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ARCHIVES FOR SEPTEMBER 02, 2009

Glenn Lall’s emotional outburst embarrasses business community
GLENN Lall’s uncontrolled emotional outburst reported in Kaieteur News on Sunday August 30 is indicative of both the freedoms Guyanese have, and simultaneously, the abuse of those freedoms.

Kaieteur News reported this sad contradiction where Glenn Lall, the publisher of the same newspaper, violated both the spirit and essence of protocol.

Lall’s tirade against President Jagdeo was an oral continuation of a systematic campaign waged by his newspaper to ruin the image of this country. It is difficult to recall any instance where a senior member of the Guyanese business community displayed such brazen arrogance and disrespect for the Office of the President.

Mr. Lall should do the right thing and immediately apologise to President Jagdeo. The Guyanese people will no longer tolerate this kind of bullying from Mr. Lall and his advisers.

Lall’s major complaint is that the current administration is upset because of stories carried by Kaieteur News.

That is frankly a bold faced lie. President Jagdeo was specific about his concerns with press reports that consistently valorise crime in the country, and about stories that have not been properly vetted for accuracy.

The President specifically pointed to the case where Kaieteur News falsely reported that one of the Coast Guard ranks implicated in the Ramdass robbery/murder was also at Lindo Creek.

The President cautioned that this kind of irresponsible reporting is not helpful, and that while the press is free to report, it should do so within the ambit of responsible journalism. President Jagdeo also pointed to another case where Kaieteur News published a misleading story on the whereabouts of Fine Man (Rondell Rawlins).

How in the world do these observations constitute an attack on Kaieteur News? Even if Lall felt that the stories identified by President Jagdeo were contestable, he should have said so and produce corroborating evidence for the said stories. Instead, Glenn Lall apparently felt that he is the final authority on the truth in Guyana.

Glenn Lall came up with a flimsy challenge by asking the President to dispute stories regarding “(1) Murdered granny…; (2) “Child rescued…; and (3) Bandits flee roadblock… (KN, August 30). The challenge, when looked at carefully, however, is demonstrable proof of the very point made by President Jagdeo. Instead of dealing with the main concern of President Jagdeo, namely, the sensationalisation of crime, Lall comes up with a little gimmick. This is a typical KN strategy which is to distort but always have a modicum of plausible deniability.

Anyone who read the report in question last Sunday would no doubt recall President Jagdeo clearly stated that he holds a fundamental belief in the freedom of the press, and this, notwithstanding the propensity for some elements in the media to engage in willful distortions. How, by any stretch of the imagination, can any reasonably intelligent person arrive at the conclusion that President Jagdeo is carrying out an attack against a newspaper after his statement on press freedom? What more does Glenn Lall want that he does not already have?

There is more to this than meets the eye. Glenn Lall has people working for him who openly justify and thereby support murder in Guyana. One Kaieteur News writer recently justified politically motivated killings on the basis of the usual wild accusations of drug lords and corruption.

This much should be clear – there is a clear and unmitigated call to political violence, all in the name of bolstering the chances of opposition parties doing better at the next elections. There is no inference here, as Kaieteur News openly and regularly calls for the removal of the current government. In most democratic countries in the world these writers would probably be investigated for aiding and abetting violence. In most countries in the world, after such publications, a newspaper would have its license revoked, and no adviser would be able to help.

But there is still more. Kaieteur News is the number one instrument for fostering ethnic tensions in this country. The paper publishes letters from known racists and supporters of political violence. I challenge Glenn Lall and his advisers to show the Guyanese people where else in the world a newspaper publishes the kind of incendiary material that Kaieteur News publishes as a matter of routine. His advisers should take a look at what might be the legal consequences for a publisher in Malaysia or Singapore if he engaged in the blood journalism that has become the signature of Kaieteur News.

Let it be clear – no Guyanese is so big and powerful that he can disrespect the Office of the President. Guyanese must see Glenn Lall’s emotional outburst as arrogance backed by enormous wealth, and a news machine that can create information mayhem at moments of its own choosing. Glenn Lall himself should, however, be mindful of the fact that while he is responsible for profits at Kaieteur News, President Jagdeo is responsible for peace and security throughout this country. Mr. Lall should never underestimate the President’s commitment to his responsibilities.

Our cultural identity much richer today, says President Jagdeo
Guyana’s indigenous people will progress materially and still preserve their culture
By Priya Nauth
AMERINDIAN Heritage Month 2009 was launched last evening in grand style at the Amerindian Village in the National Exhibition Centre, Sophia, Georgetown, under the theme “Securing Our Livelihood while Sustaining our Cultural Diversity” with President Bharrat Jagdeo noting that our cultural identity is much richer today.

President Jagdeo stated that he has witnessed the growth of this month which was dedicated to specifically focus on the richness and diversity of the culture of the indigenous people by the late President Dr Cheddi Jagan.

He observed it has grown not only in terms of the numbers of people who participate, but in terms of the growth in knowledge of this rich and wonderful culture that the nine tribes of our indigenous people have preserved for centuries.

Noting that many times people focus on material improvements which are important for society and societal growth, but it is the preservation of the rich depository of human, religious, spiritual and traditional and also communal values that are also important for an all around development.

“So this is why I think this celebration is so great. I think it reflects part of what we have forged over the years,” he stated.

Alluding to the struggles which all were subjected to, he insisted, “Today, we are carving, because of this common history, a growing Guyanese identity and it is this identity that will lead us in the future to a prosperous place for all of our people.”

Expressing his satisfaction with the theme of the Amerindian Heritage Month, he noted that in many parts of the world there is the view that “indigenous people must become “museum pieces” and “they must be kept in a historically intact state”.

However, he promised Guyana’s indigenous people can progress materially while at the same time create the conditions for the preservation of their wonderful culture.

Alluding to the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), he assured that his government will never impose any development model or idea that is “alien to our culture”.

He said it has to be done with the consent of the peoples in the communities because “we respect the right of our people, our Amerindian people, to have choices”.

“We have fought a very long time to give them choices,” President Jagdeo reminded and referred to the opportunities presented to them now to have choices and at the same time retain their cultural identity.

“These are very important things for us, we fought for these things and so no development model will be imposed on any community that seeks to alter their way of life; no developmental model or idea will be pushed by this government unless it has the consent of the people of the communities involved,” he reassured.

He said the administration had embarked on 15 pilot communities and over the next two years, tens of millions of dollars will be spent on these communities based on what the people in the villages believe are sustainable.

Also, he disclosed, “We have a $2B programme that will be rolled out over the next three years that will see several roads being developed in the hinterland.”

He said additionally, close to 1000 small solar units have been distributed to hinterland communities. There are 10,000 Amerindian households and within four years every household should have a solar unit to access electricity.

He also hoped that telecommunication services can be expanded so that the hinterland communities can plug into the “future Information Communication Technology revolution”.

He also noted that training of young people in these communities are important, maintaining, “We owe it to the people who live in these areas. We owe this to them, for too long they have been left out of development.”

He stated that over the past several years, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic government has approached this with renewed commitment.

“This is part of our pledge to these communities; that we are going to work every single day to ensure that a child born in one of these areas has the same opportunity as a child born on the coast,” President Jagdeo stated.

“It is not going to be easy but it is something that we are committed to,” he told the gathering, noting, “I see national well-being as very important for us to deliver on all of these things.”

He said, “We have to keep solving many of the problems that we face at the national level, having a vision for the future, getting our productive sector to be much more competitive globally, carving a place out in this competitive world, a world that often doesn’t look out for small countries,” he stated.

“This is why I see the LCDS as very important for the future too,” the Head of State noted, stating that money raised from the forest carbon trade can help to accelerate the development of the country, including the indigenous communities.

“They can catapult us forward, we don’t have to take the evolutionary path, we can in a revolutionary manner move our country forward quickly,” he stressed.

Minister of Amerindian Affairs Mrs. Pauline Sukhai-Campbell also outlined some of the achievements and challenges of the hinterland people and encouraged all Guyanese to participate in the month long activities.

“Among those present were Ministers of Government, Members of Parliament, Leader of the Opposition Mr. Robert Corbin, Speaker of the National Assembly Mr. Ralph Ramkarran, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Mr. Donald Ramotar, and members of the Diplomatic Corps.

Concerned Guyanese picket AFC’s Ramjattan

The group of Concerned Guyanese yesterday again picketed outside the Alliance for Change headquarters, with placards asking that the party’s Khemraj Ramjattan answer certain questions that Guyanese would like to know about, including the misuse of a duty free concession.

Minister Baksh stresses importance of school attendance, punctuality
-in Education Month message
“We must work to ensure that our students attend school regularly, and are punctual. If we are to improve the quality of education our children receive, we must first ensure that they are present in the classroom to benefit from the numerous interventions planned and are being implemented in the education sector.”

This is according to Minister of Education Shaik Baksh in a message to mark Education Month which is being observed under the theme ‘School attendance and Punctuality: Keys to Education Success’.

Minister Baksh said this can only be achieved through the ‘participation and assistance of the entire nation’. He noted that the Ministry will continue to encourage community participation in education and has organised a number of ongoing outreach sessions in each Region.

The Ministry has also committed itself to ensuring that teachers internalise the Education Month theme and dedicate themselves to attaining a higher percentage of overall attendance and punctuality for the new school year that commenced yesterday.

Minister Baksh pointed out that the ‘Education managers will place greater emphasis on these key variables and will support and encourage our teachers to meet the expected benchmarks’.

“Where teachers consistently fail to attain these basic expectations, mechanisms have been put in place to initiate necessary sanctions; our nation’s future is at stake here,” Minister Baksh said.

Most of the capital works that had been embarked on have been completed and these will improve the infrastructure and overall physical facilities in hundreds of schools around the country.

He further noted that the Administration will continue to work to ensure that the school environment is conducive to learning and it will seek the support of teachers and parents in maintaining the structures.

Minister Baksh said this new school year begins inspired by improvements in the recent CSEC results, particularly in the areas of Mathematics and English, following ‘a number of interventions and strategies instituted throughout the education system’.

He thanked parents, teachers and all other educators who made such a success possible.

The level of literacy and numeracy must be significantly improved at the primary level; and in this regard the Ministry has initiated the Literacy and Numeracy Unit of the Ministry of Education which is ‘charged with accelerating efforts in these key areas’, he said.

He noted that the introduction of the literacy certification assessment in Grade Four is on stream, along with other literacy interventions, all with the intention of ensuring the short - term literacy standards within the nation are improved. (GINA)

$83M Tucville septage receiving station commissioned
-to facilitate proper disposal of sewage

Minister Ali, at right, IDB country representative Marco Nicola, third from right, GWI’s Sanitation Manager Rensford Joseph, at left, and General Secretary Guyana Rice Producers Association Dharamkumar Seeraj tour the new Tucville facility.

Government continues to consolidate its efforts to ensure that major interventions are provided to improve the lives of its citizens. To this end an $83M septage receiving station located at Arapaima Street, Tucville, was commissioned Monday by Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali to facilitate the proper disposal of sewage in the Tucville and Stevedore housing areas.

The new facility which was completed by Correia and Correia Limited will receive sludge from privately operated waste disposal tankers, fostering public/private Partnership Company while promoting proper hygiene practices and reducing water borne diseases in communities.

It will also collect sludge from septic tanks in Greater Georgetown and Tucville which will be disposed of at the new facility. The sludge will then be pumped through a 200mm sewer line that was also recently constructed to link the Tucville facility to the Georgetown sewerage system at the junction of Brickdam and Winter Place.

Minister Ali said when persons look at the development of the facility, one will realize the magnitude of work that was done.

He said the infrastructure has been developed with safety and the environment in mind and that persons should develop a new culture in the way they treat and look at their environment.

“If as people we cannot understand the importance of the environment, then tough laws and legislations must be implemented and people must be brought to justice because investments like these are made for the improvement of the lives of our people,” Minister Ali emphasised.

The commissioning of the facility, the Minister said, is also in recognition of five- year old, Brianna Dover who had lost her life a few years ago in the former sewer system.

A section of the gathering

“As a company and people, we must work towards providing the infrastructure to ensure safety of our citizens,” Minister Ali said.

In 2002, the Water and Sewerage Act was passed paving the way for the responsibility of the sewer system to be placed under the purview of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI). A major investment portfolio of approximately $1.1B was unveiled which comprised the rehabilitation of the Tucville septic receiving station.

In addition to this project, the Minister further highlighted that approximately $40M has been spent on the construction of the force main interlinking the Tucville and Central sewer system, while $400M was spent on the construction of the new outfall in Kingston.

The GWI is currently procuring materials for the rehabilitation of the street sewer which is estimated to cost $150M. The agency also has, at a tender stage, the rehabilitation of a sewer pumping station which will see 24 pumping stations completely rehabilitated under the existing loan from the Inter American Development Bank (IDB), he said.

The investments, the Minister added, will bring not only the solutions, but relief to existing conditions.

“By no way would this site solve the sewerage system in Georgetown, we have a lot of work to do, massive infrastructure and investment is required to get to a level that we would be satisfied with and to a level at which we would be catering for future generations and future expansion of the city,” Minister Ali stated.

Meanwhile, Inter American Development Bank (IDB) Country representative Marco Nicola said the facility is a result of the commitment of the Government of Guyana to supporting the reduction of environmental degradation in Georgetown and surrounding areas, with the goal of improving the quality of life of its citizens.

He said the bank’s support to the water and sanitation sectors dates back to the early 1990s when an initial loan for remedial intervention to improve the water supply in Georgetown, valued US$13.5M, was approved and executed.

Mr. Nicola urged the GWI and other environmental agencies to ensure that there is no illegal dumping of waste in canals and open environs, adding that there is need to enforce existing legislation and improve them if necessary to ensure waste collected is disposed of at the facility.

The IDB, he emphasised, will continue to work with the Housing and Water Ministry to improve the performance of the sewerage system.

Through the allocation of approximately US$1.3M from the bank for the rehabilitation of the sewer system, the new loan will further address the cleaning, repairs and replacement of yard and street sewers. The loan will be approved in 2010 for further improvement of the sewer system, he said.

The Tucville sewerage system was first constructed in 1970 and comprises a collection of gravity sewers that drain directly to the facility.

The operation of the new system is facilitated by two submersible pumps which can either work manually or automatically. One pump will work duty and the other will be on standby. The system is equipped with four automatic sensors, three of which act as start/ stop switch and the fourth as high level alarm.

The site is also equipped with a state-of-the-art video surveillance system which monitors visitors and the flow of traffic in and out of the compound. This system will aid in efficient security on site. (GINA)

Heightening consumer awareness

The need for empowerment of consumers as a class cannot be over emphasized and is already well recognised all over the world. The advancement of technology and advent of sophisticated gadgets in the market and aggressive marketing strategies in the era of globalisation have not only thrown open a wide choice, for the consumer but all the same also rendered the consumer vulnerable to a plethora of problems concomitant to such rapid changes. There is an urgent and increasing necessity to educate and motivate the consumer to be wary of the quality of the products, and also the possible deficiencies in the services of the growing sector of public utilities. In short, the consumer should be empowered with respect to his rights as a consumer. He should be equipped to be vigilant with a discerning eye so as to be able to protect himself from any wrongful act on the part of the trader. In order to be able to position the consumer in such a state, there is every need not only to evolve legal remedies but also provide reliable and exhaustive information, which he can access without much effort and expense.

Recognising the importance of the problem, the Government of India and State Governments have initiated steps to introduce a dispute redress mechanism by way of Consumer Protection, but a lot more has to be done in the area of creating awareness on the part of the consumer to facilitate his seeking suitable remedy wherever there is a need. This becomes more important in the rural areas, where there is wide spread illiteracy.

The Economic and Social Council, in its resolution 1995/53 of 28 July 1995 on consumer protection, urged governments to continue their efforts to implement the guidelines on consumer protection, including by creating appropriate legal frameworks and establishing means to develop, implement and monitor policies and programmes for consumer protection. The Council also recognised the role of civil society, in particular non-governmental organizations, in promoting the implementation of the guidelines. And noting the recommendation of the Commission on Sustainable Development that the guidelines for consumer protection be expanded to include guidelines for sustainable consumption patterns, 1/ the Council requested the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the development funds and programmes of the United Nations, the regional commissions and other relevant organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, to continue to provide assistance to governments, at their request, in implementing the guidelines for consumer protection, to elaborate guidelines in the area of sustainable consumption patterns, taking into account the work undertaken in other intergovernmental forums, and to examine the possible extension of those guidelines into other areas. Finally, the Council requested the Secretary-General to submit a report to it at its substantive session of 1997 on the implementation of the resolution; the present report has been prepared in response to that request. (Source:Consumer protection Report of the Secretary-General)

In this regard the Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) must be commended for their recent hosting of a public consultation on consumer awareness in an effort to solicit and draft the views of women in legislation on consumer affairs.

It is hoped that similar consultations would take place in all parts of the country, particularly in the rural communities where the level of illiteracy tend to be higher thus being more susceptible to being ripped off by unscrupulous commercial entities.

Whispering Mabel
Studied demonstration of deliberate defiance is the way that Mabel chooses to describe the action adopted by the top management of GECOM. Just imagine the absurdity of the planned agreement by all senior officers proceeding simultaneously on leave, which action coincides with the startling revelation that their organisation after many years of (deficient) preparation cannot assume the responsibility of overseeing the holding of local government elections.

Kiss my sweet smelling posterior and you can do whatever, is another way of viewing this obviously uncaring viciousness.

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There is no defiance here, but certainly crass incompetence over at the Guyana Power & Light. What, exactly what are those people doing with the billion upon billion of funds being pumped into the running of this essential utility? Silence is not an option from the management. Mabel is asking if September is still the deadline which they proclaimed, when all the aggravating outages will cease, when it was projected that the installation and hooking-up of the spanking new multi-million dollar Wartsila plant would have been completed. This is the sort of incompetence and ineptitude that Mabel is talking about that prevails within the hapless electricity corporation.

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President Jagdeo did inquire publicly of PM Sam what was happening with the blackouts at the Convention Centre discourse.

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Dismissals and firings won’t work. Maybe public whippings may more quickly bring results

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Oh what a wonderful job is being done by President Bharrat Jagdeo in promoting, both at home and abroad, the virtues of his Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). Keep it going sir, victory is at hand come November.

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The hearing of Mabel was assaulted when one of her country relatives attempted to elucidate on the PNC/R leadership battle, and was assailed thus: “Is wah really wrang wid them; they na noe nuff nuff sweetness deh fah de leader of opposition. Corbin na wan lose da.”

THE PARROT
Some people like different polls
The Parrot has been keeping abreast with Bisram’s poll. Now, now; please, don’t go there. I know what comes to your minds immediately.

Yuk! Such thinking. Anyway, Bisram’s poll has caused Uncle Freddie to suffer from pollitis. Since Bisram showed his poll, am…that should read, since Bisram made the findings of his poll public, Uncle Freddie appeared to have been smitten.

Never has the Parrot seen a male homo sapien so obsessed with a poll. This poll obsession has made the relation between pole and pole-dancer look insignificant.

Uncle Freddie’s infatuation is by no means insignificant. Why this passion over Bisram’s poll? Some are convinced that this passion didn’t stem from this particular poll. Apparently Bisram has plenty polls! So much polls that he is known as Bisram The Pollster.

What an envious name! Uncle Freddie and others are only talking about the man’s poll. Is poll talk all over! It’s the first time there was so much interconnections between the Blue Power people and DGsell. All because of a poll. People even taking poll position! And I am not referring to the race care drivers. Everyday in the waterfall paper is poll, poll and poll. Bisram’s poll.

Poor Bisram. Uncle Freddie trying to disprove that Bisram is not a pollster. He, Uncle Freddie, spend whole day, plenty days, sitting in the Waterfall office ogling, sorry, google-ing to see if Bisram’s poll has a place.

Why such efforts? Doesn’t Uncle Freddie know that every poll has a place? Why he wants to know where the man’s place of poll is?

According to Uncle Freddie, no organisation exists to which Bisram’s poll is attached. Notice the word organisation as against body. Uncle Freddie, so obsessed, is on a hunt to find Bisram’s poll’s place. That definitely is not an envious hunt.

What is Uncle Freddie hoping to find? Instead of dealing with the poll, he is dealing with the pollster. Knowing Uncle Freddie, other than him, other writers are phantoms. He even refers to Captain Phantom as a phantom. So, him having google-d and, according to him, not finding Bisram’s place of poll, he concluded that said man’s poll is invalid. Uncle Freddie has deemed the poll invalid! Why would some people seemingly bend backwards to prove such a point? The man’s poll has definitely touched a nerve of some people, including Uncle Freddie. Uncle Freddie by his reactions to the poll clearly dislikes it. This is not a poll of his likening.

Bisram’s poll frightened Uncle Freddie. He was in shock, and probably still is, after seeing the poll. What he saw immediately induced Acute Pollitis. The poll showed that Uncle Bharrat is extremely popular. He would win in a landslide if he becomes the candidate in 2011. This is not what Uncle Freddie wants to take from such polling. No sire. He hates Bisram’s poll. Bisram’s poll doesn’t satisfy his insatiable appetite for what he really likes. He likes Dick’s poll. Remember Dick? Not from Tom, Dick and Harry. Not Cheney. Dick Morris; the Dick that polled the AFC, sorry, polled for the AFC in 2006.

Dick’s poll caused Uncle Freddie and the AFC to be excited. It was the first time Uncle Freddie was so excited after returning from his banishment.

Dick showed that the AFC was immensely popular in 2006. So popular that according to Dick, the AFC would have won! Dick was hired.

He produced what they wanted. He had to poll for his money. Plenty money too! Where did it come from? Ah ha! Uncle Freddie and the AFC avoiding the answer like they avoiding Bisram’s poll. That’s another squawk.

Back then, they were happy, he was happy; Dick that is. In the end, his poll turned out to be crooked. Dick was promptly banished, with money and all. His poll did not live up to expectations.

It was disappointing. It pointed in another direction; a direction that Uncle Freddie went while grasping straws; a direction he hoped Bisram’s poll would have gone; a direction in which people would have been pointed into believing that Uncle Bharrat is unpopular.

They were wrong. Dick was wrong. Bisram was right; his poll that is. Despite this, Uncle Freddie still wallows from what could have been had Dick’s poll proven right. Some people do have an uncanny preference. Squawk! Squawk!

STANDARDS CORNER
THE ROLE OF STANDARDS IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS (Part 2)
Last week, we looked at part one of this subject and we learnt that; implementation and conformance to international standards will be an important step in the success for all organisations. This week we will examine how the standards can be applied to the manufacturing process.

Applicable Standards to Manufacturing
A standard can be thought of as an agreed upon set of specifications regarding some aspect of manufacture where, every time it is applied, the user of the resulting product can trust it to have certain important characteristics. The application of standards to manufacturing companies can be classified in three (3) areas.

1. Test and Measurement Standards
These are Physical standards that are used to make measurements on the product or monitor the production process to ensure that the requirements of the product are met. These standards can be described as equipment used to measure quantities for Mass, Length, Temperature, Pressure etc.

The important factors to consider in the application of these standards are the accuracy and precision of the result obtained, hence it is important that they are calibrated after use over a specified period and maintained to ensure that the results are accurate. These should be traceable to International Standards.

2. Documented Standards for Manufacturing Operations
These are Product, Process and Management System standards that are embodied in written documents. These standards can be classified as Company, Association, National, Regional or International, based on the process of development. Examples of these standards are: Sampling and Test methods; In-process parameters or controls; Specification for final product such as: Performance requirements, Labelling and Packaging requirements, Safety and other Quality requirements etc. and Standards for managing the operations in the areas of Quality, Environment, Occupational Health and Safety etc. The most important factor to consider in the application of these standards is to ensure that the requirements stipulated by the buyer/marketplace are addressed.

3. Standards for Conformity Assessment
These are standards that are embodied in written documents and developed internationally by ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation). They are established to ensure that the process for Testing, Inspection and Certification to provide assurance on product quality is credible, reliable and accurate.

These standards are of utmost importance for providing assurance on the quality of products because they can be the deciding factor in being able to access certain market places.

The application of standards has now expanded well beyond manufacturing and service requirements to encompass such societal issues as; the environment, healthcare, safety, and consumer protection programmes and they are fundamental in securing success and creating a better way of living, hence manufacturing companies that do not embrace this process will definitely face serious disadvantages in the future.

For further information, please contact GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0062, 219-0064,219-0065 and 219-0067. You can also check the Bureau’s e-mail at: gnbs@networksgy.com

Polygraphy is not a panacea for addressing corruption at al levels
Mr. ARIF Bulkan has jumped into the deep end of the polygraph pool without realizing there was no water in the pool.

Most of what he wrote about and cobbled together as an “analysis” can be found on the internet debate website on polygraphy.

The Government of Guyana was very much aware of the pros and cons of the debate and the efficacy of polygraphy before we took the decision to embark on polygraph testing. We did so with our eyes wide open. And that is the sovereign right of any government. Some think it is was wrong to do so and that is their right. But in the final analysis, decisions have to be taken and governments must be decisive in this respect.

We never said that polygraphy is a panacea for addressing corruption at all levels. Indeed, we recognized there are other measures that must be taken to deal with this social malady.

The recent passage of a number of anti-crime legislation in the National Assembly including the Wire-Tapping legislation and the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering of Terrorism Legislation among others will, cumulatively, contribute effectively to the Administration’s fight against corruption in all its manifestations.

This government is adopting measures which the previous administration never took. Comparative analysis is critical in evaluating the performance of one administration or another

Mr. Bulkan should do the research (as he pretended to so as regards polygraphy) on what the PNC did to address corruption during their term in office. The Kwayana vs David Singh case might be of interest to him.

The PPP/C Administration is not committed to talking shop about corruption on the contrary; it is committed to rooting out corruption wherever and whenever it is to be found. In so doing, it is likely to incur the wrath of the apologists, political opponents and armchair academics who seek to besmirch the efforts of the Government by articulating views which they hope would embarrass the Government. They spare no effort to lecture the government about the do’s and don’t’s of governance. To them they know it all!

It appears that Mr. Bulkan has joined the rickety bandwagon whose passengers are having a difficult time convincing others about “corruption at the highest levels of Government”

The point is that they have failed because they do not have a shred of evidence to prove anything against a single Minister of Government. It is all talk and nothing more but talk.

Mr. Bulkan hasn’t the slightest clue about what it means to be a Member of Cabinet and maybe he never will. Cabinet is a collective decision making body.

Once Cabinet takes a decision on any matter that’s it, every man Jack or woman Jenny falls in line.

It would be foolish if not highly indisciplined for a Cabinet Minister to strike out on his or her own and to go public against a Cabinet decision

In fact, it would be better for that Minister to walk rather than face the likelihood of being booted out by the President. Mr. Arif Bulkan and his ilk would rub their hands in glee were that to happen.

Mr. Bulkan knows little about my history in politics and moreso, about my personal life. I too know little or nothing about Mr. Bulkan’s professional or personal life. Thus I am no position to question his integrity as a lawyer or otherwise.

The citizens of Guyana are free to comment on my conduct, statements and/or performance as a Minister of Government. However, when it comes to my personal integrity that is a totally different matter. In this regard, Mr. Bulkan is way out of line.

Finally, as regards my ability to travel to the United States, Mr. Bulkan by admission is clearly in the dark. Since he has the proof/evidence that my US Visa was “cancelled” he should provide the public with the proof/evidence to embarrass me even more. I never said my US Visa was cancelled, others did and sadly, Bulkan swallowed it hook, line and sinker. Talk about common sense!
CLEMENT J. ROHEE
Minister

Contractor refutes Kaieteur News charges on Stanleytown pump
THE Kaieteur News article of August 20, 2009 titled “Stanleytown pump and engine” is totally erroneous and mischievous. The public must be forewarned about this marauding newspaper that is out to create an impression that there is much corruption and overpricing involved in the meting out of contracts.

Firstly, the company, Everglades farm equipment in Florida does not sell pumps of this nature. I visited the company (see attached photograph) and was told in no uncertain terms that the company is a John Deere dealer in farm equipment and if I was interested in pumps of that nature, I should check with the Moving Water Industries (MWI) pump company. They were unable to provide me with any estimates for the cost of such pumps. They could, however, supply the John Deere engine and the price landed in Guyana would be in the vicinity of US$50,000. This is approaching $11M. I believe that the Kaieteur Newspapers used this price for the engine alone to mislead the public. I hereby challenge the Kaieteur Newspaper to obtain a detailed quotation from this company for the pump; engine and gear drive and publish it in all the newspapers.

I have purchased the engine for the Stanleytown pump station from the local John Deere dealer at a lower price with full parts and labour warranty, which is a requirement of the contract. As can be seen from the attached invoice the price for the engine along without VAT and duty is $8,610,228. If I were to pay duty and taxes, it will be $10,487,257. This approximates to the $11M Kaieteur Newspaper is referring to.

Also attached to this letter is the price schedule for the pump, gear drive and drive shaft with coupling as supplied by the MWI pump company that manufactured the pump. The prices are:

Pump – US$178,273 ($36,724,238)
Gear Drive – US$40,360 ($8,314,160)
Drive shaft and coupling – US$3,446 ($709,876)

The above plus the cost of the engine ($8, 610, 228) gives a total value of the imported equipment as $54,358,502.

The discharge pipe work (54 inch ID) and skid supporting the engine and gear drive were manufactured locally at a cost in excess of $2M

I am now requesting of Mr. Glen Lall to refute these prices that can be verified by the Auditor General of Guyana and if he can’t, would he have the guts to publish an apology for his gross lies on the front page of the Kaieteur Newspaper. If he finds these prices still too high for a total bid price of $61.5M for supplying and installing the pump, then he needs mental care.

Similarly, I would like him to identify the make of paint where you can use 14 gallons and supply three coats of spray painting to the entire pump house. I believe he is in contact with UFOs as that kind of paint does not exist on earth.

Can Mr. Glen Lall tell the public if the $11M pump he is talking about is a disposable pump like disposable cameras or it is a pump intended for long term disposal of flood water? I am looking forward to his response and I hope it is not all lies again!
HARRYCHAND TULSI

Caption: Contractor Harrychand Tulsi in front of the Everlades Farm Equipment Company PHOTO (SCANNED)

Letter writer has a bias against NCN
IT is good to see that people are paying attention to the programmes being aired on television and highlighting some of the deficiencies but there is need to look at the whole picture before making observations and casting blame.

In the Kaieteur News of August 30, 2009 a letter writer highlighted the problem of poor grammar in the media but singled out programmes aired on the National Communications Network Inc (NCN) as examples. This makes me wonder why only NCN? We are cognisant of the fact that the media as a whole is plagued with this problem and I found it quite funny that the letter writer singled out NCN’s programmes as the examples.

The writer should pay attention to other media entities including CNS Channel 6 where the English Language is being butchered everyday, the newspapers often have glaring mistakes even in their headlines and the newscasts are all guilty of mistakes.

However, none of these were mentioned and one must be fair, the entire media at some time or the other has glaring grammatical errors which make us cringe but single entities should not be identified for criticisms when they are all guilty. The Kaieteur News for example, is often guilty of printing glaring mistakes which can be spotted at a glance.

I am of the view that the writer has a bias against NCN and has shown that in his writing.
D. RAMLALL

Laying blame at someone else’s doorstep will not help
IT is nice to hear people talking about the bad things that happen in any area with the hope that the situation would be rectified but it is disgusting when they decide to spew nonsense and expect others to get on the bandwagon.

I am sure most of the nation is well aware that Neighbourhood Democratic Councils, Regional Democratic Councils and the Municipalities are given funds every year to supplement their rates and taxes to effect works in their respective areas.

However, the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) would have us believe that the government is deliberately sidelining the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown by not giving it any funding to carry out its works.

Every year at a certain time the government bails out the City Council since their workers would go on strike when they are not paid for their work. This is common knowledge since it is published in the media and it amounts to millions of dollars.

The PNC/R during its Nation Watch programme aired recently on Channel Nine complained that the drains in the City are clogged with garbage resulting in poor drainage and an infestation of mosquitoes but this is the inevitable result of poor management within the Council. When the Council fails to do its duty in collecting rates and taxes from the areas it services then how would it be able to effect works in those areas?

Government continues to provide funding every year and gives the Council millions of dollars to pay its employees so that the work will continue and that residents and visitors to the City are not inconvenienced. It currently receives $10 M per month from an approved $120M for enhancement works.

The PNCR would like us to believe that the government is blaming the Council for not doing its job and that it is the government which is at fault. It is the duty of the Council to collect rates and taxes to pay for the services they provide.

The Council has its own structure and is headed by elected officials. It is imperative that the City Council gets its house in order so that it can properly conduct itself and function effectively. Laying the blame at someone else’s doorstep will not change or help the situation.
DAVID LEWIS
………………..

Guyana’s legislative network almost identical to that of the rest of the Caribbean
I wish to respond to Mr. Juman-Yassin’s last letter published by Stabroek News on the 27th August, 2009, under the caption, “Magistrates are bound to follow the decision in State v. Webber until it is overruled by a higher court.” Hopefully, this will be my last letter in this debate.

My first reaction was one of amusement at the personal attacks leveled against me by my learned friend. I will of course not condescend to that level by responding. I consider myself above that. Suffice it to say, that I know of no debate where one debater is prohibited from identifying and emphasising the flaws, fallacies and misconceptions in the presentation of the other. The freedom to do so is but the very quintessence of any debate.

Apart from failing to advance any cogent argument against the long line of authorities I have cited, Mr. Juman-Yassin even doubts that a former Court of Appeal judge supports my contentions. He argues thus, “… I do not believe this assertion as I was informed by someone very close to this eminent person that no such support emanated from them…” It is clear that Mr. Juman-Yassin thinks that he knows to whom I am referring. Logic and commonsense would have mandated therefore that a query be made directly to this person rather than “someone very close” to him. This Mr. Juman-Yassin chose not to do but yet disbelieves my assertion based upon the information allegedly fed to him by a third party. I go to this extent merely to demonstrate the tenuous quality of arguments and flawed reasoning with which I have had to deal throughout this exchange. Yet when I criticise, all manners of labels are attributed to me. I will nevertheless persevere.

Any debate on the admissibility of confession statements in Guyana would be incomplete if reference is not made to the Guyana Court of Appeal decision of the State v. Oswald Gobin and Boniface Griffith (1976) 23 WIR 256. In this case, a special panel of five judges was assembled to specifically and compendiously deal with the issue of the admissibility of confessions statements in Guyana. The five judges assembled were Chancellor Haynes, Chief Justice Bollers and Justices of Appeal Crane, R.H. Luckhoo and Dhan Jhappan. Readers will recall that at this point in time, the Guyana Court of Appeal stood at the summit of our judiciary as the highest court in the land. Based upon the report of the case, the arguments lasted for twelve (12) days. The judgment rendered at the end of this process numbered seventy five (75) pages in length. It is definitely the most ecumenical judicial dissertation on the admissibility of confession statements in Guyana’s legal history. Indeed, it is arguably the most comprehensive judicial treatment of the issue by any court in the entire Commonwealth. The judgments referred to a total of one hundred and eighteen (118) cases from Guyana, the Caribbean, England, India, Australia and Canada.

Chancellor Haynes commenced his historical excursion into the law of confession statements in England in the year 998. At page 269 the learned Chancellor concluded thus:

“I have reached the end of my historical survey of those common law rules which related to the reception of evidence of confessions or guilty admissions, bearing on the legal questions raised. They are common law principles of some antiquity, but this Court is bound by them.”

Nowhere in the seventy five (75) pages of the judgment of the Court of Appeal is it either, expressly or by implication, stated that a magistrate has the power to exclude a confession statement at a preliminary inquiry. In fact, the words “magistrates” or “preliminary inquiry” do not appear in any of the judgments rendered thereof. Each of the said judgments situate a voire dire in the context of a trial.

The very common law principles referred to by Chancellor Haynes above are the same common law principles which inform the authorities that I have cited from the commencement of this debate.

Additionally, Dr. Mohamed Shahabuddeen CCH SC, in his text, The Legal System of Guyana, traced the historical evolution of our criminal law and procedure and found that our current criminal law and procedure owes its genesis largely to the Rules of Criminal Practice (1829) made by the President and Members of the Court of Criminal and Civil Justice for Essequibo and Demerara and approved by the Court of Policy on the 12th May, 1829. At page 305, Dr. Shahabuddeen states:

“The last paragraph of the 1829 Rules of Criminal Practice significantly provided that, ‘in all questions of form which may arise on criminal trials, which are not herein provided for, the Court shall follow as near as is possible the practice which would be adopted by a criminal court in England under similar circumstances.”

This statement accords with the analysis done by the Guyana Court of Appeal in State v. Oswald Gobin and Boniface Griffith (supra) and indeed with every major case reported in Guyana on the issue of confession statements.

As I have earlier stated, the practice and procedure in England has always been that a magistrate has no power to exclude a confession statement at committal proceedings. As I have pointed out in my previous correspondence, England passed special and specific legislation in 1984 and 1996 to change this position. This position has however remained unchanged in Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean. I have previously stated that the legislative network in Guyana is almost identical to what obtains in the rest of the Caribbean. The pivotal question therefore remains, whence a magistrate in Guyana derives a special power which his counterparts do not possess in similar circumstance anywhere else in the common law world?

It is against this historical and jurisprudential background that the case of The State v. Webber (2004), cited by Mr. Juman-Yassin, must be viewed and examined. It has not escaped my attention that although Guyana has a case reporting system dating back to 1823, Mr. Juman-Yassin has only been able to cite a single unreported case in the year 2004, to support his argument. This by itself ought to excite the intellect of a keen reader.

In my humble view, the case of Webber proceeded on the assumption that a magistrate has the power to exclude a confession statement at a preliminary inquiry. It does not appear that the specific issue as to whether a magistrate indeed possesses such a power, in the first place, was ever canvassed. If this was done and the relevant authorities cited, the learned trial judge may have ruled differently.

I observed that the learned trial judge placed heavy emphasis on Section 71 of the Criminal Law (Procedure) Act which obliges a magistrate to form an opinion of the whole of the evidence adduced in order to determine whether a sufficient case is made out against the accused person to commit him for trial. I feel compelled to again emphasize that this very statutory provision exists in almost all the Commonwealth Caribbean countries and existed in England before 1984, when a new Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act was promulgated. The authorities I cited on previous occasions clearly demonstrate that this section was never used and is not being used in any other jurisdiction as a vehicle to empower a magistrate to exclude a confession statement. Again, were proper legal submissions made on this issue I am confident that the learned trial judge would have ruled differently.

Needless to say that Mr. Juman-Yassin’s expectation of an apology from me is hopelessly misplaced.
MOHABIR ANIL NANDLALL MP,
Attorney-at-Law

Another bad day for Windies cricket- Ramphal
…WICB, WIPA mediation talks break down; matter now set to go to arbitration
A disappointed Sir Shridath Ramphal yesterday described “as another bad day for West Indian cricket”, the failure of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) to solve their differences.

The two bodies have been at odds over issues relating to players’ contracts. The disagreement has already resulted in many of the top West Indies players, including former captain Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shrivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo boycotting the Bangladesh series and missing out on the Champions Trophy scheduled for later this month.

Sir Shridath, who was appointed mediator, had been in discussion with the feuding parties since last month and had set the end of August as the deadline for reaching a solution.

But in a brief statement, the eminent Caribbean jurist warned that West Indies cricket “without fundamental changes, is now likely to deteriorate further”.

Sir Shridath explained that 24 hours before the breakdown, he believed that “Agreement between the WICB and WIPA was at hand; and that he had actually invoked assistance of various kinds to make implementation of the Agreement feasible”.

“However, all that changed dramatically when one Party introduced an entirely new document and refused to negotiate on any other.”

The matter is now set to go to arbitration.

Sir Shridath said that he will report to Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo, who had used the “good offices of the Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)” to initiate the mediation process between the feuding parties.

A report will also be submitted to CARICOM Secretary-General Edwin Carrington on the outcome of the mediation effort.

Sir Shridath said, despite the disappointment he was urging cricket followers in the Caribbean not to despair because, “cricket is in our regional genes; it cannot be lost.”

GFF discloses teams for inaugural NSL
-Prize money to be sourced by the organisers-Adonis
By Calvin Roberts

President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Colin Klass (left) and FIFA Developmental Officer Harold Taylor (centre) pay keen attention as GFF’s general secretary Noel Adonis addresses the gathering at the launching of the National Super League, Sunday night at the Guyana Pegasus Hotel. (Cullen Bess-Nelson photo)

TEN teams including national club and three times Georgetown Football Association (GFA) Cellink Plus Premier League champions respectively Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United will be contesting the inaugural Guyana Football Federation (GFF) National Super League (NSL), which was launched last Sunday night at the Guyana Pegasus Hotel and kicks off this weekend.

In an invited comment with Chronicle Sport, general secretary of the GFF Noel Adonis stated that although the world governing body for the sport FIFA has contributed US$150,000 into this tournament for a two year period, the GFF still have to source the prize money from sponsors.

“While some may tend to think that the money that was given to the GFF by FIFA will be used as part of the prize money for this inaugural tournament, FIFA has clearly stated to us that such would not be permissible.”

Adonis, who also wears the cap of president of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) further stated, “The GFF will have to source the prize money for the tournament from corporate Guyana and sponsors and we have begun negotiations which we hope to conclude with a few potential sponsors, before the first ball is kicked off this Sunday.”

“As an added attraction, the GFF had sent an invitation to the Barbados Football Association (BFA), inviting their national team to play our Golden Jaguars on Sunday as part of the plans to kick off the NSL, but for reasons unknown they informed us of their unavailability to do so, hence we are forced to continue with the double header programme, with the second match being a NSL one” said Adonis.

According to the fixtures, the tournament which will be played on a one round, round robin format with the climax set for the place of commencement on November 11th, have matches being played around the diasporas of Guyana.

Linden’s Topp XX who happen to be the most decorated team in the largest football tournament held locally, the Kashif and Shangai annual competition, Milerock also out of the mining town and Georgetown’s Sunburst Camptown and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) football clubs, have all been invited to participate.

Berbice’s Rosignol United, Victoria Kings and Buxton United from East Coast coupled with Liquid Gold of Bartica and Seawall United (formerly Pouderoyen) of West Demerara complete the lineup of teams that will be competing for an unknown sum of money.

The Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) in Linden, Georgetown Football Club (GFC) or its neighbours Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) and Camp Ayanganna in Georgetown, Uitvlugt in West Demerara, Bartica Community Centre, Blairmont in West Berbice and Plaisance on the East Coast are all venues identified to host games in the NSL.

The NSL is an initiative of both FIFA and CONCACAF, as part of their “Win in CONCACAF with CONCACAF” development programmes that started in the African Continent a few years ago, to harness the talent of footballers there.

According to president of the GFF Colin Klass, president of CONCACAF and vice- president of FIFA respectively Austin ‘Jack’ Warner approached the governing body to introduce a similar programme in the Caribbean, something that has been realised with Guyana’s NSL.

“Thanks to Warner and FIFA for the realisation of the NSL, which could develop into a professional league on the local scene” said Klass.

He further stated that while there were lots of talks about who the teams should be to contest the NSL, persons need to realise that the aims of the tournament is to ensure a nursery is incorporated within the clubs, to fuel and further enhance the senior department of those clubs.

“Clubs who have an active nursery programme along with a strong development programme for their senior teams, will be eligible to compete in this tournament, as one of the main objectives of FIFA and CONCACAF, is to ensure the sport of football does not become dormant, especially in some countries.”

“To this effect, we will be running off and Under-13 and 15 as well as a women’s tournament which will run simultaneously with the NSL. It is not only about football, but the development of the sport that matters most where this league is concerned” said Klass.

Meanwhile, while the GFF was mum on the prize money which will be up for grabs in the NSL, an anonymous source has informed this reporter that the country’s local governing body for the world’s most popular sport, is looking at having the top four teams compete for a package of G$2M.

Boxers ink their names for`Caribbean Fury’ card
-opponent unknown for Rogers
By Calvin Roberts
THE Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) will be in a frenzied mood come Saturday 26th September, when the much anticipated ‘Caribbean Fury’ which is jointly promoted by Holland Entertainment Promotions and S and S Promotions rings off.

At a simple ceremony held in the boardroom of Abdool and Abdool Insurance yesterday, which is also the office of president of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) Peter Abdool, five of the pugilists who are slated to compete in what will be the biggest international boxing card held locally, inked their names to their respective contracts.

But while some of the boxers who are schedule to compete on the card are aware of who their opponents are, an opponent for national heavyweight boxer Mitchell Rogers is yet to be announced.

Making some brief comments prior to the signing of the contracts, Carwyn Holland of Holland Entertainment Promotions said that it is not that no one is willing to fight Rogers, but due to his craftiness and ring technique, some boxers are charging $250,000 to $400,000 to match gloves with him.

“I don’t know if it is his ring record or his punching power, but local boxers are asking for a huge amount just to face Rogers, something that is way beyond our reach. However, due to the magnitude of this card, we will be signing an opponent for him, even if we have to bring in one from Trinidad and Tobago (T&T)” said Holland.

Holland was ecstatic about the card which will be breaking new grounds locally, as it will be the first time an entire card will be televised live out of this country, thanks to Caribvision and the International Boxing Network (IBN).

“This card promises to be a sizzling affair and thanks to Caribvision and IBN, over three million viewers around the Caribbean will have the opportunity of watching same from the first bell to the last, the first time a card will be televised in its entirety from Guyana.”

There will be two feature bouts involving a total of five titles being up for grabs, with Corinne ‘The Sexy Panther’ De Groot who is of Guyanese decent, facing Shaundell ‘Mystery Lady’ Alfred over 10 rounds for the Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) bantamweight title.

De Groot, who is also a member of the Gladiator family on the popular television show American Gladiators where she is known as the ‘Panther’, has promised to teach the ‘Mystery Lady’ a lesson in the ring.

“De Groot has an unbeaten record in the ring, where she has seven knock outs from 11 victories, while on the American Gladiators show, she also boasts an unblemished record and plans to keep things that way when she faces Alfred, whom we all know is no pushover, so there alone boxing fans and enthusiasts will have their monies worth”, said Holland.

Another first will be made on the card, when Leon ‘Hurry Up’ Moore who is ranked at number seven on the World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight list and was scheduled to face Colombia’s Mauricio Pastrana, will now face Reynaldo Lopez also of Colombia, where he will be defending his World Boxing Council (WBC) CABOFE bantamweight title.

Added to that belt, the two pugilists will be going at each other for the North American Boxing Association (NABA), WBA Fedelatin and the WBA Fedecaribe bantamweight titles, making it the first time four titles will be up for grabs in the squared circle locally.

Added flavor to the pot for that night’s boxing meal would be the Howard ‘Battersea Bomber’ Eastman versus Kevin ‘Fighting Policeman’ Placide in a middleweight encounter over 10 rounds, a feat Eastman (43-6) is labeling as revenge for his countryman Denny ‘Deadly’ Dalton (16-7-1).

Both Placide (11-4-1)and Dalton matched gloves on three occasions, with Dalton who also lost to Eastman by a majority decision when the two met for the national middleweight title last year, coming out victorious on two occasions and was disqualified on the other.

Since his return to these shores, Eastman who once held both the British and Commonwealth middleweight titles while residing in England, has defeated all that was placed in front of him, including scoring a split decision over Guyana’s first world champion Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis.

He last fought on 28th February, where he scored a unanimous decision victory over Leon ‘The Lion’ Gilkes, and was scheduled to face Lennox Allen in a defence of his national middleweight title, but was a no show for reasons that need not to be mentioned.

However, he has vowed to continue his unblemished record at home against Placide who is looking to use this bout as a stepping stone onto the international arena in the fistic sport.

The other bouts on the card will see Iwan Azore and Wayne Briggs battling it out over six rounds in a welterweight clash, Dexter Marques facing Hewley Robertson in a four round super bantamweight and Paul Lewis matching gloves with Shawn Pile also over four rounds in the flyweight division respectively.

The promoters are pleading with boxing fans who have decided to grace the CASH with their presence for the Caribbean Fury, to be on their best behaviour and at the same time desist from using indecent language.

The Government of Guyana, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and several other sponsors including furniture giants Courts Guyana Limited, has thrown their full support behind this card which is being sanctioned by the GBBC.

FIVB/ GVBF/ Ministry of Education Teacher’s training course underway
By Storme Moore
THE Federation of International Volleyball (FIVB) in keeping with its Volleyball Cooperation Programme is in the process of hosting a teacher’s training course in collaboration with the Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVBF) and the Ministry of Education’s Allied Arts Unit.

The course is aimed at training Physical Education (PE) teachers in administering instruction in volleyball at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level.

According to Nicholas Fraser a Physical Education Officer within the Ministry of Education’s Allied Arts Unit, the CSEC PE syllabus offers 17 sporting disciplines, volleyball included, and three of these are compulsory to students sitting the examination. This is the second such effort made to bolster the CSEC PE programme as a Table Tennis training course was also conducted over the summer holiday. It was also disclosed that the participants will receive accreditation from the Federation of International Volleyball on completing the course.

The 5-day course is being conducted by Dr. Eduardo Bellman, an international instructor from the FIVB, who says that the FIVB’s Volleyball Cooperation Programme is for countries that need development in the sport. Dr. Bellman said that the joint effort of the FIVB, GVBF and Ministry of Education will teach the participants about the fundamentals of volleyball so that they can in turn spread the awareness in schools.

Dr. Bellman’s lectures will focus on the organisational structure of the international body, techniques and tactics and how to develop and motivate players in schools. President of the Guyana Volleyball Federation Lennox Shuffler said that the course was initiated because it was of the opinion that it would be more appropriate to get the programme into schools as it will be mutually beneficial.

He said that PE and by extension volleyball is a part of the CSEC syllabus, on the other hand, he said that this school programme will feed players for the Inter-Guiana Games and Guyana’s professional volleyball pool as well.

Shuffler also disclosed that this initiative coincides with the GVBF’s phase development programme which aims at spreading the sport countrywide. Out of the 30 schools invited 20 showed up for yesterday’s first lecture, the course concludes on Saturday.

Local golfers excel at Suriname Open
GUYANA’s golfers excelled at the RBTT sponsored Suriname Open Golf championships securing some of the top prizes up for grabs at the two-day event staged recently in Parimaribo.

Mohanlall “Santo” Dinanauth emerged winner of the 1st Flight 0-15 handicap with the lowest gross over the two days while another Guyanese Patrick Prashad placed second. In fourth place with the best net flight was Mike Guyadin.

Dinanauth also won the Long Drive for males on both days.

The best net prize was won by Guyana –born Sateesh Gangaram who represented Suriname.

William Walker continued Guyana’s dominance when he secured the best net of 135 over two days in the 16-25 Flight.

Top local ladies player Christine Sukhram sponsored by Banks DIH Ltd. won the best gross as well as Nearest to the Pin on Day One. She also had the Longest Drive among the ladies on Day two.

In the professional class, Young sensation Avinash Persaud made it another big win for the Guyanese when he captured first place by beating Jerome Jarno of French Guiana.

Guyana was represented by a 13-member team and according to Club Captain Jerome Khan the team performed outstandingly against tough opponents from Netherlands, Aruba, Curacao, French Guiana and the host nation.

According to Khan local golfers will be kept busy for the next two months as 14 sponsored tournaments are lined up including the Annual Guyana Open billed for November 21-22 sponsored by Banks DIH Ltd.

This weekend approximately 32 golfers will compete in the Sanjay Jewelry sponsored Medal Play tournament on Saturday at the Lusignan Golf Club.

Tee off is at 12:00 h.

Essequibo zone of GCB/Neal and Massy competition
Pomeroon and Central Essequibo score victories
By Brandon Cabose
BOTH Pomeroon and Central Essequibo recorded opening round victories in the Essequibo zone of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/ Neal and Massy sponsored 40 overs- aside first division competition last Saturday on the Essequibo coast.

In the match between Central Essequibo and North Essequibo at the Lima Sports Club ground, Central won the toss and electing to take first strike compiled 204 before they were bowled out in the final over of their innings.

Essequibo’s senior inter-county batsman Yogeshwar Lall struck six fours and two massive sixes in his top score of 62 and together with Ganesh Mangal’s 27 (2x4; 2x6) and Ian Gonsalves’ 21 which included two maximums, Central were able to reach their eventual target.

Bowling for North Essequibo, Punraj Singh, Uvindra Balgobin and Vishwanauth Lall each picked up two wickets but when their team batted, they could only score 186 from 35.5 overs, even though Vishwanauth Lall returned to hit five fours and two maximums in his attacking 58.

He was well supported by Navin Bahadur who made 42 (3x4, 2x6) and Elroy Stephney who made an unbeaten 30 not out which contained two fours and two sixes, but the bowling of Latchamn Rohit (2-9), Balchan Shivambar (2-15) and national youth fast bowler Rensford Beaton (2-43) were too much for North Essequibo’s batsmen and they succumbed by 18 runs.

At the Golden Fleece ground, Pomeroon got the better of South Essequibo by three wickets in their encounter.

Batting first after winning the toss, South Essequibo managed to score 217 all out in their 40 overs, thanks largely to some poor fielding from the Pomeroon Boys who dropped a total of eight catches. Former national under- 19 vice captain Royan Fredricks who benefitted from two of the chances, made a patient 54 which contained six fours and a solitary six.

He was well supported by his elder brother Norman who also was given two chances and was also bowled off a no ball in his 38 (5x4; 1x6),Sandy Jairam (20) and Ravidra Persaud (18), as extras contributed a healthy 61.

Bowling for Pomeroon, Chris Williams with (3-31) and Basil Persaud (2-39) were the main destroyers of South Essequibo’s batting.

In reply, Pomeroon reached their target of 218 with three wickets in hand and 5.1 overs to spare, thanks largely to the inform Anthony Persaud who made a magnificent 70 (4x4; 4x6) with support from skipper Eric Gomes 30 (1x4), who batted with some discomfort after he was struck on the arm by fast bowler Norman Fredericks while being involved in an 89 runs partnership with Ramesh Narine who made 26 (2x6; 1x4).

Williams returned with the bat to add 30 (4x4; 1x6) as Pomeroon romped to an easy three wicket victory against the bowling of Royan Fredericks (3-31) and former Essequibo Under-19 all rounder Delon Heyliger who took2-29.

The competition continues on Saturday with Pomeroon going up against Central Essequibo and North Essequibo doing battle with South Essequibo at venues to be announced.

Second England, Australia Twenty20 match abandoned
ENGLAND's second Twenty20 international against Australia at Old Trafford was abandoned without a ball bowled yesterday, forcing the series to be shared.

The scheduled start at 1900 BST was delayed because of a wet outfield and an hour later the umpires decided the conditions were not fit for play.

A small area in the bowlers' run-up at the Brian Statham End remained boggy.

Australia captain Michael Clarke said: "It's very disappointing but the ground's not good enough."

He and England captain Paul Collingwood agreed that conditions would have been too dangerous for fast bowlers landing at the Brian Statham End.

Clarke said: "If Brett Lee was running up to bowl I can't imagine it being safe enough."

It was a hugely frustrating outcome for many of the 25,000 mystified spectators, who remained in their seats long after the announcement that they would see no cricket.

With Saturday's first match in the series, also at the Manchester ground, abandoned in the early stages of England's run chase, it was a very poor outcome for the Lancashire club who were denied an Ashes Test this summer.

"It's a disaster which I think could have been avoided," said Lancashire chief executive Jim Cumbes, suggesting the players should have been prepared to play.

"I'm bitterly disappointed for the people out there who have paid £50 tonight and we have got to rethink how we treat our public in cricket.

"I think the covers were good enough. If this was a domestic game on a Friday night against Yorkshire we'd have been playing and I don't see what the difference is between this and international cricket.

"If we can't play international Twenty20 cricket in those conditions we shouldn't be playing it at all.

"I spoke to Jeff Thomson earlier who said it was perfectly OK and there was nobody who ran in faster than him."

Collingwood said: "We wanted to get out there and play but you have to be realistic and make a brave decision. There's an area of concern with the run-ups and it's unfit for international cricket.

"It's disappointing for the fans who have turned up and for those watching at home. Both teams were desperate to get out there but the conditions have taken over."

The two teams now face off in seven one-day internationals, starting at The Oval on Friday and finishing off in the north-eastern enclave of the Riverside on Septembember 24. (BBC Sport).

Like old times, an ovation for Agassi at U.S. Open
By Larry Fine
NEW YORK, (Reuters) - It was like old times at Arthur Ashe Stadium as U.S. Open fans gave Andre Agassi a rousing ovation as the former champion was honoured before Monday's opening night programme at Flushing Meadows.

Eight-times grand slam champion Agassi, the U.S. Open winner in 1994 and 1999, was one of four athletes saluted on centre court as part of a celebration of the community work done by them.

Agassi was joined by former basketball player David Robinson, football quarterback Doug Flutie and women's soccer player Mia Hamm, but it was the tennis champion who won a standing ovation and blew kisses to the four corners of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

"Over the years I've shared this court with many great athletes but I'm extra proud tonight to share this court with athletes who are not only great, but doing great work," said Agassi, one of only six men to win a career grand slam.

In 1994, the year Agassi won his first U.S. Open title at the age of 24, he started the Andre Agassi Foundation dedicated to improving public education in his hometown of Las Vegas.

In June the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy graduated its first senior class and had a 100 percent college acceptance rate.

"There has not been a single match, a single tournament, a single accomplishment on the tennis court that comes even close to the fulfilment I feel with what it is our foundation is doing," Agassi said in a video message played to the crowd.

Agassi said it was special to return to New York, where he appeared in a record 21 consecutive Opens during a career in which he evolved from a cocky rebel with shoulder-length hair to a respected champion with shaved head.

"I've shared all my life with New York fans, for the most part," he told reporters. "I mean, 21 years. They not only helped me to take a harder look at myself; they helped me grow up. They watched me and helped me."

Agassi repaid fans in grand fashion at his last Open in 2006, when at the age of 36 he won an epic second-round match against a cramping, eighth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus.

Buoyed by a cortisone injection to soothe his aching back, Agassi kept his final tournament going with a 6-4 6-4 3-6 5-7 7-5 victory. Afterward he was seen lying on his back in pain in the National Tennis Center car park.

"I didn't know how I was going to get off the parking lot floor and get to the car, let alone come back and play. But I had to walk through that door," he said.

Agassi's playing career ended in his next match, a four-set struggle against 112th-ranked Benjamin Becker of Germany.

"The scoreboard said I lost today but what the scoreboard doesn't say is what it is I've found," Agassi told the crowd after the 2006 defeat as tears streamed down his face.

"Over the last 21 years, I've found loyalty. You have pulled for me on the court and also in life. I have found inspiration."

Brilliant Madramootoo leads RHT Pepsi to Spready’s Bakery Under-19 Title
A MAN-of-the match performance from Berbice all- rounder Terrence Madramootoo (61* and 2-26), who was playing in his final Under-19 game, led Rose Hall Town Pepsi to a nail biting two -wickets victory over Scottsburg United hence enabling them to lift their second consecutive Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) Spready’s Bakery Under-19 title at the Area ‘H’ ground.

Madramootoo struck seven fours and four sixes in his unbeaten knock, as RHT Pepsi who needed to score 161 for victory and were reeling at 100-8, reached 166-8 from 39 overs, after bowling out Scottsburg United for 160 from 46 of their 47 overs after the match was reduced because of early morning rain.

Earlier in the day, Scottsburg electing to bat first after winning the toss, found themselves in trouble at 12-3 in the fifth over.

Off-spinner Mark Fernandes opening the bowling had opener Mark Lionel adjudged lbw for three in the second over before Madramootoo bowled Ryan Ramdass (03) and had national Under-19 batsman Alex Amsterdam caught behind driving for two.

Trevor Thomas and national Under-19 captain Anthony Bramble survived some testing bowling to lead a recovery, as they added 92 for the fourth wicket, before Bramble was caught off national Under-15 player Dominic Rickey for a well played 61 (6x4; 1x6) at 104-4 in the 32nd over.

Tony Ramsarran was then bowled by Rickey for 4 at 118 for 5 and the remaining batsmen apart from Thomas struggled against the spin based attack, as Scottsburg were dismissed for 160 in the 46th over, with Thomas being the last wicket to fall for a patient 44 (2x4).

Bowling for Rose Hall Town Pepsi, Ricky took 2-25, Madramootoo 2-26, Shawn Pereira 2-29 and Lloydel Lewis 2-38.

When Rose Hall Town Pepsi began their reply, they were placed on the back foot by medium pacer Marvin Harvey who removed both openers to leave them on 14-2 in the fifth over, before skipper Eon Hooper (33, 3x4; 2x6) and number three batsman Leon Crawford (06) added 31 from six overs, before Harvey struck again when he bowled Crawford for 6.

Hooper was then caught brilliantly at cover by Harvey off offspinner Alex Amsterdam to leave his team dangerously placed at 58-4 in the 16th over and Scottsburg sensing victory, kept the pressure up as Lewis (12), Nelroy Hicks (07), Lionel Lewis (02) and Simon Lawson (08) were all dismissed cheaply to leave the home team at 100-8.

The experienced Madramootoo who has represented Berbice at the Under-15, 17 and 19 levels attacked the Scottsburg bowlers with success and in partnership with the level headed 13 year old Perreira took the fight against the visitors.

He ended the match with a massive six off leg spinner N. Yacoob, as they added 66 valuable runs from 11 for their team to see them to victory, even as Harvey ended with 4-43 from his 10 overs and Ramdass 2-38.

Public Relations Officer of the BCB Hilbert Foster speaking at the presentation ceremony which was held shortly after praised both teams for the high class finals and for providing the large crowd with a good game.

He expressed profound gratitude to the sponsor, Spready’s Bakery for their continued investment into Berbice cricket and stated that the investment was producing the goods as Berbice are the Inter-County Under-19 champions.

Third vice-president of the BCB Mark Lyte expressed his satisfaction at the high standard of cricket played and called on the young cricketers to always be disciplined, committed and focused, while Nazimul Fudadin representing the sponsors hailed the smooth running of the tournament and congratulated Rose Hall Town Pepsi for lifting the cup.

He also encouraged Scottsburg to be proud of being the losing finalist and stated that the sponsors were satisfied with the administration of Berbice Cricket and further stated that sponsorship of the tournament in 2010 is secured.

Madramootoo received $5 000.00 for his man- of –the- match efforts, Rose Hall Town Pepsi $30,000. and the Spready’s Bakery Trophy, while the runner up team collected $15, 000.