DPI should be reformed
Dear Editor,In 2008, while I still worked in cricket, there was a trial match at Bourda, Georgetown; Sewnarine Chattergoon walked out to bat in short pants, the journalist seated next to me in the Cricket Board’s viewing gallery, shouted down “Disgraceful! I will take your picture and put it in the papers” to which Chatts replied “Calvin Roberts, do what you want, nobody don’t read Chronicle anyway”. The laughter that followed was absorbed with good nature by the now deceased Roberts, but the truth of that off the cuff statement has always stayed with me; seeing Imran Khan’s letter of the October 22, 2018, entitled ‘Jagdeo’s criticism of Court of Appeal ruling can be viewed as attack on Judiciary’ brought those memories flooding back. Here was the former West Indies Press Officer – now Guyana’s first Director of Public Information and Columnist – in the aforementioned Government controlled Chronicle newspaper reduced to using his official title to ensure publication of base drivel in reputable publications.Editor, the DPI and those responsible for the publication of the national newspaper are not the first to use it for propaganda; they may however be the first to know how ineffective they have rendered it as medium of communication. The DPI would be better served putting his efforts into informing the public on specific aspects of Government policy and how these would impact their lives; why for example the Government continues to expend $1.5 billion a year on an entity called the ‘People’s Militia’ when no one has any idea of who the People in this Militia are and what functions do they have that make them different form the regular Army? Why this money should be spent on them (PM) instead of on severance pay for sugar workers or salary increases for teachers? Why is the nation being plummeted into debt at precisely the time we should be exercising the most fiscal caution? Why all of the established pillars of our economy are crumbling due to neglect while we await the saving gush of oil? Why our President has seen it prudent to write to oil company executives to inform them that His Minister of the Presidency has “no reason” to meet with them? Yes, DPI, we the people who pay your salary have many questions, and you Sir, have been remiss of our needs.Editor, any Government Administration would see the value of having a Director of Public Information, but that would be based on actual dissemination of reasoning behind decisions and policy of Government, to take such an office and cheapen it with the behaviour of a Shill is to waste an opportunity to do good work for one’s country and its people. I urge my friend to reform his office and seek to redeem his professional career in the remaining few months of this administration.Respectfully,Robin Singh
Our Reporters, Alvin Worzi and Gloria Tamba last Friday did a comprehensive review of President Weah’s “pro-poor” spending.They started their article by recalling that the President, who rose from abject poverty to become an international football superstar. This means he knew what he was talking about when, in his Inaugural Address last January, he made this statement: “I declare publicly today that transforming the lives of all Liberians is the singular mission and focus of my presidency.”That, we submit, is decidedly a pro-poor goal. For everyone who walks or drives through the streets of Monrovia, Liberia’s capital, can readily see the abject poverty on every corner.Everyone can also see the woeful waste of precious human resources everywhere, as children, from age five or even younger through 20 risking their lives running between heavy traffic selling trivialities, such as chewing gum, cotton buds, bread, water and anything else they can find to sell, in order to help themselves and their desperately poor parents make ends meet.Our children and youth can be seen not only in the traffic, but in the filthy marketplaces in Soniewein, down Waterside, in Douala and at Paynesville Red Light. Part of their struggle for their daily bread is washing dishes, from age six, helping their “cold bowl” selling mothers provide food for people near every workplace in and around the city.It seems to us that targeting these young people and getting them back in school should be one of the first priorities on President Weah’s “pro-poor” agenda. These children belong in school, so what a woeful waste of their time when these “future leaders” should be in school preparing themselves for the challenges of tomorrow.Also “selling” everywhere are our strong, healthy young men and women from 20 through 40, when they, too, should be in trade shops learning trades that would earn them far more and push them quicker towards economic independence. Alas! It seems that, as in the past 12 years of the Ellen Sirleaf administration, no one is thinking about redressing this abject waste of the nation’s human resources.Nor has anyone, including our schools, colleges and universities, thought of organizing a course in import, export and marketing that would stop the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Liberian Immigration Service (LIS) and the Labor Ministry from issuing visas and work permits to any and all Indian, Lebanese and other foreign nationalities who come to Liberia by the thousands each year to work.So we are complaining about the enormously high unemployment rate in the country, yet it is the very government that has for generations been shooting itself in the foot by its shortsighted and focus-less macroeconomic policies. Among the monetary allocations President Weah has made is US$200,000 for a feasibility study for a military hospital.Yet the very soldiers whom the hospital is supposed to benefit are bitterly complaining of poor living conditions in their barracks, including the lack of proper water and toilet facilities, inadequate habitation for their families and the lack of electricity.Could not that US$200,000 go toward addressing “first things first”—making the habitation of our solders a little more comfortable, thereby raising morale in the army? A military hospital is a great idea. But the amount of US$500,000 set aside to upgrade the John F. Kennedy Medical Center (JFK) is very appropriate.For that money, the JFK should be required to readjust its policies toward making special provisions for our military personnel. The US$200,000 for the “feasibility study” could then go towards improving the soldiers’ living conditions in the barracks.We would like to know what is in the First Lady’s budget to spend the half million given her for “humanitarian outreach”. Does she know enough about humanitarian needs of the population in Liberia—including the physically challenged, the visually impaired, the psychologically and mentally challenged and the Ebola orphans?There are also the many families and individuals who are hardly assured of a good meal before bedtime. Corinna Hotel entrepreneur Sam Mitchell made a good point when, in an interview with Reporters Worzi and Tamba, he suggested that GOL should set aside some money to help struggling small and medium sized Liberian businesses.President Weah has a great and challenging task ahead of him as he seeks to lift Liberians out of poverty. One of his most urgent challenges is to empower Liberians in business, toward taking greater ownership and control of the Liberian economy.So many past administrations, especially since that of President W.V.S. Tubman, and including the past administration of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, have failed to do that.If this pro-poor President, George Weah, can reverse this trend and help usher Liberians into the mainstream of business, he would, within a short while, eliminate poverty in Liberia, by helping his poor, beleaguered (long-suffering) people to escape, at long last, this poverty trap in which they have for so long found themselves enslaved.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
…as Road to Mecca VI tips off December 1The journey to Mecca for ten top basketball clubs in Guyana began on Saturday as the fourth edition of the “Road to Mecca” was officially launched at Palm Court.The yearly tournament which is organised by the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) will this year see total prize money to the tune of $1.5 Million up for grabs.The winner of the competition will walk away with $600,000 while first to fourth placed teams will be presented with a trophy.The defending champions of the tournament are the Bounty Colts who has been far and above the best club in the country in recent times.The tournament will begin on December 1 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) with the round robin stage where each team will play each other once in two groups of five. The top two teams with the best win percentages in the respective groups will advance to the semi-finals. Each team will field 12 players and are not allowed any guest players.The final will be held on Christmas Eve as one of the 9 other teams could dethrone last year’s champions.Colts, who also holds the title of Georgetown’s best club, will battle the likes of Ravens, Amelia’s Ward Jets, Half Mile Bulls, and Rose Hall Jammers in Group A of the ten-team tournament.In Group B, Linden’s leading club, the Victory Valley Royals, will be joined by last year’s finalist Retrieve Raiders, along with Pacesetters, Plaisance Guardians and the winner (Cobras) of the qualifier tournament which was contested between newcomers Cobras, along with UG Trojans, Pepsi Sonics and Republic Bank Nets.Admission to the venue is free as the GABF seeks to give back to the basketball enthusiasts. At the launch GABF President Nigel Hinds pointed out that the tournament has evolved and fans who turn out every year can expect high quality entertainment free of cost.
1 Didier Drogba could return to Chelsea this summer In a bid to provide Jose Mourinho with something constituting an attacking option, Chelsea have splashed the cash on Spanish hitman Diego Costa, but talkSPORT’s resident Blues fan Liam Rosenfield believes the club can bolster their strikeforce further with the addition of a familiar face…Didier Drogba. It’s a name that sends Chelsea fans weak at the knees, so imagine how we must be feeling after reports emerged claiming he could make a return to his old stomping ground of Stamford Bridge.Okay, so he may be 36 years old and past his best, but there can be no denying that even at this age he is still capable of ruffling the feathers of a majority of Premier League defences.Just look at his form in Turkey last season. He scored 14 goals for Galatasaray in 36 appearances in all competitions – a very good return for anyone and he surpassed every Chelsea player apart from Eden Hazard.Whether he was to return as a player, coach, or a combination of the two, it is hard to see how he can be detrimental to the club. His familiarity with old team-mates such as John Terry and Petr Cech – players whom he won several trophies alongside – can relate to him.With Demba Ba gone to Besiktas and Samuel Eto’o’s short-term contract expired, we only boast two recognised strikers in our ranks. Costa is the main man now, and must be given the time and opportunities to grow into the role, but beyond him we only have the anomaly that is Fernando Torres.It would be easy to throw money at the situation and just sign another striker, but would they show the same level of patience as Drogba?The answer is probably not. Sometimes the most obvious solution can be the easiest, so why not pursue it?Drogba is still held in high regard by fans at the club, so much so that when he returned to the Bridge with Galatasaray last season in the Champions League, he was given a thunderous cheer, underlining that our relationship with him is stronger than ever.Last season we were a club that I feel lacked the level of team spirit once seen when Drogba and Mourinho were last working together. To have the opportunity to rekindle that again is a dream and is perhaps enough of a reason to entertain the idea of offering him a return.Chelsea fans, do you agree? Should Didier Drogba be offered a return to Stamford Bridge? Comment below…
Arsene Wenger has told Arsenal fans to be patient with Mesut Ozil and is adamant he should not be made a scapegoat for the defeat against Borussia Dortmund.Ozil came under fire following another poor display in the Champions League defeat on Tuesday night.The German international has struggled to find the form which saw him become one of the best players at Real Madrid.But despite his poor run in the team, Wenger is pleading with the Arsenal fans to give him more time and has no doubts the German superstar will regain his best form for the north London club.Wenger said: “Why should Ozil be a scapegoat? We’ve lost one game since April 1. We had very difficult games against teams like Besiktas.“Fans need to be patient. You want your best players in every game but you have to be united and go through hard periods.“The criticism is unfair because it’s post-World Cup. It takes a few months for them to get back to their best.“Everybody judges players on one game but football is played with many ups and downs.” Mesut Ozil in action for Arsenal 1
Atletico Madrid want to sign former Everton loan favourite Gerard Deulofeu.The 20-year-old impressed during his season-long stint at Goodison Park last term, where he racked up 25 Premier League appearances, scoring three times.Everton boss Roberto Martinez wanted to sign him again this term but the young forward eventually headed on loan to Sevilla, where he has started well.But now, according to Spanish newspaper AS, La Liga champions Atletico Madrid are monitoring him closely.It has been suggested that Atletico have made Barcelona aware of their interest in Deulofeu and asked them about a possible loan.But Barca appear reluctant to loan him to a direct rival – so Atletico may need to stump up the cash to land him permanently. 1 Gerard Deulofeu in action for Spain Under-21 
0Shares0000Sergio Aguero (L) no longer suffers the hamstring problems that caused him to miss games before Pep Guardiola took over in July 2016, but the manager is still wary of burn out © AFP / Oli SCARFFMANCHESTER, United Kingdom, Jan 6 – Pep Guardiola says he will need to protect Sergio Aguero, Manchester City’s only fit central striker, over the coming weeks as the club fights for trophies on four fronts.Guardiola has tended to rotate Aguero with Gabriel Jesus this season to keep both players fresh, but the Brazilian suffered knee ligament damage during City’s 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on December 31 and is likely to be out of action until mid-February. City will play at least seven matches across three competitions in January and Guardiola is uncertain that Aguero will be able to start all of them, suggesting that the manager may field other players in a central role to take some pressure off the Argentine.Aguero no longer suffers the hamstring problems that caused him to miss games regularly before Guardiola took over in July 2016 but the City manager is still wary of burn out.“We have other options to play in that position in the squad and of course Sergio is going to play and play, and play, and hopefully can show us his top level that he has,” he said.“Of course we are going to speak every day with him after and before the games about how he feels, because when you have every three or four days some games, you are going to rest.”– Aguero ‘on fire’ –Guardiola, though, believes that City’s all-time leading scorer has improved physically during the past 18 months.“I think we are so happy with what he has done,” he said. “Sergio is on fire in this period. Before we came here he had long periods of injury and in these two years he didn’t suffer that.”“He was banned two or three times but after that he was always good, always fit. So we hope we can handle it until the end because of course we need the strikers’ goals.“Our success this season is not just about strikers but also wingers and attacking midfielders and set-pieces brought us a lot of goals, but of course our striker is our striker.”City, 15 points clear of nearest challengers Manchester United at the top of the Premier League, face Burnley in the FA Cup third round on Saturday before the first leg of their League Cup semi-final against Bristol City on Tuesday.Guardiola has indicated that he would be happy to extend his stay at City beyond 2019, when his contract expires, but would only do so if he felt he had achieved the success to merit that.The City manager gave an indication that he might be thinking about putting down roots in the northwest of England by buying a £2.7 million ($3.6 million) flat in neighbouring Salford in March for himself and his family.However, he has always maintained that he will not make a definitive decision on his future until he enters the final year of his contract next season.“I will be here one more year and after, we will see. It depends on if we win and if I deserve to extend my contract.“I am so happy here. I am so, so happy. If you want to extend the contract at big clubs, you have to win, and if you don’t win, you don’t deserve to continue. That’s why I want to win.”0Shares0000(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)
1 Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo has claimed that the Blues are not the only club to suffer from an inability to promote youth players, suggesting the praise aimed at Tottenham this season has been misguided.No academy player has established themself at Stamford Bridge since John Terry’s rise to the first-team in the 1990s, and because they possess an excellent youth system, Chelsea often come under criticism for their unwillingness to trust in youngsters.This is the opposite of Spurs, who have a core of young English players propelling them up the Premier League table, and who are, for the most part, key figures in the England international squad.However, Emenalo has suggested that the North London club share the same problem as Chelsea, as only one of the key players in their team is actually an academy graduate.“We try to remind them it’s not just a Chelsea problem,” the Nigerian said when pressed on the Blues’ failures.“That’s what they hear. (But) with all the hoopla (around Tottenham), it’s the one player.“The one key player is Kane, Delle Ali they bought from MK Dons, (Tom) Carroll is a peripheral player and (Eric) Dier they bought (from Sporting Lisbon).”The recent struggles in West London are throught to be coming to a close, however, as this current group of youth products are extremely highly rated.Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ola Aina, Dom Solanke and Izzy Brown are the pick of the bunch, and Emenalo wants these players to make it into the first-team to stop the Blues needing to splash the cash in the transfer market every year.He continued: “With the investment we are making and where we think the game is going and the competition that we have, you can’t just buy your way out of trouble all the time.“We can see what we have and we can compare them to what we see in other countries in Europe and other clubs in England and we think we have very, very good young players who should be able to come through.“It’s a massive job to try to keep them patient and to keep them going until they get here, but I think from next season there will be signs.” Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo 
“We could be back struggling in 2007-08,” said trustee William Hauck. In the past, fee freezes have sometimes been followed by sharp jumps. But in an interview outside the meeting, Reed noted that the compact with the governor limits fee hikes to no more than 10 percent annually. “Next year will be a big test, but I anticipate that they’ll stay the course,” he said. As proposed, CSU’s budget for 2006-07 is $4 billion, with $2.8 billion in state funds and $1.2 billion in student fees. CSU is the nation’s largest public university system, serving 405,000 students at 23 campuses. Legislative hearings on the CSU budget are set to begin in March. Also Tuesday, trustees got an update on private donations, which totaled $285 million in new gifts and commitments for 2004-05, close to the $284 million raised the year before. Trustees also approved the appointment of Gary W. Reichard as their new executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer at an annual salary of $262,008. 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! LONG BEACH – California State University Chancellor Charles Reed says he’s hopeful students won’t have to pay more to go to school this fall. CSU trustees approved fee increases last fall, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is proposing putting enough money into the budget to “buy out” the hikes. That has to be approved by the Legislature, but Reed said Tuesday he’s “as confident as you can be” the freeze will happen. “I think all of us can expect that this is really good news for students and for the people of California,” said Reed, who was in Long Beach for the regular meeting of CSU’s governing Board of Trustees. If the fee hike is stayed, undergraduates will pay $2,520 this fall, in addition to campus fees, which this year averaged $644. AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MORESanta Anita opens winter meet Saturday with loaded card The governor is also proposing to buy out planned fee increases at the 10-campus University of California. Fees at CSU and UC increased sharply in recent years as the state economy worsened. Both systems have signed a multiyear pact with the governor, promising to make cuts and raise fees in return for gradual increases in state funding. Administrators defend the deal as a way to stabilize their budgets, which had taken deep cuts. But the agreement drew some criticism that rising fees hurt middle- and working-class families. Abiding by the pact, CSU trustees voted last October to raise fees 8 percent for undergraduates and 10 percent for graduate students. The hike would take undergraduate fees in the 23-campus system to $2,724, about 90 percent higher than in 2001. Trustees, who got an update on the budget Tuesday, said they were pleased with the planned freeze, although some warned there are no guarantees for the following year. 
On Saturday evening the reserves and seniors played Four masters in Donegal town. Both teams unfortunately were defeated. A Very spirited performance by both teams and looking forward to the encounter against Killybegs at Home on Sunday 17th April 1.30/3pm throw in. All support appreciated. League fixtures are available online at our website: www.naomhmuire.ie/fixturesThe U14 girls have their first match of the season on Tuesday 12th April away to Cloughaneely. Throw in is at 6.30pm. Congratulations to Jack O’Brien who came on as a sub in the Donegal v Dublin Division 1 league semifinal on Sunday, a great achievement for Jack and for the club!Comhghairdeas do scoil náisiúnta Béal na Cruite a chríochnaigh sa seachtú áit i tráth na gcesit an chomhar creidmheasa! Congratulations to Belcruit national school who finished in 7th place in the Credit Union table quiz!Lotto Results 6/4/16. This week’s winning numbers: 6,21,22,23: 3 match 3 winners: Tina Boyle Ranafast, Micheal Gillespie Braade and Paula Sharkey Donabate/ Mullaghderg Mountain. Next weeks jackpot is €1580, remember if you’re not in you can’t win!! Our Lotto can now be played online from our website www.naomhmuire.ie. This is aimed at people on the go and people away from home. A great new way for people away from home to support the club!Comhghairdeas dó Roisin Rodgers Donegal U14 Ulster Championship team and Casey McGarvey Donegal U14 Ulster Dev. League team on their victories v Tyrone and Down on Sunday Maith sibh Cailiní! All of our club coaches will be taking part in a first aid course on 23rd April which we are hosting at the club house.If anyone would like to Join the 100+ club, please make contact with any club member and we can arrange a standing order or collection of the €20 per month subscription.WAAR is fast approaching, why not challenge yourself and sign up for WAAR which takes place on 14th May 2016. Full details at http://www.waar.ie/ GAA NEWS: NAOMH MUIRE U14 GIRLS IN ACTION TONIGHT AWAY TO CLOUGHANEELY was last modified: April 12th, 2016 by Mark ForkerShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Tags:GAANAOMH MUIRESport