There was a breach of protocol – Rohee
… “it clearly was a case of ineptitude, incompetence or inexperience”The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) remains steadfast in its claims that the apology and explanation offeredPPP General Secretary Clement RoheeDisappointed PPP members leaving D’Urban Park on the eve of Independence Dayby Minister within the Education Ministry, Nicolette Henry about the poor seating arrangements in the VIP section during the flag-raising ceremony for the country’s 50th Independence Anniversary were inaccurate.The Party is also adamant that the treatment meted out to its members, who all hold constitutional posts, was a breach of protocol and swore that had the PPP/C been in Government, the Opposition would not have faced such humiliation.PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee told a news conference on Monday that the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government is seeking to paint a picture that the Opposition was uncooperative; however, this was not the case.He gave a detailed explanation of what transpired on the evening of May 25, at D’Urban Park, stating that all the instructions and directions that were decided upon in Parliament were adhered to. However, things obviously took a wrong turn.“We are saying that there was a breach of the protocols and the arrangements of the promises that were made to us,” the Party’s General Secretary stated, continuing, “It would not have happened if we were in Government with the then Opposition. It clearly was a case of ineptitude, incompetence or inexperience, or it was designed like that,” he posited.He said Members of Parliament were told in Parliament that there were seats allocated to the 32 Opposition MPs, and they all left the Office of the Leader of the Opposition that evening, with the understanding that seats would have been available for them. According to Rohee, the planning and execution of the event were chaotic and this has been the views expressed by a number of persons.“A number of commentators have all criticised the event and the action and the disrespect,” he told Journalists.He maintained that the Leader of the Opposition is holding constitutional office, and so are the MPs. “They are not stray dogs,” he said.“When we go to Parliament, the Speaker expects us to act in a particular way. So how come it is good for one location and bad for another location?” he questioned.Rohee explained that the claim that there was a clash in arrivals was untrue as MPs were already present, long before the arrival of both the Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and President David Granger.“We went there before the Prime Minister and the President. We went there before people start pouring in the place. We went there before Ministers arrived,” the General Secretary said.On the night of the incident, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo expressed disappointment that his Party was left embarrassed when members turned up at the D’Urban Park arena to be part of the activities, but could not because most of the MPs were left standing without any seats.He said an effort was made to correct the situation, but after some 30 minutes standing, nothing was done. They all dubbed the situation disrespectful, and the group, led by Jagdeo, walked out of the event.But on Friday, Minister Henry, who had responsibility for the staging of the event, said the parliamentary Opposition was invited to all State events and confirmed its attendance to the flag-raising ceremony.She said after accepting the invitation, the Opposition was briefed by her on Tuesday, May 24, on the time of arrival, entrance to be used and seating arrangements. Based on the arrangement, the Opposition Leader was expected to be seated in the Presidential Section with all other past Presidents and Prime Ministers. All other PPP members were to be seated in the other VIP section.According to Henry, the Opposition Leader did arrive, but not at the time he was expected to. Explaining the details of what transpired on Wednesday evening, Minister Henry said Jagdeo arrived at 21:55h and approached the south-western entrance (Hadfield Street).She said had it not been for the Police’s insistence that the group use the north-western entrance, the Opposition and President David Granger would have arrived on the tarmac at the same time.According to her, the other members remained standing in the passageway and had indicated that they would only sit when they could be assigned seats together. However, according to her, this was not told to the usher.But, the Minister’s account is being disputed.Several independent commentators have all deemed the flag-raising ceremony “chaotic” as they revealed that ushers in the VIP section were running all over the place as confusion abound as to whom should be seated where.There were also claims that a number of unauthorised person were seated in the VIP box, one of the fact which may have been responsible for the lack of adequate seating for the opposition MPs.
Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence has said the Ministry of Public Health’s (MPH’s) Community Health Worker (CHW) Programme allows the administration to tap into the human resource within the respective communities, thereby reducing the need to “send large numbers of persons into regions, who are totally out of sync with the cultural habits and the way of life of the residents.”The CHW Programme, the minister said, is also the first step in eliminating maternal and neonatal deaths in hinterland regions.“Having a (Community) Health Worker in every village in these regions means mothers have ready access to basic and essential neonatal services, guaranteeing them healthy and safe deliveries,” she said.Minister Lawrence addressed the graduation ceremony for 25 CHWs on SaturdayPublic Health Minister Volda Lawrence presenting the trophy to best all-around graduating student of 2017-2018, Michael Johnsonat the Amerindian Residence in Lethem, Region Nine. The graduates, from the villages in the five sub-districts in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region, had completed six months of training that focused largely on maternal and child health.“I hope that you understand it is now time for you to give back to your people,” Minister Lawrence told the graduates.Best All-round Student, Michael Johnson of Baishaidrun Village, explained that despite having not completed secondary school, he was chosen by his village leaders to complete the training. He said serving as a CHW is his way of giving back to his community, which had offered him the opportunity to benefit from “quality education.”Desiree Ayow of Gunn’s Strip, from where it had taken her two weeks of travel by land and sea to get to the training programme, said she would be returning to her village to “promote proper health.”The training, funded by an Inter-American Development Bank $8 million loan, aims to ensure equity in healthcare services across Guyana’s ten administrative regions. The loan also covered the expansion cost of the Maternity Waiting Home at Lethem.
The Northern Environmental Action Team has announced a new executive director.Dzengo Mzengeza has been recently hired at the not-for-profit organization. He holds a Higher National Diploma in chemical engineering and a Master of Business Administration, with a focus on non-profit organizational operations.- Advertisement -NEAT focuses on educating individuals, businesses and institutions on environmentally sustainable practices and how they can be adopted into their everyday activities.The current President of NEAT, Jarrod Bell, says Mzengeza has the right combination of management expertise, vision and “commitment to ‘green’ ideals.”Mzengeza is taking over the position that Sally Emory had previously held for more than 20 years at the organization.
0Shares0000Gor Mahia midfielder Ernest Wendo vies for the ball with Everton’s Ademola Lookman during their historic SportPesa Trophy friendly match at the Goodison Park Stadium in Liverpool, United Kingdom on November 6, 2018.NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 28 – Gor Mahia will be without midfield enforcer Ernest Wendo for their home and away CAF Confederations Cup legs against Morocco’s RS Berkane as well as the first leg of their semi, if they make it through, after being slapped with a three-match suspension by CAF.Wendo was handed a straight red card in the final Group D match against Angola’s Petro Atletico which attracts a two-match ban and according to a statement from the continental football body, he will serve an additional match ban having previously served a ban for consecutive yellow cards. In a further blow for the reigning Kenyan champions, dependable striker Jacques Tuyisenge and left back Shafik Batambuze will miss both home and away legs against Berkane after being dished with two match bans each.Batambuze was handed two yellow cards against Petro, a red card that automatically attracts a two-match suspension. Tuyisenge has meanwhile been suspended after receiving his fourth yellow card of the competition.-Shakava to miss home tieSkipper Harun Shakava will meanwhile miss the home leg of the Berkane duel after receiving his second competition yellow card.The only good news for Gor is that keeper Fredrick Odhiambo will be available for selection after his initial charge of unsporting behavior was dropped.In Shakava’s absence, head coach Hassan Oktay will be delighted with the return of Joash Onyango who played a brilliant match for the national team in last Saturday’s African Cup of Nations qualifier against Ghana.This was his first match since recovering from injury.It will be Tuyisenge’s absence that will hurt the reigning Kenyan champions the most with the Rwandese being a key figure in the attacking front, his goals and assists having played a crucial role in seeing Gor advance thus far.Dennis Oliech, Francis Mustafa and Nicholas Kipkurui will now be expected to step up as Gor looks to create further history by advancing to their first ever semi final.Gor host the first leg against Berkane on April 7 with the return tie set for a week later.0Shares0000(Visited 4 times, 1 visits today)
Lorcan O’Toole of the Golden Eagle Project with one of the magnificent birds at a secret location in Glenveagh.Donegal’s Golden Eagle project failed to produce any new chicks this year with the severe weather having a major impact on the project.However, promoters of the unique wildlife plan say upland farming methods must also be examined if the once majestic bird is to take flight again in large numbers across Ireland.Thankfully human interference, either by disturbance or poisoning, has not been noted as a limiting factor with these pairs of Golden Eagles. The weather in Donegal was even worse than the national pattern, which was clearly unseasonably wet and cold. But the weather alone may not have been the determining factor.The project says that if there was a better food supply within the territories of the four pairs of eagles, it is likely some chicks would have fledged in 2015.This summer a total of four pairs built nests, three of which laid eggs and two of these pairs hatched young. But all three breeding pairs failed and no new Golden Eagles were added to the population in 2015.The Glenveagh pair laid eggs in the same nest they have used in recent years. But unfortunately the chick that hatched died after a week, during a spell of poor weather. The other established pair also had young but their breeding attempt failed when the chick was only 3 weeks old. And though the weather was wet at the time, it was quite disappointing to lose a chick at this age.A shortage of food availability locally may have been exacerbated by the poor weather and resulted in a weak and vulnerable chick.The first time breeders, including a Donegal bred eagle, that first bred and failed in 2014, built a very good nest in 2015. It was arguably one of the best nests built in Donegal since the project started. A very solid and big nest was built on an ideal ledge – completely sheltered from the prevailing winds in the area.Unfortunately, shortly after the eggs were laid there were two days of severe hail storms from a northerly direction – which literally sandblasted the sitting female. The nest duly failed, just before the very warm and bright weather in mid April this year.The fourth pair built a nest but failed to lay eggs.It is very difficult to gauge the future trajectory of this small breeding population. Our oldest pair, now over 14 years old, may only have 3-5 years of chick rearing potential left before their breeding attempts begin to wane. WHAT IS NEEDEDWe really need other pairs to come on stream quickly and start producing young consistently. We have always felt that 3-5 young a year would be required just to guarantee a small population, regardless of the need for gradual expansion outside of Donegal.To date our annual productivity has ranged from 0-3 birds annually. It is not enough.So what can be done to secure the viability of Donegal’s eagles? Whilst a deteriorating weather pattern may be an increasingly limiting factor, our focus is most prominently on the habitat condition of the Donegal uplands.The Golden Eagle Trust feel that the conditions of the Donegal Mountains can be improved, if there are appropriate management tools in place. It is human actions that have shaped the limited capacity of our hills and we also have the same ability to improve the Hills of Donegal. And therefore, we have come to the opinion that it is primarily the Department of Agriculture, who hold the key to improving the lot of the Upland eagles. Farm policies regarding upland vegetation is the key ingredient. Ultimately it is the farmers who do most active upland management.Unfortunately there is no exemplary demonstration site in Donegal to either explore how best to manage ‘farmed Uplands’ or actively manage particular upland habitats. There is a lot of damaged habit and some stable habitats, but there is very little habitat reflecting the true potential of Irish Upland wildlife.And whilst it is true to say that the Eagles are not producing enough young in Donegal – that is basically another way of saying that the underlying condition of the Hills in Donegal is not in favourable conservation status. That would be a very serious admission or conclusion, which could have serious implications in terms of European commitments regarding Wildlife Directives, Windfarm planning applications, Cross Compliance measures of farm payments and forestry applications.The situation is critical. The Golden Eagle Trust and many, many others are trying to influence and improve upland land management in Ireland in order to facilitate a small number of breeding Golden Eagles. Climate change may have an increasing role to play in annual productivity. We believe this population has the potential to stabilise and slowly increase, given the right management policies.For those who believe that the population is doomed to fail, we say that it is vital that you state simultaneously that sustainable IrishUpland land management has also failed. Because we are convinced that multi annual Golden Eagle productivity will reflect the conditions of their mountain homes. We are focussed on this potential – and will do our best to convince others of the value of sustainable Uplands, in the broadest sense.EAGLE PROJECTS FAILS TO BREED CHICKS DUE TO POOR WEATHER AND FARMING METHODS was last modified: November 18th, 2015 by John2Share 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)
Breffni Gorman, Regional Manager IHF & Teresa Byrne, walk organiser handing over a cheque for €1,550.The people of Bruckless recently showed they really do have a heart when it comes to good causes.The people of the village came out in force for a 5k walk which was held on World Heart Day.More than 100 people came out for the walk which was organised by Danny and Teresa Byrne. And together the group raised a marvelous €1,550 for the Irish Heart Foundation and Letterkenny Cardiac Services.Well done to all concerned.Getting ready for the big walk! BRUCKLESS SHOWS IT DOES HAVE A HEART! was last modified: November 7th, 2014 by StephenShare 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:5kBrucklesscharitydonegal
Donegal County Council has announced that gritters will be out on all Donegal routes from 9pm tonight.Temperatures will drop to lows of -2 degrees celsius this Thursday night, as Met Éireann forecasts a cold night with long clear spells and some isolated showers. Frost will also form in mainly western parts and wind will ease during the night so some mist patches might develop.There will be a cold and frosty start on Friday and any mist from the night will clear. It will overall be a dry day with good spells of sunshine, becoming hazier in the afternoon. Highest temperatures of between 6 and 8 degrees celsius in light breezes. The following routes will be gritted from 9pm tonight, Thursday:06: Inishowen West04: Inishowen South01: National Primary North02: National Primary Central03: National Primary South07: Milford South08: Milford North09: Cill Ulta East10: Cill Ulta West11: Na Rosa12: Binswilly13: Stranorlar North14: Stranorlar East15: Stranorlar West16: Donegal West17: Donegal North18: Donegal South19: Donegal National Secondary05: Inishowen EastBT: Buncrana TownLT: Letterkenny TownGritters out on all Donegal routes for frosty night was last modified: November 7th, 2019 by Katie GillenShare 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)
Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago is the new chair of the International Monetary Fund’s International Monetary and Financial Committee; in his new role, Kganyago will help to shape global development policy.Lesetja Kganyago’s appointment to the IMFC means a new viewpoint in IMF policy discussions. (Image: YouTube)Sulaiman PhilipThe recent appointment of South African Reserve Bank (SARB) governor Lesetja Kganyago as chair of the influential International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) will give developing economies a voice in policy deliberations at the International Monetary Fund.As the first committee chair from sub-Saharan Africa, Kganyago is expected to push for a more equitable share of international trade for developing economies. Congratulating him on his appointment, Yunus Carrim, chairperson of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Finance, said: “We do not doubt that he will focus on the challenges of the developing countries.”With Kganyago as chair of the IMFC there is an expectation that IMF policies will benefit developing economies. At a June 2017 dinner to honour diplomats posted to South Africa, Kganyago pointed out that a change in thinking had begun at the IMF already. “There is little doubt that progress is being nade in building a more resilient global financial architecture.“The IMF is currently reviewing its lending toolkit to make it more relevant and more balanced, and to also work towards closing the existing gaps within the global financial safety net. Numerous discussions are also continuing on developing macroprudential policies and devising ways of improving the availability and quality of relevant data to enhance economic policy formulation and implementation.”Lesetja Kganyago’s experience makes him a well-informed and valuable addition to the IMFC. (Image: IMF /Stephen Jaffe)Diverse viewsIn April 2017, Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba called for more sub-Saharan representation on IMF decision-making bodies. His call stemmed from the concerns of 23 sub-Saharan countries over the protectionists trade policies being introduced globally that impacted negatively on emerging and developing African economies.The minister acknowledged that IMF policies had benefitted women and people most likely to bear the brunt of climate change. To build on those gains, the IMF needed more diversity among the people who drove policy decisions. “Diversifying the staff will enhance the Fund’s effectiveness. The Fund needs to increase focus on both recruitment and retention of nationals from underrepresented regions to ensure the benchmarks are attained. We call on the IMF to expand the pool of institutions to include universities in Africa and [urge] that this translates into actual hiring of African nationals.”At the diplomatic dinner in June last year Kganyago underlined the importance of the IMF to ongoing growth across the globe after the 2008 financial crisis. Along with other international funders, the IMF had a hand in the gains made in developed and emerging economies.However, he told the diplomats, protectionist economic policies in developed nations threatened the growth of global trade. “More aggressive monetary policy actions than currently anticipated could tighten global financial conditions, causing disruptions to capital flows to emerging markets and developing economies like South Africa.”Kganyago explained that the revolving G20 presidency and the makeup of the BRICS bloc gave them a more diverse understanding of challenges faced by multiple populations. These groups were able to formulate policies that poitively affected both developed and emerging economies.In the announcement of his appointment, the IMF highlighted his work at SARB and SARS which included research and implementation of public finance and financial market programmes in developing economies. The IMFC is the most important advisory committee of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), it is in this committee that issues are deliberated before they become policy of the global development funder, his experience made him a well-informed and valuable addition to the IMFC.Would you like to use this article in your publication or on your website? See Using Brand South Africa material.
An MLA of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Assam has been served a notice to prove his citizenship amid the exercise to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) that is nearing completion. Kishore Nath and six members of his family were served the notice on Friday by the Foreigners’ Tribunal No 1 on suspicion of being doubtful voters. Mr. Nath, 53, represents the Barkhola Assembly seat in southern Assam’s Cachar district.Other members of his family served notice include his wife Nilima Nath and four brothers. “We shouldn’t have received this notice as we have been living here for three generations. I believe some mischief was done during a verification process during 2008-2012 when the Congress ruled,” Mr. Nath said.
Revisit AFSPA The time has come to review the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Manipur but it cannot be completely lifted as yet, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said.“I want to request the Centre to lift it, but we have borders with foreign countries and the insurgency movement is still a little bit there. Right now I cannot claim that AFSPA can be totally removed,” Mr. Singh said in an interaction with a group of visiting journalists from New Delhi in his office.Cover to ArmyHe said any review has to consider these factors. AFSPA, which gives immunity to security forces operating in insurgency-hit areas, has already been lifted from a 34 sq km denotified zone in Imphal.On the improved situation in the State, Mr. Singh stressed, “The present situation in Manipur is totally different compared to the past.”Also Read On the cases in the Supreme Court over alleged human rights violations Mr. Singh said that justice has to be provided to everyone and observed, “Dealing with counter-insurgency in Manipur and Nagaland and the North East is very difficult. It is not similar to what is happening in Jammu and Kashmir.”In Jammu and Kashmir, he said, the terrorist is coming from outside but in Manipur he is from the same State and country and “identifying who is who is very difficult.”“Sometimes mistakes from the security forces also happen. I cannot say totally that they are doing all the things right,” Mr. Singh said, stating that the Supreme Court is looking into the matter.Hearing a PIL plea over 1,528 alleged cases of extra-judicial killings in Manipur between 1979 and 2012, the Supreme Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation’s SIT to probe 95 of them.Also Read ‘A necessity’Commenting on the need for AFSPA, Maj. Gen. V.K. Mishra, General Officer Commanding of the Army’s 57 Mountain Division headquartered just outside Imphal said that for security forces to function, it was a “necessity.”He said a number of activities are sustained over a period of time to keep insurgency in check which includes operations, enquiries and searches and as a result some arrests were done and recoveries of war-like stores were made.“Now if we don’t have AFSPA, how do we do all this? If these processes have to be carried out, then AFSPA is a necessity,” Maj. Gen. Mishra said.A few months back over 700 Army personnel moved the apex court seeking protection in counter-insurgency areas under AFSPA and its non-dilution.This development came after moves by the Home Ministry to reduce the footprint of the AFSPA in the North East.A senior defence official in South Block said AFSPA was draconian in the past as the situation then demanded it to be so in dealing with the secessionist movements but has been diluted over the years as the situation improved. What is AFSPA, and where is it in force?