Daily Archive: Tuesday, February 19, 2008

(This is one of a series of fortnightly columns from Guy-anese in the diaspora and others with an interest in issues related to Guyana and the Caribbean) In a moving world, what is our heritage?

A Trinidadian High Court judge yesterday dismissed an application filed by former Guyanese MP Abdul Kadir and his two co-conspirators, seeking to quash their extradition to the US to face terrorism charges.

The smell of tear smoke discharged by the police at villagers demonstrating against poor security; the sound of ministers of the government being abused by members of the public; the sight of a bulldozer stuck in the soft mud in the village backlands; the shambles of a minister’s meeting with irate farmers; and the scene in the National Assembly of a cabinet minister intemperately remonstrating with the speaker will, sadly, remain some of the tragi-comical memories of what has now become a month of mourning for this country.

He said he would let his bike do the talking for him, and that is exactly what happened Sunday at the South Dakota circuit when Canadian Kevin Graham competed in the Super Bike category at the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) Mashramani Champion of Champions race meet.

Whitney Welcome hammered home five goals as Bartica trounced West Demerara 6-0 as the Pepsi Cup Inter Sub-Association Under-17 football tournament continued last weekend.

Jody Ann Blake and Vida Moore came within a whisker of defeating favourites Trenace Lowe and Michelle John but fell at the final hurdle losing 2-3 in a tense five setter as the national table tennis championships continued yesterday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Dear Editor, Looking at the West Indies performances on their recent tour to South Africa there are some positives that came out.

Dear Editor, At first I thought that the headline was a misprint.

Dear Editor, When Roger Luncheon starts criticizing people for making ambiguous utterances, you know the PPP is clutching at straws.

Dear Editor, In your editorial of Sunday February 17, on my opinion piece on Dominica and ALBA, you refer to a concept document ‘Constructing ALBA’ which lists 19 areas ‘which the proposals would encompass’.

Dear Editor, I would like to convey my deepest sympathy to the relatives and friends of the late Dennis Edghill who died resulting from an altercation on the University of Guyana campus, Turkeyen.

Dear Editor, In the Kaieteur News of February 17, in a report on the calls for the death penalty to be strictly enforced, it is reported that Bishop Juan Edghill stated that the death penalty was “not in conflict with our beliefs, and all of our religious teachings speak of punishment for such crimes”.

Dear Editor, Your “Culture Box” editorial and cartoon of February 16, in The Scene were the most inane, shortsighted and offensive journalistic work I’ve read and seen in a long time.

Dear Editor, Minister Robeson Benn in his closing remarks at a training workshop held at the Grand Coastal Inn on Friday last for inspectors of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, condemned Air Services Limited (ASL) for not allowing a GCAA inspector on one of ASL’s aircraft (Cessna Caravan) to conduct pilot checks etc.

Dear Editor, It is just a year since 350 stakeholders at the public consultation on a log export policy convened by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) endorsed overwhelmingly the replacement of log exports by local timber processing.

Dear Editor, No. I am neither a friend nor an associate of Kellawan Lall, but I feel for the man.

Dear Editor, I was travelling on a foreign, legally obtained passport, returning by plane from a short stay abroad, which involved clearing the Customs and Immigration, stripping, patting down and ‘take-off-your-shoes’ operation three times going and coming.

Dear Editor, I sent this response to the Guyana Chronicle to a letter attacking me.

Dear Editor, Leaders in Guyana are so arrogant. They feel that after coming to the people and getting their support to be elected, appointed or selected they are no longer accountable to those who are responsible for getting them there.

Dear Editor, I feel that before this country deteriorates into a scenario like Kenya and the UN or the US steps in to mediate, we should deal with the issues affecting us.

Bartica reeled yesterday, stunned at the murders of 12 persons including three policemen in the Region Seven community by heavily-armed gunmen, who, in a well planned attack, also stole a quantity of guns and ammunition on Sunday night.

Pandemonium broke out at the Lyken Funeral Home at the strike of noon yesterday after the bodies of 11 of the Bartica 12 arrived to the wailing of relatives, who had waited for close to two hours for them to arrive.

The savage attack on the Bartica community on Sunday night has left security officials reeling and there has been no statement by the police on who might have been behind it.

President Bharrat Jagdeo has invited representatives of the private sector, labour movement, inter-religious organizations and leaders of the parliamentary parties to a meeting today to discuss the current security situation.

The Guyana Police Association condemns the brutal killing of three police ranks and nine civilians during the maddening rampage by a group of armed men at Bartica Sunday night.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) deplores the brutal slaying of 12 persons at Bartica on Sunday evening and urges citizens to support the security forces’ efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Trinidad and Tobago Minister of National Security Martin Joseph has strongly condemned “the wanton killings of 12 Guyanese, including three police officers,” at Bartica on Sunday night and extended an offer of assistance.

As Bartica residents fought emotions ranging from grief to anger in the wake of the slaughter of 13 persons in their community on Sunday night, a team of Cabinet ministers travelled to the area to appeal for calm.

A policeman in the Potaro/Siparuni region who went swimming on Sunday turned up dead yesterday, a statement from the Police Public Relations unit has said.

Next July 15/16, many of the leaders of the Caribbean will be in London for their bi-annual pow-wow with British leaders (including Prime Minister Gordon Brown it is hoped) .They

Chairman of the Upper Corentyne Chamber of Commerce, David Subnauth said the chamber is saddened at the senseless slaying of the 12 innocent persons in Bartica especially since “the country has to deal 23 killings in three weeks.”