October 18, 2016

Archives for April 16, 2016

PNC, AFC refuse to reveal advisors’ names

Appointment of “honorary” advisors

Ramjattan says “I am not talking”
“I will not answer that” – Oscar Clarke

By Edward Layne

The Alliance For Change (AFC) and the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) the two larger parties in

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan

the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) ten-month-old coalition government, have refused to reveal the names of the over 30 persons who were appointed advisers upon their recommendation.
On Thursday, Minister of State Joseph Harmon disclosed that during the period 6 October, 2015 to 8 February, 2016, 34 persons were identified on the recommendation of the AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan, the PNCR General Secretary Oscar Clarke, and the APNU General Secretary Harmon, and the instruments were accordingly issued.
However, the other 33, who are supporters of APNU/AFC are yet to be named.
When contacted on Friday for the identities of the AFC nominees who were appointed, that party’s leader Khemraj Ramjattan refused to speak to this publication.
Even before the question was asked, Ramjattan declared, “as I told you all, I am not talking, take care, bye.”
Meanwhile, AFC General Secretary David Patterson also refused to comment on the matter.
“I have no comment, write that I have no comment at all,” Patterson said.
General Secretary of PNCR Oscar Clarke was also contacted but while he confirmed that he did recommend persons for appointment he refused to state how many persons and their identities.
When told about the disclosure by Harmon and asked how many persons he had recommended and their

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General Secretary of PNC, Oscar Clarke

identities, the PNCR GS stated, “you didn’t ask him (Harmon) that question?”.
When the question was put again to Clarke, he insisted that this publication put the question to Minister Harmon
“I made recommendations yes, but you ask him how many persons… the 34 persons he mentioned, you ask him how many recommendations I made,” Clarke insisted.
After the question was put repeatedly to the PNCR’s GS, he declared, “I do not propose to answer that, you ask him, I am not going to answer that, you could ask me all night I won’t answer.”
Harman’s disclosure is the first time the government confirmed that indeed it appointed more than 30 “honorary” advisers.
Harmon made the disclosure in his public statements on the appointment of businessman Brian Tiwari as one of the 34 advisers, after the coalition government came under public attacks for the appointment of these persons who were described as “campaign supporters.”
He revealed that the President was not informed at the time of the appointment, but was subsequently informed, but was not in agreement with having Tiwari as an “Honorary Advisor” and the appointment was rescinded. The Minister of State said he agreed with the President’s decision and his rationale for rescinding the appointment.
It is unclear whether or not the President will rescind the appointments of the other 33.
The Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has been consistently calling for government to be more open in its decision-making, including making public the Terms of Reference (ToRs), as well as the names of the nearly 30 persons, many of whom were appointed in the United States and Canada, as Advisers on Diaspora Affairs.
PPP/C Member of Parliament (MP) Anil Nandlall had told reporters that while a few persons were named, there has been no proper public disclosure by the Administration regarding these persons and what they were appointed to do.
“We have not heard any public announcement emanating from the Ministry of the Presidency. We want to know who these people are, how they were selected, what their qualifications are, what are their sectorial responsibilities, what are their portfolios, what are their remuneration packages, offices going to be rented for them, expenditures are going to be paid, light bills and phone bills are going to be paid, utility expenses are going to be paid. We need to know these things,” Nandlall told a news conference at the PPP’s headquarters on Robb Street, Georgetown.
At an AFC appreciation dinner and dance in Toronto in October 2015, Earth Marshall, Ron Alert and Dr Rohan Somar of the AFC’s New York Chapter and Accountant Tameshwar Lilmohan of the party’s Tornoto Chapter were appointed Ministerial Advisers on Diaspora Affairs and presented with their Certificates of Instruments by Vice President and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, on behalf of President David Granger.
The others, according to Nandlall, were appointed at a People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, during the same period.

Gunman shot during Mc Doom gas station robbery

A suspected bandit was shot in the wee hours of Friday morning in an exchange of gunfire during a robbery at the Shell Service Station, Mc Doom, Greater Georgetown.
The injured man who was reportedly shot to one of his legs is under guard at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
According to information received, at about 02:30h, four armed men went to the gas station and held up three employees, relieving one of them of $51,000 and a mobile phone before engaging Police in a high-speed chase and exchange of gunshots.
However, the men managed to escape into the village after the exchange of gunfire. The Police, however, went in search of the men and based on information received, the ranks went to a house where they found an unlicensed 9mm Glock Pistol and 35 matching rounds and twenty-six .32 rounds of ammunition.
At the scene on Friday, one of the pump attendants who was robbed explained that she was taking a nap and when she woke, she realised her colleague was nowhere around and thought that she was in the wash room.
After serving several cars, she noted that the young lady did not return hence she went to check on her. When she reached the washroom area, she saw her colleague and the guard lying on the ground and as she looked around, she was confronted by one of the gunmen who held her at gunpoint.
“He told me don’t move and that I must act normal and to hand over all the money I sell for the night… I give him the last set of money that I sell…there was three of them,” she noted.
The young lady further explained that one of the men left and went to the cashier but before doing so, he broke into the minimart section and discharged several rounds.
He then instructed the cashier to hand over the money she had at the time, while hurling abusive remarks towards her.
By this time, she noted that the Police arrived and there was an exchange of gunfire. Out of fear, she ran into the washroom and locked herself in. When she came out, everything was over.
She also noted that the gunman relieved her of $4000 but was unsure how much he collected from her colleagues, stating that he might have collected over $20,000 from the cashier. The pump attendant also told Guyana Times that after the men attacked, the cashier was attempting to call 911 but the calls went unanswered.
“She must be call the 911 number about 100 times… but her have a dispatcher number of the wall and we called them and less than three minutes, the Police came,” she noted.

Traffic Cop dies days after being struck by speeding canter

Three days after being struck while performing duties at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, a traffic officer

Dead: Police Constable Kelvin La Fleur

Dead: Police Constable Kelvin La Fleur

succumbed to his injuries at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Dead is 25-year-old Kelvin La Fleur, of Demerara Road, Lamaha Springs, Georgetown. At the time of his demise, he was attached to the Providence Police Station.
According to reported received, the traffic rank who served at the Kitty and Brickdam Police Stations was in the process of crossing some school children when he was struck by a canter which was overtaking another vehicle.
Following the accident, La Fleur sustained injuries to both hands and a broken right leg. He was discharged from hospital but due to persistent pains, he was rushed back to the medical facility on Thursday morning.
La Fleur however took his last breath just after noon on Thursday.
The former Science Teacher was described as a loving individual who was dedicated to his job and family. La Fleur was also instrumental in planning many activities with the aim of bridging the void between the public and the Police Force.
A close friend of the officer stated that “a loved person indeed has gone. He may not be my loved one, but he was loved by many with whom he came into contact”.
The driver of the motor vehicle was arrested and is expected to be charged shortly.

Region 9 residents petition President to sack REO

– accused of discrimination and targeting Amerindians

Over 1200 residents of Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) have petitioned President David

Region Nine REO Carl Parker

Region Nine REO Carl Parker

Granger, calling for the removal of Regional Executive Officer Carl Parker who they accused of discriminatory practices and “unprofessional misconduct.”
The petition, dated Monday, April 11, 2016, was sent to President David Granger on Wednesday April 13, 2016, and copied to several Government Ministers and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
The petition, in the name of Berlinda Duncan, is signed by 1200 residents of Region Nine, and accuses Parker of discrimination and targeting Amerindians since his appointment last year, following the May 11 General and Regional Elections.
The petitioners said several letters of complaints were written to various Ministries of Government to investigate the REO’s unprofessional misconduct, but to date, there was no satisfactory response.
The document details some 13 accusations against Parker, including sexual harassment of female staff of the regional administration, including Shaharazade Atkinson, a District Education Officer.
“Several of these victims were forced to leave their jobs due to Mr Parker’s harassment and improper behaviour,” the petition stated.
Parker is also accused of discriminating against Amerindian staff, including withholding of salaries and transferring staff without proper and prior consultation.
The petitioners said that the REO is refusing to accept the appointments by the Public Service Commission (PSC) of both new recruits and promotions, claiming he has no confidence in the PSC.
He is accused of dismissing staff over political differences while persons employed by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) are warned against interacting with the Regional Chairman and Vice Chairman; both of whom were elected on People’s Progressive party/Civic tickets in the last national elections.
“Employees at present are working in fear of losing their jobs,” the petitioners stated.
Among some of the other accusations against the REO are holding unauthorised meetings in villages and demands that Village Councils report to him, while showing total disregard for decisions made by the RDC by overriding its decisions.
“Persons who have applied for jobs in the region claim they are being victimised by Mr Parker. According to our people, Mr Parker insists that they have to join the APNU party before he can recommend them for jobs. The majority of complaints come from Amerindians,” the petitioners alleged, adding that ,”When staff in the region, such as teachers, request or apply for transfers, Mr Parker also demands that they join the APNU party or else their request will not be processed.”
“Mr President, we the people of Region Nine humbly request your urgent intervention. Our people have been suffering for months and the situation has become unbearable. We can now only depend on your own good office to ensure that the Ministry of Communities corrects this anomaly and violation of rights.”
Meanwhile, on Friday, the Guyana Empowered Peoples’ Action Network (GEPAN) and The Amerindian Action Movement of Guyana (TAAMOG) wrote Communities Minister Ronald Bulkhan, advising that they have received copies of the petition.
They noted that they were informed that on Friday, Berlinda Duncan, the Amerindian mother of three who submitted the petition on behalf of 1200 other signatures, was being intimidated and forced into going to the Lethem Police Station on the said REO’s instructions.
The two Amerindian rights groups reminded that Guyana’s indigenous people are guaranteed special rights against discrimination through the Constitution, the Amerindian Act 6-2006 and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP).
“Mr Parker is being accused of violating several of these rights since his appointment to the function of REO and we now calling on you as the Minister of Communities, to rectify this anomaly by placing an REO who respects the right of all residents of Region Nine, regardless of race, gender and political persuasion.”
Parker is one of the 10 politically-appointed REOs who after the May 11, 2015 General and Regional Elections was installed in the 10 administrative regions.
Efforts to contact Parker proved futile.

Nothing sinister in new NGSA format – CEO claims

Chief Education Officer (CEO), of the Education Ministry Olato Sam said there is “nothing sinister” in the

Chief Education Officer Olato Sam

Chief Education Officer Olato Sam

Ministry’s move to change the format of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examinations to include a requirement for the students to write their names on the examination paper.
Since publicly announcing the new requirement, the Ministry and Government have come in for censure from certain sections of the public. Opposition member and former Minister of Education Priya Manickchand have blasted government over “not being able to explain the value of such a move.”
Speaking with the media on Friday however, Sam restated that, “there is absolutely nothing sinister or secretive” about the process, and further, the officers of the Ministry of Education are professionals that “do not get themselves involved in sinister and secretive processes.”
The CEO explained that in changing the format, the Ministry consulted the premier assessment entity in the region, (which is the Caribbean Examinations Council). He also said the Ministry adopted the new format and measures because “they are more efficient and will be more effective in preserving the integrity of our assessment in Guyana and that is our primary concern.”
“It is not my place to get involved in any of the other things, but I can assure all of the public that our assessment process is going to be conducted with the standards and the expectations that are not just local, but are regional,” Sam stated.
“We have certainly ensured that all of the expectations that are actually enshrined in the assessment processes that have international standards are now being brought to bear on the local process,” he added.
According to Sam, the Ministry is currently crafting a broad-based response to public concerns raised over the new format for the examination. This is in addition to a press release that the Ministry would have already sent out outlining clearly, that the new requirements are administrative functions that will in no way affect the marking process of the examinations.
Manickchand had again lashed out at Government over the “real” changes made to the format of the NGSA, noting that it could lead to subjectivity.
The NGSA, expected to be written by more than 14,000 students across the country in a matter of two weeks, now requires students to inscribe their names on the examination paper along with their identification/registration numbers.
Manickchand suggested that the move to change the format and layout of the exam from the way it has been done for decades, could be an attempt at victimisation. But that is just a suggestion and the former Education Minister said she hopes Government through the Education Ministry could show reason for its sudden decision to ask students to now write their names on their examination papers.
Manickchand said this new development could cause much more trouble than in any way help, and her Party is still seeking to figure out in what way the change could help. She said the Ministry has not been forthcoming with information regarding this.
A number of parents, she noted, have contacted her with concerns over the changes. That had prompted her to make contact with officials at the Ministry, including Chief Education Officer Olato Sam and the officer responsible for primary education.
According to Manickchand, although she had a detailed response, she still could not fathom the reason for children’s names being written on their exam paper.
She said it is always hard to keep integrity of examinations intact. This new development, she said, will most definitely shake the integrity of the examination, which took “many years building up”.

Has Moses effectively edged out Trotman?

Dear Editor,
Now that Nagamootoo is exclusively Prime Minister of Information and not permitted to chair cabinet meetings, promised under the Cummingsburg Accord, has he moved up a notch? Subsequent to the PNC-AFC coalition’s 2015 ascendency to government, Raphael Trotman was named as Minister for Governance in David “Nassau” Granger’s Office of the President. Later he was promoted as Minister of Natural Resources.
Surprising was a report in another section of the media on April 4, 2016 that a team from the US State Department Wednesday met Nagamootoo as Prime Minister, “to discuss regulatory planning for the oil and gas sector” in Guyana. The State Department’s Energy Governance and Capacity Initiative (EGCI) programme apparently discussed providing technical and capacity building assistance to Guyana now on the verge of becoming an oil and gas producer.
The report said the US “team will work closely with the Prime Minister who has oversight of governance matters; the Ministry of Natural Resources, within whose ambit rests responsibility for oil and gas; and various state agencies and ministries.”
Has Trotman lost his mojo and been cut down to size for his absence at the AFC leadership retreat which issued a blistering censure of the APNU-AFC coalition for corruption subsequently triggering Nigel Hughes (deferred) resignation? It must be recalled that consequent to Trotman’s secret rendezvous with David “this is Nassau” Granger which hatched their 2005 master plan in The Bahamas to form the AFC in 2006, Trotman was six years later on the rise as Speaker after the 2011 elections.
The AFC’s creation successfully reunited, harnessed and prevented disgruntled former PNC supporters from joining up with the PPP/C. It easily co-opted disgruntled PPP/C critics like Khemraj Ramjattan by splitting them off that negligent party, Trotman quickly became the darling prodigal son who quite naturally was returned to PNC embrace later.
The combined APNU-AFC opposition was able to get a one seat majority after the 2011 elections thanks to PPP/C negligence of their base constituency. Entitled to name the Speaker, Opposition Leader “Nassau” Granger promptly rejected Trotman’s own AFC nominated candidate of the PPP/C’s absconding Moses Nagamootoo. How was Trotman able to so easily become the preferred choice for services rendered to become Speaker was no secret any longer.
While an ambitious Nagamootoo has claimed the PPP/C did not elect him as their party leader because he was not Hindu enough, he has failed miserably to explain why both non Hindus Donald Ramotar and Clement Rohee actually became the PPP/C’s President and General Secretary.
Why was Nagamootoo again flushed away and fumigated as Speaker by both the PNC and AFC leadership? If he is secretly viewed by his colleagues as a loose cannon why is he in charge of natural resources negotiations for Guyana?

Respectfully,
Sultan Mohamed

More road safety education needed – Education Committee Chairman

Chairman of the Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Berbice) Education Committee Denise Belgrave said there is need for additional road safety education to be imparted to the Region’s students.

Education Committee Chairman Denise Belgrave

Education Committee Chairman Denise Belgrave

According to Belgrave, this is one of the recommendations brought to the fore at a recent committee meeting. She noted that generally, students have been observed using the roadways in a haphazard manner, hence the need for more education. As such, she said the committee will be targeting the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) bodies to try to bring the “much needed” road safety education to school-children across the region.
“Because we would have found that the children use the road very haphazardly, so we want to incorporate the Road Safety Committee to the PTA body to work along,” she said.
Meanwhile, Councillor of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Charles Sampson has also made calls for traffic education to be taught in schools, through the Ministry of Education. He said teachers should be trained in order to impart knowledge to students.
Belgrave has also stressed the need for guidance counsellors in every school since there are a lot of social issues that need to be addressed. She said while she is uncertain as to how soon this will happen, the need still exists.

Closure of LBI operations not a wise move

Dear Editor,
It was saddening to hear of GuySuCo’s decision to end the operations at LBI Estate. From what I understand a number of departments including the Field Workshop would be closed and its tasks discharged from the workshop at Enmore Estate.
I do not think this is a wise move by GuySuCo. Given the distance between Enmore and LBI it would be both time-consuming and costly for mechanics to travel to repair machines and other equipment in the LBI cultivation.
Time is important especially when tillage operations are being carried out. I recall when the Diamond cultivation was in existence, GuySuCo maintained a workshop at that location for such occasions.
I also understand that the Enmore workshop is too small and cannot accommodate the total machine fleet from both LBI and Enmore. This will undoubtedly cause major problems.
What is the real reason for GuySuCo’s hasty decision to close the LBI operations?

Yours sincerely,
Fredrick Yuvraj

Seized items are returned to prison officers – Commander Hicken

Deadly Prison Riot

As the Commission of Inquiry continues into the deadly Camp Street Prison fire, A Division Commander Clifton Hicken has revealed that whenever police seize certain items from inmates, they are returned to the Guyana Prison Service.

Commander of A Division Clifton Hicken

Commander of A Division Clifton Hicken

In his testimony to Commissioners on Thursday, Commander Hicken stated that police ranks would normally search for “arms and ammunition” and noted that whenever they see items such as phones and weapons, they are returned to prison officers.
These responses were obtained under cross-examination of witness by Attorney representing two inmates, Dexter Todd, who suggested to the Commander that the Police has “always found items in the prison that ought not to be there.”
“We would have found items in the prison –the prison service tells you if its authorized or not… whenever we found items like phone, improvised weapons and the rest of it, it is handed over to the prison service – that’s the SOP [Standard Operating Procedure],” Hicken testified.
It was also stated that these searches are conducted once per month but dates vary according to the contributing factors at the time. One of the mandatory searches was conducted just two days before the 3 March riots.
Hicken was further questioned as to if on a policy level, information is filtered to the police as to what should or should not be in the cell to which the Commander responded in the affirmative.
However Hicken explained that he did not brief himself on the report of the last search conducted and as such was not inclined to answer any further questions on the matter.
On 5 April the Commission heard the shocking revelation that prison wardens are the ones that sell mobile phones to prisoners. This was the testimony of Carl Brown, an inmate who is currently severing 13 years for murder. It was explained that prisoners can purchase the mobile devices for $7000 in the Camp Street Prison.
Brown told Commissioners that he has his seventh phone since being behind bars, and admitted that he would often update his Facebook account about life in prison.
Brown had also told the Commission that whenever a phone is seized, a fee is paid and the phone is returned.

Vitally important to Guyana diplomatic posture

Dear Editor,
I take serious offence with the headlines in the Stabroek News and Kaieteur News of Friday, 15 April 2016, deeming Minister Harmon’s recent issue with GRA as interference.
It seems that both of these dailies have lost their balance and are both bent on character assassination of Minister Joseph Harmon.
One also gets the impression that neither of these newspapers is conscious of what is vitally important to Guyana’s strategic/diplomatic posture.
Harmon, in responding to the request from the Chinese Embassy, clearly had in his mind Guyana’s strategic interest, and acted in that regard for the benefit of the country.
But like the typical Ostrich, these newspapers buried their heads in the sand and continue to deem Harmon’s action as interference.
I am certain the Minister of Finance and the GRA, having been made aware of the circumstances, are now more conscious that strategic considerations will always over shadow local tactical measures.
Using the words, “strategic intervention”, instead of “interference”, in the headlines, would have been more appropriate.
Now that you have been given the facts, it is expected that you would cease to operate in the realm of speculation. It’s never too late to learn.

George Gomes
Lieutenant Colonel
(retired)