Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali

Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali, on Tuesday lauded the initiative of the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, (SMEs) pointing out that the stigma attached to it must be changed.

The Minister was at the time delivering brief remarks at a conference being held at Princess Hotel. Ali cited the development of the many major companies around the world, including Google and Microsoft, noting that they had all sprung from very tiny initiatives.

He pointed that SMEs have such power to assist persons in reaching their fullest potential. “There is a regional thinking that SMEs are associated with being poor, with poverty, having less access. And there is a culture being developed around SMEs that there are persons looking for grants, looking for free money coming at if not at no, little costs”.

sions, the manager, whom she referred to as “Mario”, gave conflicting reports on the way forward.

Chained doors

Meanwhile, the manager of the company’s flagship Flame Restaurant, Theresa DaSilva related that the union had instructed the workers to return to work on Saturday; however, when they reported for work, the doors were “chained”.

“What this administration wants us to do? You can’t terminate my service just like that, because of a blackout situation… we need to be paid,” said the manager, pointing out that there was no advance notice of the closure.

Another staff member who spoke with Guyana Times on the condition of anonymity said when she approached one of the hotel’s managers about her salary, she was told, ‘“I gon try and see wuh I could do fuh yuh.’”

“We are going to stand up here every God day until we get our money,” the woman insisted, adding: “We can’t go and tell Courts and GPL, Hotel Tower lock up the door and they knock me off and I

The Minister said there is a much different story to the belief that the programme is only for the poor. He pointed out that leaders have the responsibility to change that growing thought and create a more modern and scientific understanding of SMEs. He noted the concept embraced by many is that the SMEs are existing to aid in poverty reduction, empowerment, the creation of employment and political promises. “How often do we hear the driving force of profit-driven, productive efficiency, maximisation of effort being associated with SMEs?” Ali asked. He said if SMEs are to become the development of entrepreneurs and organisations to become sustainable, then “defining SMEs will have to change”.

This, he said, will ensure that there is a more comprehensive outlook of SMEs, since one should not believe that the programme could survive without creating efficiencies, and a culture of profit- driven approaches to business development as part of the driving force.

He surmised that many

SMEs are equal to large enterprises. He cited the developments in countries such as China and India that are successfully driven by combined efforts and a national policy.

Meanwhile, Caribbean Technologies Consultancy Services (CTCS) Network coordinator Kenneth Harvey told the group of small business operators gathered for the consultancy seminar, that the whole purpose of the seminar was to increase communication and to accept recommendations from its emissaries.

He said that coming out of the meeting all of the small business operators that benefit from grants from the CDB will be able to share their take on the recommendations, after which a decision will be made whether to approve the recommendation or not. “You will not be standing alone” he reminded the entrepreneurs. As a result, he said that the persons accessing grant funds will be privy to the “maximum combined effects” of the grants.

Chairman of the Private Sector Commission and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Institute for Private Enterprise Development (IPED), Ramesh Persaud, related that such consultations were welcomed by the private sector and IPED as a small business financing body. “As we develop as a region and as a country, focusing on what small and medium businesses can offer to the economy is significant... We should not forget them,” he said.

Persaud pointed out that over the years a lot has changed in the economic structure of the world, noting that small businesses are not major contributors to the economy and hence the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). “Let’s pick up everything that is good from what has been happening all over the world and let’s implement it to the suitability of our Region,” the Private Sector Chairman urged the entrepreneurs.

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Partnerships and cooperative efforts will take a lot of your energy. Don’t act in haste. It will require patience on your part to make things happen favourably.

Synthetic track a “landmark achievement” – PPP/C

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has described the construction of the synthetic track at Leonora, West Coast Demerara, as a “landmark achievement” for the government and the fulfillment of a promise in its manifesto.

This is according to General Secretary and Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, speaking at the party’s weekly press briefing at Freedom House, Robb Street, Georgetown on Tuesday.

Rohee said the PPP/C has always stated its firm commitment to the development and expansion of sport and the requisite facilities to help the country’s sportsmen and women reach their full po-

tential and continue to represent Guyana well internationally.

He said, “This state-of-the-art facility will see Guyana hosting more international athletics competitions, which fit into the PPP/ Civic government’s ongoing efforts to promote another tourism product- sports tourism.”

Rohee added the party is heartened at the ongoing support of the government to other sporting organisation and the erection of facilities across the country.

“We are also heartened at the ongoing support of the government to other sporting organisations to establish more facilities for Guyana’s athletes, including the Guyana Karate College’s Dojo,

the Athletics Association of Guyana headquarters, hockey field, the Guyana Football Federation’s Goal project, just to list a few,” Rohee explained.

“We wish to state as a matter of public record that the successive PPP administrations have never shirked their responsibilities when it comes to the promotion of sports and support for our athletes. The evidence is in the public’s domain to show.

Under the PPP/Civic, the Guyana National Stadium at Providence was constructed; the Albion Sports Complex was refurbished and fitted with floodlights, making it ideal for night cricket, football and other sporting events,” he said.

Rohee further stated that the

Marian Academy top QC in old students encounter

– PC hold off Plaisance

By Treiston Joseph

Marian Academy took a trip down memory lane and came away with a pulsating overtime victory over old rival Queen’s College (QC) 6053 on Monday evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Dubbed the old students alumni encounter by the Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG), the night of basketball also featured Plaisance Academy who fell to President’s College 57-51.

However, in the Marian game, Jonathan ‘shooter’ Beaton brought back old memories with a game changing dagger from downtown in overtime that gave Marian the lead for good.

Taquain Vieira followed with a fast break layup for a quick 5-0 run that would hand Marian the win.

During regulation, as time wound down, QC, who were dominating the boards the whole game gave up three offensive fouls that sent Marian to the line each time to cut into the lead before Vieira corralled another board off a missed free throw for a lay in to put Marian up by one with 26.2s to play.

Marian then fouled Kiev Chesney of QC, who sank one of two from the line to tie the game.

Marian then made a crucial mistake by fouling as time expired, but Kareem Critchlow could not hit the clutch free throws to win the game for QC that ended regulation time with both

Nyamebekyene Bacchus hits a fade away jumper over some tough Plaisance defenders

teams on 49. Dominic Vincente had a team high 18 points for Marian, while Beaton had 13 points and Vieira 10 in the overtime win.

Chesney ended with a game high 22 points, while Akil Lewis had eight points for QC in the losing effort.

Meanwhile,

Nyamebekyene Bacchus dominated Plaisance Academy in the low post to lift President’s

College (PC) to victory.

Plaisance Academy always stayed in the game by running the basketball, but relied heavily on isolation basketball that allowed PC’s defence to collapse on the ball handler, who more times than not forced a tough shot.

Bacchus ended with a game high 24 points and five rebounds for PC to secure the win.

Nikkoloi Smith had a double-double performance for Plaisance with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Andrew Williams had 11 points in the losing effort. According to Director of YBG Chris Bowman, he is hoping to launch a more detail ed format of the old students’ tournament, where past students can give back to their Alma Mater over the July-August holidays.

government has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into sport and facilities since it assumed office in 1992, noting that under the previous administration, there were no proper facilities in the country.

“Since the PPP/C took office, the budgetary allocations for this sector, like every other, continuously increased every single year. The PPP/C recommits itself to continuously improving the landscape to help our athletes reached their full potential,” remarked Rohee.

As part of its commitment to the development of sports, Government this year allocated $300m towards the upgrade of community grounds across the country.

McKinnon wins Precision Pistol shoot

Ryan McKinnon returned to form to win the .22 Precision Pistol competition organised by the Smallbore section of the Guyana National Rifle Association (GNRA) last weekend at the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) range, Eve Leary, Georgetown. McKinnon recorded 293 points to win the competition, which consisted of three stages shot at the seven metres, 10m and 15m distances. Shooters were required to fire 10 rounds at each stage for a combined overall score.

Leading female shooter Vidushi Persaud continued

her excellent showing this season with a second place finish with 256 points. Third position was captured by Fabrian Stuart, who amassed 240 points at the three stages. Randy Sarjoo secured fourth position with 225 points, while Shawn Smith was fifth with 224 points.

Last weekend’s competition brought the curtains down on three weekends of shooting with smallbore captain Dale Hing clinching victory in the first leg held at Eve Leary, while the second leg at Timehri range was won by Dr Johan DaSilva.

Brazil's World Cup training starts amid protests

Brazil's national team has started its World Cup preparations amid protests in Rio de Janeiro.

A bus carrying the players to a hilltop training camp was surrounded by striking teachers chanting slogans against the tournament.

Later, upon arriving at the Granja Comary training base, players were greeted by fans - and more protesters.

Thousands of people have protested against the cost of staging the tournament beginning next month.

Monday's demonstrations started outside Rio's Linx Hotel, where 22 players met their coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, for the start of their preparations.

Before they left the hotel, it was surrounded by more than 100 protesters, who attached stickers to their bus.

"There will be no World Cup, there will be a strike," the crowd chanted.

Rio's school teachers have been on strike since 12 May, demanding better pay and working conditions.

About an hour later, the bus arrived at the Granja Comary in the hilltop city of Teresopolis.

Hundreds of people were expecting them, among more than 100 international journalists and Brazilians who went to cheer the players or to continue the teachers' protests.

Meanwhile, Brazil's footballing legend and Fifa World Cup ambassador

Ronaldo has blamed the government for delays in infrastructure projects for the tournament.

"This is what people should understand: it's down to governments. The governments they have elected. It's nothing to do with football or the World Cup," he told Brazilian newspaper Valor.

Brazil will play the opening match against Croatia in Sao Paulo on 12 June.

Real Madrid's left-back Marcelo has been allowed an extra day's rest following his team's Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

Brazil's striker Fred, from Riobased Fluminense, was among the first players to arrive at the hotel.

Shortly before the arrival of the striking teachers, he stressed the importance of the supporters for Brazil's campaign.

"With this union between people and the national team, we have everything to play a great tournament and win the title," Fred told reporters.

Last year, more than a million people took to the street in dozens of Brazilian cities over poor public services, corruption and the high cost of the World Cup. (BBC Sport)

Gayle to launch academy to empower youths

Beloved Jamaican cricketer Christopher Gayle will next week launch the Jamaican branch of his already successful youth empowerment programme, the Chris Gayle Academy.

The Chris Gayle Foundation in partnership with Cricket 4 Change, British Airways, Spartan and Digicel Jamaica, will host 20 young Jamaican men aged 16-20 from disadvantaged backgrounds for 12 months using the power of cricket to unlock their potential and change their lives.

The Chris Gayle Academy was first launched in England in May 2013 and has so far assisted 18 young English men to become role models in their local communities. Gayle explained the role cricket played in his life and why he is giving back: “Cricket is indeed a powerful sport; it has certainly changed my life. Through cricket, I was given the tools and support to succeed and I want to share this with the youth through my Academy.”

The impact of the Chris Gayle Academy is based on Gayle’s ‘Big Six’ point philosophy that he applies to his own life: Making good choices, Understanding consequences and actions, Working hard, Setting goals, Looking after yourself and Respecting others. The

‘Big Six’ are a series of workshops and questionnaires based on these philosophies that guide and measure the journey of the young people.

The ‘Big Six’ programme will also be implemented in six Primary and Preparatory schools in Kingston: Rollington Town Primary (Gayle’s Alma Mater), Excelsior Primary, Mountain View Primary, Vaz Preparatory, Clan Clarthy Primary and Windward Road Primary.

Donovan Miller, from Cricket 4 Change, explains the impact the Chris Gayle Academy has had on the UK youths so far.

“This Academy is about

more than cricket. The young men here in the UK come from varying backgrounds and communities and have been able to group together and share their experiences and sharpen their life skills. Not all these young men want to pursue professional cricket, but the Academy teaches them important skills that prepare them for the working world.

“Many of these boys have not had the greatest opportunities, and this Academy brings their talents to the fore and shows them who they can be. Some of these boys came into the Academy not expecting much but have received much more

Women's Twenty20: New IPL-style league planned by Australian pair

Cricket's top women players could feature in an Indian Premier League-style tournament within nine months.

That's according to Australian businessman Shaun Martyn who is proposing to launch a Women's International Cricket League.

It has yet to be sanctioned by the International Cricket Council but could see players earn £23,500 in 12 days.

But organisers say they have met ICC Chief Executive Dave Richardson in Dubai to discuss the proposal.

"In principle, he is very supportive of what we're doing," founder Shaun Martyn told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The proposed tournament would bring together the best female players in the world, to play with and against each other in six company-owned teams, over a 12-day event to be held in Singapore.

Martyn, who is in partnership with former Australia World Cup winner Lisa Sthalekar, says they have already found businesses willing to back the venture.

than they anticipated and some have even gone back to school to complete their education to better themselves and excel,” he said.

Eleven young men from the Chris Gayle Academy UK, along with their coaches, are scheduled to arrive in Kingston next week Wednesday, courtesy of British Airways, to help launch the start of the Jamaican Academy.

Also scheduled is a friendly T20 match between the boys from the UK Academy and the JA Academy at the Lucas Cricket Club, Rollington Town on June 5 at 14:00 hours.

"We're in final negotiations with three companies and we've been approached in the last week by one cricket association to purchase a franchise," Martyn said. "It's really about finding appropriate dates.

"At this stage, we expect our top-tier players will earn in the vicinity of US$40,000 (£23,500) for the 12 days."

Martyn says Cricket Australia has given its backing to the project "in principle," while former Australia bowler Geoff Lawson is part of the WICL management team. Former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd is a WICL ambassador.

The New South Walesbased businessman has pledged that some of the profits from the event will go back into the global wom-

en's game.

"We've said right from day one that we'll put back some profit from the tournament to member boards to help them develop their game, so we're certainly determined to work in consort with all the boards and the ICC," he said.

Martyn insists will support anti-corruption measures to prevent the possibility of match-fixing.

"We're putting in exactly the same anti-corruption policies that the ICC has in place," Martyn said.

"All our tournament regulations will be the same that underpin the ICC tournaments that are held around the world."

The event would be underwritten by a major American philanthropic organisation and Martyn moved to allay any fears about player payments that have blighted some T20 tournaments around the world.

"We've said to Paul Marsh and FICA [Federation of International Cricket Associations} that player payments and staff payments will go into a trust fund that they're cosignatories of, and that money will be guaranteed," he said.

"So there will be no issues over player and staff payments."

"They (FICA) are very supportive of what we're doing. We have letters from them attesting to that."

The difficulty WICL may have in finding approval from ICC members will be finding a window that fits around the new International Women's Championship, which is now seen as the priority for the women's game.

The overall women's calendar has increased, and will increase substantially in the next few years, with more bilateral cricket being played in a more meaningful context.

Countries have also been making greater investment in their women players in recent years and more players have been awarded contracts, meaning the WICL is being proposed at a time when Boards are asking more of their own players.

If the event isn't approved, Singapore would be unable to host a privately owned tournament as an ICC member nation, leaving WICL without its proposed venue.

It is understood that a full and detailed business model for the WICL is yet to be presented to the ICC Chief Executives.

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Asafa files appeal to CAS over ban

Former world 100m record holder Asafa Powell has asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to reduce his 18-month doping ban.

Powell 31, and threetime Olympic medal winner Sherone Simpson tested positive for the stimulant oxilofrine at Jamaica's national trials last June.

Simpson, 29, has also asked for her own 18-month suspension to be reduced.

"The athletes put forward that the offence committed is minor," a CAS statement read.

"They request that the suspensions be reduced to three months."

The pair, who have been suspended from competition since their doping case was disclosed last July, received an 18-month ban from the Jamaican anti-doping disciplinary panel in April.

4x100m relay gold and silver medallist, is a training partner of Powell and took the same substance at the same event.

fied that Canadian physical trainer Chris Xuereb provided him with nine supplements, including Epiphany D1.

Xuereb has denied providing performance-enhancing drugs.

Powell called the ruling "unfair and unjust", and said a legal supplement he took, Epiphany D1, was contaminated.

Simpson, an Olympic

Powell. who was the biggest name in Jamaican sprinting before the rise of double world and Olympic champion Usain Bolt, broke the world record in the 100m when he ran 9.77 seconds in 2005, then lowered the mark to 9.74 in 2008.

In January, Powell testi-

Powell and Simpson will miss the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July, but will be eligible to return to competition on 20 December. (BBC Sport)

glamorgan signs West Indies' Darren Sammy for t20 campaign

Glamorgan have signed West Indies all-rounder Darren Sammy to play in their T20 Blast campaign.

Sammy will join Glamorgan until the start of the Caribbean Premier League in July.

The 30-year-old will play in the first home match of Glamorgan's campaign against unbeaten Sussex on Friday.

"Darren's skills with

bat and ball have delighted crowds all around the world in Twenty20 competitions," Glamorgan chief Hugh Morris said.

"We're delighted to welcome him to Glamorgan."

Sammy has just finished playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, whom he captained, and is one of the world's most powerful hitters as well as offering lively medium-paced bowling.

Morris added: "His leadership skills and qualities are something that's definitely going to benefit the team.

"It'll be for a month or so - we're hoping it will be for six games. That's nearly half the season.

"Four of those games are at home on Friday nights as well."

Glamorgan head coach Toby Radford coached Sammy during his days as an assistant for West Indies. Radford said: "Darren is a top quality T20 player and a fine addition to our dressing room, because he brings with him experience at the highest level.

"Darren was a leader on and off the field during my days with the West Indies, so it will be great to work with him again at Glamorgan."

Sammy has appeared in 38 Tests, 111 one-day internationals and 52 international Twenty20 matches for the West Indies.

In October 2010 he became the first cricketer from St Lucia to be named West Indies captain, leading the Caribbean side to their first piece of international silverware for many years as they beat hosts Sri Lanka in the 2012 World Twenty20 final.

Sammy has a Test Match hundred for West Indies to his name, recorded against England in 2012 and he remains their captain in the shortest format, leading them to the semi-finals in the 2014 World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.

Questions linger over selection of GCA, ECCB U-17 teams

– cloud of doubt continues over DCB’s executives

By Rajiv Bisnauth

The East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB) and Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) officials remained puzzled up to Tuesday afternoon on who selected Under-17 teams to participate in the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) InterAssociation cricket competition that was expected to commence on Tuesday.

In addition, the association boards also protested the move by the DCB to organise the tournament, demonstrating their nonrecognition of the body and its unknown executives, headed by businessman Raj Singh.

President of the GCA Roger Harper, speaking with Guyana Times Sport, claimed that the GCA did not submit a team to the DCB Harper said, “I do not know about any DCB InterAssociation tournament or any DCB. To my understanding, there is an injunction against the DCB.”

Further, chairman of the selection panel of the ECCB Raymond Barton stated that the board has not released a squad to participate in the tournament. He also indicated that the ECCB cannot be part of any DCBorganised tournament at the moment, since the DCB does not exist.

Meanwhile, in an effort to establish who actually submitted the GCA and ECCB squads to the DCB, Colin Europe, who was part of the organising committee for the tournament, declined to comment and referred this publication to the DCB administrator Melinda Bishundyal. However, efforts to reach Bishundyal were futile.

Europe, however confirmed that the DCB is injuncted, hence he has nothing to do with regard to the tournament.

The DCB, for the past four years, has been blan-

keted in a number of court cases, caused by a crippling power struggle that resulted in factions led by businessmen, Bissoondyal Singh and Raj Singh.

Eventually, a court ruling in the High Court prohibited both factions from acting on behalf of the entity after both factions held separate elections back in January of 2010. Surprisingly, the Raj Singh faction of the DCB subsequently held elections, but more than a year later it is unclear who were the persons elected to hold positions on the board.

The ECCB and GCA were not part of the DCB elections. Hours before the elections another injunction was served against the Raj Singh faction.

The injunction was granted to plaintiffs Roger Harper and Davteerth Anandjit and the defendants named in the court document were Rajendra Singh, Lalta Digamber, Anand Sanasie, Alfred Mentore, Anand Kalladeen, Ravindranauth Persaud, Ronald Sarjoo, Nazimul Drepaul, Colin Europe, Ray Persaud, Krishnchand Mangal, Chetram Singh, Lionel Jaikaran, Ramsey Ali, Fizul Bacchus, Dru Bahadur, Troy Mendonca, Terrence Holder and Rayon Griffith.

The interim injunction

Newly installed lights not turned on for Independence Cup at Albion

Trestrains the defendants “by themselves, their servants and or agents acting collectively or individually… from convening or causing to be convened or holding an Annual General Meeting of the Demerara Cricket Board on January 25, 2013 or any other date for the purpose of the election of office bearers to the Executive Committee of the DCB for the period 2013 to 2015 term of office”.

The elections may have been held so as to ensure that there was some amount of validity to Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) elections and that there would had have been a quorum to facilitate the local governing body’s elections.

he much anticipated Independence Cup was a disappointment for thousands of Berbicians, as well as those who turned up from neighbouring Suriname to witness the event last Saturday evening at the Albion Sports Complex.

This was so because the much publicized lights that were installed days before were not turned on for the event. Despite efforts by organizers, permission was not given for the lights to be used.

Reports are that the Culture,Youth and Sports Minister Dr Frank Anthony did not give the go ahead. According to reports, the company that installed the lights did not hand them over the government of Guyana.

Region Six Chairman David Armogan, who tried to assist, was told that only when the lights are handed over will the warranty come into effect. The warranty will be for ten years, he said.

Efforts to get President Donald Ramotar’s intervention were also futile, as Minister Anthony reportedly addvised the President that he was not willing to take the chance.

Meanwhile, President of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) Keith Foster speaking with the Guyana Times on the issue, said the lights need to be tested in a real life situation. He noted that the Independence Cup would have been the ideal situation for such testing.

“You would have gotten

feedback from the players and spectators. We were told that the lights would have been handed over in time for the even,” he said.

Foster said that, as President of the BCB, he was grateful to the loyal Berbice cricket fans that turned out to the event.

The Independence Cup was a collaborative effort of the BCB and the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association (BCCDA). President of the Chamber Mark Roopnarine, in an invited comment, noted that before the lights are handed over, they must be tested and in working order and there must be the warranty clause attached to it.

“In as much as we’d like to follow protocol, we were hoping that better sense would have prevailed,”said Roopnarine.

He noted that it is hoped that the lights will be available when the organization has its next cricketing event. “We are now only hoping that the lights will be available soon,” Roopnarine said.

Vice President of the BCCDA Ramroop ‘Danzie’ Rajnauth expressed disappointment over the situation, saying that the issue was beyond the control of local organizers. He apologized to Berbicians whom he had promised on a local television programme that the games would have been played under the newly installed lights.

“I feel dejected… I am a person who tries to deliver on my word,” he added.

During the television

Guinness Greatest of the Streets football…

programme which promoted the event, footage of the newly installed lights were shown. The footage was taken when the lights were being tested shortly after they were installed on Thursday evening.

Rajnauth is calling on the administration to explain to the public why they could not have enjoyed the benefit of the newly installed lights at the Albion Sports Complex.

The Independence Cup was played under lights, but not those that were expected. Instead of 120 feet in the air, the lights that were used were only 30 feet in the air, forcing organizers to reduce the size of the playing area considerably.

Former President and Senior Executive of the BCCDA Ramesh Maraj told this publication that all of the spectators feel cheated. He said residents from both Regions Five and Six turned up the see the games and they were all disappointed. Thousands of persons who arrived at the cricket facility and realized that the newly installed lights were not going to be used turned away, while others did not stay for long after entering the ground. Organizers were forced to reduce the entrance fee.

Despite the hiccups and some delay caused by rain, those who stayed unit the end had no regrets, as they were kept at the edge of their seats during the final of a well organized tournament.

Exciting national playoff billed for this weekend

Melanie A has joined seven other teams from two zones to contest the national playoff of the annual Guinness Greatest of the Streets football competition this weekend.

The Melanie boys earned the right to compete for a chance to represent Guyana at the Guinness Caribbean Street Challenge early next month by defeating Beterverwagting B in the final of the East Coast leg on Sunday.

In a keenly contested final, the Melanie lads prevailed 1-0 in front of another large crowd at the Haslington Market Square Tarmac.

The eventual champs were indebted to national striker Dwight Peters, who found the small goal as early as the second minute of the game to hand his team the $300,000 first prize, and more importantly, a place in the national playoff. Beterverwagting B had to settle for the $150,000 runner-up prize.

Earlier in the night, Melanie B team walked away 1-0 victors over Victoria Church Yard United with Rondell Assanah’s 14th minute strike sealing the game. Melanie B collected $100,000, while Victoria Church Yard United, who finished runner-up to Plaisance last year, pocketed $50,000.

With the victory, Melanie A will now face Georgetown zone champions Queen Street- Tiger Bay, runner-

up Stevedore Housing Scheme, third place finisher Hope Street- Tiger Bay and fourth place Albouystown B, along with Linden zone winners Eagles, runner-up Retrieve Unknowns and winner of the third place playoff, Scheme at the national playoff.

According to Guinness Brand Manager, Lee Baptiste, the nation-

al playoff is billed for Saturday and Sunday utilising the knockout format. The winner will then represent Guyana at the Guinness Caribbean Street Challenge in Trinidad and Tobago. That event is expected to be streamed on Sportsmax across the region.

Rain spoils Media/ Umpires T20 clash

Aheavy downpour spoiled what was potentially a tricky runchase for the Georgetown Cricket Scorers and Umpires Association (GCS&UA) against the Media XI in a feature T20 game on Monday at the world renowned Georgetown Cricket Club ground, Bourda.

The no-result put a damper on the day, especially since the Media boys and the umpires and scorers had traded verbal punches via the press and were hoping to settle the scores once and for all in the ‘middle.’

The day started with GCS&UA skipper Arleigh Rutherford calling correctly at the toss and immediately deciding to insert the Calvin Roberts-led Media side to take first strike.

The right-hand left combination of John Ramsingh and Rajiv Bisnauth started cautiously for the Media, picking the singles and occasional twos as the GCS&UA utilised the moisture on the pitch to good effect.

Bisnauth stroked the first boundary in the fourth over, but just as he was starting to gain confidence and momentum, was trapped leg before by left-arm spinner Trevor Ritney for nine.

Wicketkeeper/batsman

Daniel Singh (2) and Avenash Ramzan (0) did not last long, both falling to Ritney as the Media XI struggled against the spinner. Singh, trying to push on the score, was spectacularly caught on the square leg boundary by Devin Austin, while Ramzan, perhaps attacking too early, was

John Ramsingh goes aerial as he topscored with 32

bowled the very next delivery hitting across the line.

The hard-hitting Keon Blade (1), Sean Devers (1) and Robert (6) also found the going tough as the Media XI stumbled to 43-6 by the 14th over.

It took a fighting partnership of 48 between Ramsingh and left-hander Ravi Persaud, which ended off the final delivery of the innings, to prop up the Media side towards the end of the innings.

Ramsingh, the stocky right-hander, remained unbeaten, ending on a solid 32, which included a solitary boundary, while Persaud hit a breezy 24, inclusive of two boundaries.

Bowling for the GCS&UA, Ritney finished with three wickets, while fellow leftarmer Nigel Duguid picked up two. With the pitch offering much assistance to the bowlers, the GCS&UA

players were in for a tricky chase against the pumped up Media bowlers, but that was not to be as the rain had the final say.

After the match was called off, the two teams decided to meet again in another T20 contest, tentatively set for Caricom Day.

The Media fraternity wishes to thank Lifetime Realty, Trophy Stall, P&P Insurance Brokers, Western Union, the Guyana Amazon Warriors Energy Drink, Christopher Matthias and the management of Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) for their tangible support in making the match a reality.

Meanwhile, the Media boys will be in action again this Sunday when they take on the Enmore Over-40 team in a T20 match at the Enmore Community Centre ground, East Coast Demerara from 14:00 hours.

Ali 15/15 softball tourney set for June 1

ADigicel schools football championship…

Another successful coaches’ workshop held in Region 10

The Organising Committee of the fourth annual Digicel schools football championship is leaving nothing to risk ahead of the start of the tournament, intensifying preparations with a series of coaches’ workshops in the different regions.

This year’s tournament is already gaining momentum, and from all indication it is expected to be the largest ever in its history with the highest number of schools set to compete.

Since its inception in 2011, sponsor representatives, including Chief Executive Officer Gregory Dean and Head of Marketing Jacqueline James have consistently echoed similar sentiments about the whole aim of the company’s efforts which, according to them, is to lift the general standard of the game locally.

To this end, the

Stag

Organising Committee has constantly reviewed every tournament and made improvements where necessary, all directly related to enhancing the product at every level.

This year has seen an increase in the number of coaches workshops held and the general feedback is that they were well attended and receieved.

While the standard of play on-field has steadily improved, the Committee has made a concerted effort to get more teachers and coaches involved in helping to increase their own knowledge of the sport so that when they return to their respective schools the information gathered will be efficiently disseminated.

Following workshops in West Berbice and Lethem, Digicel hosted another of its kind in Linden recently where participants were

Division One

Grove Hi Tech ended the first round of the Stag Beer sponsored East Bank Football Association (EBFA) Division One League in a blaze of glory, whipping Mocha Champs 8-1 at the Grove Playfield on Monday last.

Garnett and Timothy Griffith. Dexter Archer it was who put the home team ahead ten minutes into the game and there after it was just a matter of how much the final score line would have read.

lectured on various topics of the sport including improving goalkeeping techniques, role of the coach, environmental and safety, technical development, Hydration and Nutrition, Injury Prevention and Treatment, Laws of the Game, Team and Game Management and Practical sessions.

The facilitators of the workshop were coaches Brian Joseph, Denzil Thompson and Abdulla Hamid and at the end of the two-day sessions the participants were then asked for feedback, before being evaluated.

Digicel Sponsorship and Events Manager Gavin Hope said that another workshop is scheduled to be held on May 29 and 30 at Dartmouth, Essequibo.

The launch, which is set for June 6, will be held in Linden.

Twenty teams are expected to compete in the open

s part of its ongoing efforts to promote softball countrywide, the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc has sanctioned a 15/15 round robin tournament, slated to commence June 1. Organise by Rafman Ali, the competition will be played in two categories, namely the open and over40. The winning team in the open division will pocket a trophy and $100,000 and the runner up a trophy and $50,000, while the first place side in the over-40 segment will receive a trophy and $75,000 and the runner up a trophy and $50,000. Entrance fee is $10,000 per team.

segment and ten in the over40; the competition is expected to last for six weeks. Among the venues indentified for preliminary matches are Cyril Potter College of Education, Better Hope, Ogle, Success, GNIC and MYO. For more information teams can contact Ali on 220-3111, 680-1805 or 6542233.

Already ahead in the standing by virtue of a better goal average after being locked on 15 points with Soesdyke Falcons and Timehri Panthers, the home team emulated the other teams in the tournament who have all defeated Mocha.

It was a no-nonsense approach adopted by Grove, who were led with a hattrick each from Domini

Garnett converted his first in the 12th minute and completed his tally with efforts in the 62nd and 68th minute. Griffith emulated his captain Garnett with goals of his own in the 27th, 38th and 57th minute. The icing was put on the cake in the 73rd minute. Mocha did not leave the game empty handed as Jermaine Liverpool scored their consolation goal on the 73rd minute from the penalty spot. Grove, like Timehri and Soesdyke, displayed admirable consistency during the first round; Agricola started well but fell away during the latter stages of the round. Kuru Kururu Warriors have held their own, while Diamond and Herstelling, the latest team to join the EBFA, have been showing heartening signs of development, which augurs well for an explosive second and final round of matches. All the teams will be reviewing their performances with a view of coming out stronger as the battle for the first place prize of $300,000 can only get better.