Caribbean Times 65th Issue - Friday 5th August 2016

Informative, reliable, enriching! 

Friday 5th August 2016 A n t i g u a a n d B a r b u d a 

Vol.7 No.65 $2.00 

RAYMOND O’KEIFFE 

By Everton Barnes 

The media fraternity in 

Antigua and Barbuda and 

across the Caribbean is 

mourning the loss of well-respected 

media practitioner, 

Raymond O’Keiffe. 

O’Keiffe, who spent over 

twenty years working as the 

communications officer at 

the OECS Secretariat in St 

Lucia, died Wednesday night 

in Martinique where he was 

flown for medical attention. 

The reports out of St Lucia 

state that O’Keiffe died 

from haemorrhaging of the 

brain and kidney failure after 

he sought medical attention 

for high blood pressure. 

When it became clear that 

the medical facilities in St 

DIES IN MARTINIQUE 

Lucia could not deal with his 

condition, he was flown out 

to Martinique for more advanced 

care. He nonetheless 

died while under their care. 

O’Keiffe worked briefly 

at Radio ZDK before joining 

the staff at ABS Radio & 

Television in the mid-1980’s 

where he was attached to the 

sports department. He excelled 

in the field of sports 

journalism covering all 

sporting events and including 

on-air presentation and 

live cricket commentary. 

He went to the University 

of the West Indies where he 

gained a B.A degree in Mass 

Communications. Following 

his studies, O’Keiffe, went 

to work at the OECS Sec- 

Raymond O’Keiffe 

retariat where he was employed 

until his death at 49. 

Members of the media 

fraternity in Antigua expressed 

shocked on learning 

of his death and many spoke 

glowingly about him as a 

cont’d on pg 3 

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2 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g 

Friday 5th August 2016 

Recent judgement will set precedent 


This week’s ruling by the 

London-based Privy Council 

in the case where an applicant 

for citizenship had 

to wait for some 27-months, 

will likely set legal precedents 

similar to the Pratt and 

Morgan case in Jamaica. 

That’s the assessment of 

the lawyer who argued the 

case before the Privy Council, 

Dr David Dorsett of Watt 

Editor’s Note 

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Estate/Friars Hill Road. 

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Antigua. 

Tel: (268) 562-8688, 

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and Dorsett. According to 

Dorsett, the case is that of 

Guyanese national Clive 

Oliveira who arrived in the 

country in 1993 and was 

joined the same year by his 

wife. 

As his lawyer explained 

Oliveira was convicted and 

acquitted twice on the same 

charge of sexual assault. 

During his encounters with 

the law, his passport was 

confiscated and he was denied 

extensions and even a 

work permit. 

Over time his wife qualified 

for, and gained Antigua 

and Barbuda citizenship. 

But when Oliveira applied 

in 2009, he was given an interview 

date of 2010. 

Dr Dorsett said many 

hurdles were placed in the 

way to delay the granting 

of citizenship to his client 

and he took the matter to the 

court. He lost at the court 

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean 

States mourns the passing of Raymond 

O’Keiffe in Martinique on the 3 rd August 

2016, after a short battle with illness. 

The OECS has lost a colleague, a mentor 

and a friend to many. Ray’s passion for 

broadcasting and communication brought 

news and light from across the region and 

indeed the world to many over a long period 

of time. He gave a voice to the voiceless. 

Indeed, Ray was a beloved and close 

member of the broader media family and he 

not only leaves a lasting legacy but his indelible 

mark in ways far beyond his work at the 

of first and second instance 

and they decided to appeal 

before the Privy Council 

which heard the case earlier 

this year and handed down a 

judgement in favour of Oliveira 

on Tuesday. 

The attorney said the 

Constitution guarantees citizenship 

to anyone who marries 

an Antigua and Barbuda 

citizen. 

“This is a right conferred 

by the Constitution. It is not 

a privilege. Yet government 

officers are putting road 

blocks in the way of people 

and denying them their Constitutional 

rights. ‘Citizenship 

delayed is Citizenship 

denied’,” he declared. 

Dr Dorsett said both he 

and his client feel vindicated 

with the Privy Council ruling 

because you can’t have a 

situation where a court looks 

at a person who is denied 

his Constitutional right and 

shrug it off by simply saying 

‘that’s how the system 

works’. 

“Where ever this is happening 

it means that the system 

is not working according 

to the law, according to 

the Constitution,” he stated 

emphatically. 

He opined that the case 

will have a similar impact 

as the Pratt and Morgan 

case where sets a time limit 

on how long a person may 

remain on death row before 

that sentence is commuted. 

The Oliveira case, he added, 

means that when government 

processes are not 

completed within reasonable 

time then there is a breach of 

the person’s Constitutional 

rights. 

“The rights guaranteed to 

a person under the Constitution 

must be available to that 

person in a timely manner,” 

Dr Dorsett stated. 

Statement by the Director General of the 

OECS on the passing of Raymond O’Keiffe 

OECS Commission. As a devoted husband, 

father and musician, his musical talent could 

be heard in many a Sunday Mass. Ray was 

also a gifted songwriter having written the 

official OECS Song. 

We give profound gratitude for Ray’s life 

comforted in the knowledge that he rests in 

eternal peace. Our thoughts and prayers are 

with his wife, children and extended family 

at this time. 

Dr. Didacus Jules 

Director General 

Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

Friday 5th August 2016 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g 3 

Ricardo Drue gives $10,000 to MSJMC 

By Justin Peters 

This past July, Ricardo 

Drue staged ID Land the 

Youth Fair, a festive event 

headlined by various local 

musicians with a focus on 

children. The proceeds of 

the gate were to be donated 

to the Mount St. John’s 

Medical Centre. Drue who 

captured the 2016 Soca 

Monarch Groovy title, made 

good on his promise when 

he presented a check for 

$10,000 made out to the 

Mount St. John’s Medical 

Centre, in a small handover 

ceremony. 

The charitable gesture is 

the first benefit from what 

he expects to be an annual 

event with the date, July 

9th, 2017 already set for 

next year’s ID Land. Ricardo 

challenged the sponsors 

to match the money he raises 

next year to increase the 

amount that is donated to the 

worthy cause. He commended 

the hard work that corporate 

citizens such as Digicel, 

Pine Hill, Joe Mikes, Learning 

Ladder and Neverland 

who stepped up to the plate 

to sponsor the event’s first 

year have shown. 

With the resounding success 

of the event, the sponsors 

have committed to supporting 

next year and into 

the foreseeable future. 

cont’d from pg 1 

professional and as a human 

being. 

“Of the young journalists 

joining the Antigua journalistic 

fraternity in the heady 

1980’s,Raymond showed 

the most improvements over 

time, testimony to his eagerness 

to confer/listen to more 

experienced colleagues,” 

King Frank I wrote in the 

Grammarians Whats App 

Group blog. 

Sports Editor at ABS 

Radio Television, Jack Matthew, 

described O’Keiffe as 

‘full of energy and enthusiasm’ 

with the confidence that 

he would excel at whatever 

he put his mind and heart 

into. “I felt very encouraged 

by his enthusiasm. He 

was always willing to go the 

extra mile in pursuit of the 

news,” Matthew recalled. 

Former classmate, Senator 

Colin James, himself a 

journalist, remembered him 

as a friend and colleague and 

recalled his days as a sports 

enthusiasts and his love for 

music. 

Over the years, O’Keiffe 

distinguished himself as a 

top-notched journalist and 

broadcaster by producing 

the daily, OECS Newslink 

radio programmes heard 

throughout the sub-region.



Young Destroyer and wife arrested 


Popular calypsonian, Young Destroyer, 

Leston Greenburg Jacobs, and 

his wife have been arrested and charged 

with drug possession. 

Both have since been released on 

bailed. According to police sources 

a search warrant was executed at his 

home in Potters Extension on July 30 

and the police discovered 253 grams of 

By Alecia McPherson 

Having been slapped 

with five charges, Tio Henry 

of St. John’s Street yesterday 

appeared before Magistrate 

Conliffe Clarke at the 

St. John’s Magistrates Court. 

The details leading up to his 

arrest were not mentioned 

in court; Apparently, the defendant 

exhibited combative 

behaviour against lawmen 

By Alecia McPherson 

A Bathlodge man has found himself 

before the court after he was caught with 

seven cannabis plants and 73 grams of cured 

cannabis. 

32-year-old Hopeton Anthony Stewart, 

pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis, 

and cultivation of cannabis yesterday before 

Magistrate Conliffe Clarke at the District ‘A’ 

Court. 

As a result of information received, Officers 

from the Rapid Response Unit went to 

the defendant’s premises to execute a search 

warrant for controlled drugs, unlicensed 

firearms and ammunition at about 7:00 

p.m. on July 26th, 2016. The defendant was 

at home when officers arrived; while searching 

the backyard several cannabis plants 

were seen growing in pots, they were uprooted 

and counted to be seven (7). 

cannabis (marijuana). 

Jacobs claimed the drugs were his 

and he was arrested and charged on 

three counts; possession of cannabis, 

possession with intent to transfer and 

being concerned with the supply of 

cannabis. 

The police sources said when Jacobs 

appeared in court on Thursday he 

would only accept responsibility for 

during the execution of their 

duty, as the charges indicates: 

obstruction of justice, 

battery on police, indecent 

language, being armed with 

offensive weapon, and resisting 

arrest. No pleas were 

taken. 

The defendant’s lawyer, 

Leon ‘Chaku’ Symister 

made an application for 

station bail and requested 

Bathlodge man caught growing cannabis 

Further search of the home revealed a 

white bucket which contained a quantity of 

cured substance. It is reported that the defendant 

readily accepted ownership upon being 

cautioned. He was taken into police custody 

and given the mentioned charges. 

The substance weighed 73 grams with an 

estimated street value of $730EC, and the 

plants an estimated street value of $150EC. 

The court heard that Stewart has had several 

previous convictions of a similar nature; 

two years ago he was convicted and fined 

$200 for unlawful possession and $250 for 

cannabis cultivation. 

Yesterday, he was convicted and fined 

$500 for Unlawful Possession, to be paid 

forthwith or serve two months at HMP. On 

Cultivation, he was convicted and fined 

$2,000 forthwith, or serve two months at 

HMP, with sentences to run concurrently. 

one charge. With this development, the 

police arrested his wife, Jordan Jacobs, 

and charged her jointly with him. 

They were both released on bail to 

appear in court on September 16. 

The sources said the magistrate 

presiding over the case will determine 

what sentence to hand down if the pair 

is found guilty. Jacobs has had a previous 

arrest on drug charges. 

Henry faces charges for obstruction of justice 

further ‹that the defendant 

not be made to report to 

a police station as part 

of the bail condition› he 

explained that eliminating 

this aspect would 

provide protection for his 

client. Symister stated to the 

court that “the incident involves 

a very senior officer 

with an affinity for violence. 

In light of this, the less contact 

my client makes with 

this officer during the pending 

of this matter would be 

best!” 

Symister also made an 

application for the prosecution 

to produce as part 

of their disclosure ‘records 

showing the senior officer’s 

bad acts’. However, to this 

request he was told to make 

an application to subpoena 

the records he desires, if 

there is such authority to do 

so in this matter. 

Bail was granted in the 

amount of $3,500 with a 

cash component of $500 

and two Antiguan Sureties. 

He must continue to reside 

at his current abode at St. 

John’s Street, and report to 

the St. John’s Police Station 

twice weekly, every Tuesday 

and Thursday between 

the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 

6:00 p.m. He must also surrender 

all travel documents 

and give notice to the Immigration 

Department to facilitate 

any travel. 

He will return to court 

on October 12, 2016 for preliminary 

hearing.

Friday 5th August 2016 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g 5



Queen Thalia to represent Antigua 

and Barbuda in regional competition 

By Joanna Paris 

Antigua and Barbuda’s reigning 

Calypso Monarch, Queen Thalia 

travelled to Anguilla on Wednesday, 

where she will be preparing to compete 

in the 2016 Leewards Islands 

Calypso Competition. 

The young lady, who won her 

second Calypso Monarch crown on 

July 31 st during the 2016 Wadadli 

Beer Calypso Competition, will compete 

against the best in the region 


The current shortage of 

liquid petroleum gas (LPG) 

largely sold in 20-pound cylinders 

will end in the coming 

weeks, according to the 

Chief Executive officer of 

the West Indies Oil Company, 

Gregory Georges. 

He said the company the 

company has ordered at least 

two shipments of both the 

100-pound and 20-LB cylinders, 

and while the first, 

mainly 100-LB cylinders 

has already arrived, the second 

with the smaller cylinders 

will arrive in just over 

a week. 

Georges blames the 

shortage on two key factors; 

firstly he said the company 

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In an interview with local media 

prior to her departure, Queen Thalia 

indicated that she is ready for the big 

stage. 

She said that she will be going into 

the competition “with more energy 

and more vibes”, with her aim being 

to deliver a confident and convincing 

performance. 

Queen Thalia expressed that it is 

always a privilege to represent the 

has had to recall many of 

the cylinders due to leakage 

and other issues, and that the 

previous majority owners of 

WIOC, National Petroleum 

Ltd., had refused to purchase 

replacement cylinders because 

they were considered 

uneconomical to continue. 

The new owners, including 

the Antigua and Barbuda 

government, are now 

playing catch-up; replacing 

recalled cylinders with new 

ones. 

“The then owners felt 

that the 20-LB cylinders 

were subsidised by the government 

and that continuing 

with supplying them to the 

market was no longer profitable 

hence there was no investment 

into this area,” he 

explained. 

Because of this, Georges 

further explained, the shortage 

of these cylinders became 

quite acute over time. 

twin island state and pledged that she 

will do her best to win the coveted 

crown. 

She also thanked all of her supporters 

and other well wishers for 

their continuous support of her efforts. 

Antigua and Barbuda currently 

holds the Leeward Islands Calypso 

crown. Last year’s Calypso King, 

Keithroy “De Bear” Morson was victorious 

in 2015. 

Cooking gas shortage to end soon 

“You would recall that ten 

years ago, the other supplier 

in the market, Texaco, abandoned 

the 20-LB cylinder 

market making WIOC the 

sole supplier. That’s because 

Texaco, too, realised that 

this business was unprofitable,” 

he noted. 

The CEO said now that 

the shipment is arriving soon 

with both sizes of cylinders 

he is confident that the market 

for LPG will be satisfied. 

“By the third week of the 

month, we will have LPG 

available to all customers,” 

he declared. 

Over the Carnival period, 

many customers had difficulty 

acquiring LPG, especially 

the 20-LB cylinder 

that is used in most homes in 

Antigua and Barbuda. 

Georges said the company 

has been working assiduously 

to fulfil customers’ 

demands.


CIBC FirstCaribbean new 

mobile app a hit with users 

CIBC FirstCaribbean’s 

mobile banking app for 

smartphones has proven a 

big hit with thousands of 

customers of the regional 

bank with a 4.8 rating in 

app stores since its launch 

two months ago. 

“We are simply elated 

that our customers by the 

thousands have embraced 

our latest efforts to provide 

them with cutting-edge 

banking solutions that fit 

their lives,” said Trevor 

Torzsas, Managing Director 

of Customer Relationship 

Management and 

Strategy. 

“To have our app rated at 

4.8 out of a possible 5 and 

downloaded by thousands 

tells us that many of our 

customers who are increasingly 

leading very busy 

lifestyles, want to do their 

banking on the go and we 

are happy to provide them 

with a secure user-friendly 

app to do so,” he said. 

He also announced a 

major update to the app 

which now allows CIBC 

FirstCaribbean Credit Card 

holders to monitor their 

credit card rewards points. 

The Credit Card Rewards 

Monitor allows customers 

to keep track of and understand 

how many rewards 

points they earn when they 

use their credit card. The 

monitor also allows them 

to set point goals and track 

how close they are to that 

goal. 

Every time a customer 

uses their card, the rewards 

points earned on that transaction 

will instantly show 

on the Mobile Banking 

App once they have set up 

the rewards monitor on the 

app and already have their 

credit card linked to their 

internet banking account. 

Mr. Torzsas said the 

bank continues to roll out 

innovations to help customers 

determine the banking 

experience they want and 

which gives them control 

over how, when and where 

they do their banking.” 

The new app which can 

be downloaded from the 

playstore, the apple store 

and blackberry world is accessed 

via Android, Apple, 

Blackberry and Windows 

devices. 

It affords users the convenience 

of checking their 

account balances, transferring 

funds, paying bills 

and locating branches and 

Instant Tellers, all from 

their mobile device. 

CIBC FirstCaribbean is 

the largest, regionally-listed 

bank in the English and 

Dutch speaking Caribbean 

serving over 400 000 

customers in 16 markets, 

through approximately 

2,900 staff, across 100 

branches and offices. The 

bank, which has almost 250 

years of combined experience 

in the region, offers 

a full range of market-leading 

financial services in: 

Corporate and Investment 

Banking, Treasury Sales 

and Trading, Retail Banking, 

Wealth Management, 

Small Business and Credit 

Cards. 

CIBC FirstCaribbean 

is a member of the CIBC 

Group. CIBC is a leading 

Canadian-based global financial 

institution with 

nearly 11 million personal 

banking and business 

clients. Through our three 

major business units – Retail 

and Business Banking, 

Wealth Management and 

Wholesale Banking – CIBC 

offers a full range of products 

and services through 

its comprehensive electronic 

banking network, 

branches and offices across 

Canada with offices in the 

United States and around 

the world. 

ATTENTION ALL EMPLOYERS 

AND SELF EMPLOYED PERSONS 

The Antigua & Barbuda Social Security Board (ABSSB) 

advises of its intent to commence criminal prosecution on 

ALL non-compliant employers and self employed persons. 

To this end, all employers and self employed persons, who 

are in breach of their statutory obligation to Social Security, 

are strongly urged to contact the Social Security office to 

regularize their status between June 1, 2016 and August 31, 

2016. 

The ABSSB wishes to commend all employers and self 

employed persons who have consistently complied with 

their statutory obligation and encourages all employers and 

self employed persons to ensure that moving forward every 

attempt will be made to adhere to their Social Security obligations.



IMF: Light up its darker crannies 

The International Monetary Fund 

(IMF), which has tormented small Caribbean 

economies for five decades 

with austerity measures and fierce 

conditionalities, has been exposed as 

adopting utterly different standards towards 

Europe, especially the countries 

of the European Currency Union. That 

is except for Greece, which, throughout 

its economic crisis, the IMF treated like 

a third-world country. 

According to a report, published on 

28 th July by the IMF’s watchdog, the 

Independent Evaluation Office (IEO), 

the Fund’s top staff worked in cahoots 

with the European Commission and the 

European Central Bank to misrepresent 

the situation in Greece to their own 

Executive Board; laboured diligently 

to protect the Eurozone in the interests 

of its larger members, such as France 

and Germany (which, incidentally, are 

also the main controllers of the IMF); 

and punished Greece with the burden 

of alone carrying the cost of a bailout 

– something that had not been done to 

any other European Union country. 

In a revealing and telling sentence 

in the executive summary of its report, 

the IEO declared that: “In general, the 

IMF shared the widely-held “Europe is 

different” mindset that encouraged the 

view that large imbalances in national 

current accounts were little cause for 

concern and that sudden stops could 

not happen within the euro area”. The 

report, “The IMF and the crises in 

Greece, Ireland, and Portugal: an evaluation 

by the independent evaluation 

office” can be read at: http://www. 

ieo-imf.org/ieo/files/completedevaluations/EAC__REPORT%20v5.PDF 

and 

it is strongly recommended that officers 

of all Finance Ministries and Central 

Banks in the Caribbean should read it. 

The authors of the report stated unequivocally 

that: “The IMF’s handling 

By Sir Ronald Sanders 

of the euro area crisis raised issues of 

accountability and transparency, which 

helped create the perception that the 

IMF treated Europe differently. Conducting 

this evaluation proved challenging. 

Some documents on sensitive 

issues were prepared outside the regular, 

established channels” and either 

disappeared or were not made available 

to the Evaluation Team. 

The principal reason for handling 

the financial crisis in Greece differently 

was primarily to protect the Eurozone 

at the insistence of the European Commission, 

which negotiated on behalf of 

the Eurogroup, subjecting IMF staff’s 

technical judgments “to political pressure 

from an early stage”. As a result of 

this, in May 2010, the IMF Executive 

Board approved a decision to provide 

exceptional access financing to Greece 

“without seeking pre-emptive debt restructuring, 

even though its sovereign 

debt was not deemed sustainable with 

a high probability”. The truth is that 

the actions in relation to Greece (hidden 

from the Executive Board by the 

management) were designed to make 

French and German banks ‘whole’; 

never mind what Greece was forced 

to endure. In other words, Greece 

was ‘sucker punched’ or, ‘fiscally water-boarded’ 

to use the more emotive 

description of the former Greek Finance 

Minister Yanis Varoufakis (now 

Professor of Economics at the University 

of Athens). 

In a robust response to the IEO report, 

Varoufakis observed that: “The 

establishment press were claiming that 

a finance minister of a small, bankrupt 

nation which is being water-boarded by 

the high and mighty troika functionaries 

cannot afford to say, in public or in 

private, that his small, bankrupt nation 

was being water-boarded”. But, he 

said Greece had “tried silence and obedience 

from 2010 to 2014. The result? 

A loss of 28% of national income and 

grapes of wrath that were “…filling 

and growing heavy, growing heavy for 

the vintage”. 

Of course, Greece, though a small 

European economy, is significantly 

larger than the small economies of the 

Caribbean. When Finance Ministers 

of small Caribbean countries complain 

about the conditionalites of IMF programmes 

that hurt more than help, as 

Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister 

Gaston Browne did in August 2014, 

they are roundly criticised for their audacity. 

Browne had remarked about 

the IMF strait-jacket that his government 

inherited when it was voted into 

office: “The fiscal problems have not 

been resolved, but yet still we are being 

asked to pay back US$119 million 

over the next four years. We have to 

pay back even before the problem is 

solved”. And, small economies have 

no capacity to stand-up to the IMF and 

those who control it. Greece proved 

that point and is now struggling as a 

result. 

Varoufakis feels that Greece is 

owed an apology and officials of the 

IMF should be fired now that the IEO 

has exposed duplicity – even conspircont’d 

on pg 9


cont’d from pg 8 

acy – in the way the country 

was treated by the IMF, 

including - and especially 

- not being granted any significant 

debt relief, through a 

debt write-down or a reduction 

in the sum of the debt, 

while having an austerity 

programme stuffed down its 

throat. But, he is realistic 

enough to say: Is any of this 

going to happen? Or will the 

IMF’s IEO report light up 

the sky fleetingly, to be forgotten 

soon? The omens are 

pointing to the latter”. 

Concern about the findings 

of the IEO report, particularly 

the obvious political 

interference in the IMF’s 

processes by the European 

Union and the European 

Central Bank, has evoked 

editorial comment from 

leading financial publications. 

For instance, the UK 

Financial Times newspaper 

editorialised on 28 July 

about “Europe’s outsized influence 

over the governance 

of the IMF” and expressed 

the view that such influence 

“must continue to decline 

if the institution is to retain 

credibility”. 

But, the reality is that 

recent reforms in the voting 

power of the IMF still leave 

the European governments 

with enormous and undeserved 

power. As the Financial 

Times observed, rather 

belatedly (and perhaps with 

an eye to yet another unthought-of 

consequence of 

Brexit): “The EU has also 

yet to demonstrate that it has 

abandoned the traditional 

stitch-up by which it, in effect, 

appoints the head of the 

IMF”. 

The United States of 

America (US) aids and abets 

the EU in its imposition of 

the IMF chief in return for 

the right to name the President 

of the World Bank. Between 

them, they operate a 

cabal of control of the international 

financial system. 

The IEO report is a valuable 

document. Developing 

countries, including those 

in the Caribbean, should not 

allow its findings “to run 

through our leaders’ fingers 

like thin, white sand” as the 

former Greek Finance Minister 

vividly put it. 

Instead, it should be used 

as a beacon to shine a bright 

light on the dark crannies of 

an organisation that was created 

to help countries out of 

dire fiscal straits, but whose 

prescriptions result in hurting 

more than it helps, except 

when the interests of its 

controllers are affected. 

At the World Bank/IMF 

meeting this autumn, the 

IEO report should be prominent 

among the items that 

Finance Ministers emphasize. 

It should become a 

tool for the re-examination 

of IMF policies and more 

considered discussion of the 

many governance issues, 

highlighted in the report and 

which, in the interests of all, 

have to be addressed effectively. 

Editor’s Note: The opinions 

expressed in this Op-ed 

are those of the author and 

do not necessarily reflect the 

views of Caribbean Times.


Friday 5th August 2016

Friday 5th August 2016 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g 11



IICA supports agro processors in Antigua 

With support of the Inter-American 

Institute for 

Cooperation on Agriculture 

(IICA), a group of 23 

agro-processors, comprising 

mostly rural women, participated 

in a competition for 

the best processed products 

made with mango, during 

Antigua’s 2016 Mango Festival. 

Their participation in the 

Agro-processing competition 

was also supported by 

the Ministry of Agriculture, 

Lands, Fisheries and Barbuda 

Affairs and the Ministry 

of Education, Science and 

Technology. 

According to the organizers, 

the main objective of 

the contest was to support 

the rural women group and 

other local agro-processors 

with the exposure of their 

products. 

The competition was 

divided into six categories 

which included: 

Jams, jellies and marmalade 

Chutney and achar 

Desserts, cakes and pastries 

Sauces 

Drinks, juices, smoothies, 

crushes and wines 

Dried fruits, vegetables 

and confectionery 

First place winners presented 

products including 

mango jam, chutney, sorbet, 

vinaigrette, bait-up and 

sweet potato chips. 

According to Craig 

Thomas, IICA´s technical 

specialist in Antigua and 

Barbuda, the competition 

seeks to enable small-scale 

enterprises, particularly 

women, to strengthen value-added 

processes and 

market opportunities to meet 

the demands of retailers and 

consumers. 

“To promote agribusinesses, 

it is important to 

strengthen the use of local 

raw materials such as mangoes, 

pineapples and other 

fruits and vegetables”, he 

added. 

The 2016 Mango Festival 

took place in Victoria 

Park, Botanical Gardens, on 

July 24 and 25. The slogan 

of the activity was “Mango 

and carnival mek fu (made 

for) sweet bacchanal”.


Skin cancer deadlier for black people 

OHIO, United States – 

American researchers have 

found that blacks are less 

likely to survive melanoma 

– the deadliest form of skin 

cancer – despite whites having 

a higher chance of developing 

it. 

And although patients 

of colour are more likely to 

be diagnosed with melanoma 

once it has spread and 

is harder to treat, they also 

have the worst survival rates 

for every stage of the disease. 

Melanoma can appear 

anywhere on the body, but 

is most commonly found 

on the back, legs, arms and 

face, and even underneath a 

fingernail or toenail. 

People of colour are additionally 

prone to skin cancer 

in areas that aren’t commonly 

exposed to the sun, 

including the palms of the 

hands and the soles of the 

feet. 

Though less common 

than other forms of skin cancer, 

melanoma often spreads 

to other organs in the body, 

making it more deadly. 

According to study author 

Dr Jeremy Bordeaux, 

from the Case Western Reserve 

University in Cleveland: 

“Everyone is at risk 

for skin cancer, regardless of 

race. 

“Patients with skin of 

colour may believe they aren’t 

at risk, but that is not the 

case and when they do get 

skin cancer, it may be especially 

deadly.” 

For the latest research, 

scientists studied nearly 

100,000 patients who had 

been diagnosed with melanoma 

between 1992 and 

2009. 

While whites had the 

highest incidence rates, they 

also had the best survival 

rates. Hispanics were second 

most likely to survive melanoma, 

followed by Asians, 

Native Americans, and Pacific 

Islanders. 

Dr Bordeaux claims there 

may be biologic differences 

in melanoma among patients 

of colour, resulting 

in more aggressive disease 

in these patients, and advocates 

further research to determine 

why survival rates 

differ among different ethnic 

groups. 

In the meantime, he 

stresses the need for prevention. 

“Because skin cancer 

can affect anyone, everyone 

should be proactive about 

skin cancer prevention and 

detection,” he said. 

“Don’t let this potentially 

deadly disease sneak up on 

you because you don’t think 

it can happen to you.” 

According to Dr Bordeaux, 

ultraviolet (UV) radiation 

exposure is the most 

preventable skin cancer risk 

factor, and everyone, regardless 

of skin colour, should 

protect themselves from the 

sun’s harmful UV rays. 

Recommendations from 

the American Academy of 

Dermatology include using a 

broad-spectrum, water-resistant 

sunscreen with an SPF 

(Sun Protection Factor) of 

30 or higher; wearing protective 

clothing, and staying 

in the shade whenever possible. 

Dr Bordeaux noted that 

skin cancer is most treatable 

when detected early, so everyone 

should regularly examine 

their skin for new or 

suspicious spots. 

He stressed that people 

should be especially careful 

to examine hard-to-see areas 

when monitoring their skin 

for signs of skin cancer, asking 

a partner to help if necessary. 

“If you notice any spots 

that are different from the 

others, or anything changing, 

itching or bleeding on 

your skin, make an appointment 

to see a board-certified 

dermatologist,” he advised. 

Other signs to look out 

for include asymmetrical 

spots with two very different 

halves; spots with a mix 

of colours, and spots larger 

than one-quarter-inch in diameter. 

(Caribbean360)



Thursday’s Sudoku Solution 

S U D O K U 

CROSSWORD 

Across 

1. Necessities 

6. It may need a boost 

9. Bitter 

14. Texas player 

15. Nobelist Hammarskjöld 

16. Veronica of “Hill Street 

Blues” 

17. Jefferson’s veep 

19. Peke protector 

20. Dividing word 

21. Chip, maybe 

23. From __: slight progress 

24. D.C. lobbying gp. 

26. Flea remedy 

29. Acura model 

31. Close 

32. Editor’s mark 

33. Moan and groan 

36. Black-and-tan dog 

43. Cruising 

44. Curtain shade 

45. Long-ago Ford 

49. Like much of the Old 

West 

52. Cardiac regulator 

55. Bee follower 

56. Hook’s hand 

57. Rapper Lil’ __ 

58. Robert of “The Sopranos” 

60. Practices in the ring 

62. Exam with sounds 

66. Brings home 

67. WWII craft 

68. French states 

69. Not as forthcoming 

70. Date 

71. Recap 

Down 

1. Calf’s cry 

2. “Born in the __” 

3. More exact 

4. 1982 Disney film starring 

Jeff Bridges 

5. Novelist Susan 

6. E-mail address ending 

7. “Ninotchka” actress 

8. Storied baddies 

9. “Bingo!” 

10. Crenshaw kin 

11. Caveat __ 

12. Fix one’s hair again 

13. Far from tight-lipped 

18. Certain Afrikaner 

22. It’s heavy, in Le Havre 

24. Tower site 

25. Not behind 

27. Grammy winner Lou 

28. Evil glance 

30. Summer along the Seine 

34. Tee follower 

35. “Let __ hang out” 

37. Mustachioed surrealist 

38. Sharp as __ 

39. Fam. member 

40. Cone filler 

41. Celtic language 

42. Subterfuge 

45. Scads 

46. Brass band sound 

47. Like a rainy day 

48. Without end, in poetry 

50. Nike competitor 

51. Kane creator 

53. Serum holders 

54. Entertain 

59. Dramatic words of accusation 

61. Lith., once 

63. Way to go: abbr. 

64. Old-time actor Erwin 

65. Dose amt.


Today’s weather forecast 

Antigua and Barbuda 

Cloudy with occasional rain 

showers. 

High - 85ºF 

Low - 78ºF 

Wind: East 14 mph 

Sunrise 5.48 am; Sunset 6.37 pm 

Thursday’s Crossword Solution 

HOROSCOPE 

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You 

don’t always claim credit for 

the marvelous outcomes you 

create. Often you give others 

more credit than they deserve 

in order to raise morale. This 

will be one of those times. 

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). 

Asking for, listening to and 

acting on feedback will lead 

to you improving in ways you 

couldn’t have seen on your 

own. In a related story, you’ll 

soon have a major advantage 

over your competition. 

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). 

You know enough to continue 

a project on your own, and yet 

you ask for more opinions and 

information. That’s the smart 

way. The more you learn, the 

better your work will be. 

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). 

You’ll be very aware of what 

you are feeling and you’ll 

process less comfortable emotions 

quickly and effectively 

then move toward the positive 

spectrum you want to get to. 

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22- 

Dec. 21). You gave the controls 

over to someone who 

didn’t handle it well. It seemed 

like the right thing to do at the 

time, but times have changed. 

There will be an opportunity 

to discreetly and graciously 

take back the power. 

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 

19). You love a good story, 

and today delivers. There’s 

more here than you’ll understand 

at first listen. Revisit 

later. The tale will continue to 

develop for the next few days. 

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 

18). You expect yourself to be 

organized. It’s not always the 

case. Since it feels to you like 

any amount of time you spend 

looking for things is a waste, 

the time you spend creating a 

better system will be worthwhile. 

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). 

You feel a strong empathy 

with one who is going through 

an intense experience. Empathy 

is a powerful expression 

of love. The more you apply 

it, the more it widens your perception 

and opens your heart. 

ARIES (March 21-April 19). 

If the task you’re on is less 

than fascinating, try giving it 

even more of your attention. 

The details — the glorious, 

captivating details — will enthrall 

you if you give them a 

chance. 

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). 

The ones who work hard and 

play hard understand your 

pattern of extremes. You may 

find yourself trying to explain 

it, but unless they share your 

passionate intensity, this is a 

wasted effort. Seek the company 

of kindred spirits. 

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). 

Just because you believe it 

doesn’t make it true. In fact, 

one of your dearly held beliefs 

is not only false; it’s getting in 

the way of you being able to 

achieve your goal. You’ve an 

inkling what this is about. Are 

you ready to take it on? 

CANCER (June 22-July 22). 

The way you look and the way 

you feel don’t always match 

up perfectly, but there’s a correlation. 

It won’t matter if you 

work from the inside out or 

the outside in: You can bring 

yourself up to a new level 

from either angle.


Friday 5th August 2016


All members of the Antigua and Barbuda Ex-Servicemen Association 

are notified of the monthly general meeting, to be 

held on Saturday 6 August 2016 at 3 pm, at the Association`s 

Headquarters. Please notify the secretary or Chairman of any 

apologies on 720-0058 or 723-3452. The main item on the 

agenda will be the outcome of the RCEL 32nd Malaysia conference 

on 25-30 June 2016. 

Jennings Secondary School will register new students on 

10th and 11th August, 2016. The cost for boys is $ 200.00 

and $ 105.00 for girls. 

Fees are to be deposited on the school’s account at Scotiabank 

# 7014071 

Parents who are to be accompanied by students are to present 

the following: 

1. The child’s birth certificate or passport and a copy of 

the same 

2. The child’s health record and a copy of the same 

3. The clearance form from the Board of Education, 

which would have been issued by the Book Scheme Manager 

at the Primary School 

4. The receipt from the Bank of Nova Scotiabank 

Registration will be between the hours of 9 a.m to noon on 

both days. 

Parents and students are expected to comply with the dress 

code in place for all government offices. 

The principal and staff of the Ottos Comprehensive School 

wishes to inform the general public of its registration date, 

for students who have gained scholarships to the Ottos Comprehensive 

School. 

Registration of new students and collection of text books 

will be held on Tuesday 16th August, 2016 on the school 

compound, between the hours 9:00am – 12:00pm. 

Parents/ Guardians are asked to bring along the following 

documents when coming to register your child/children: 

• Registration Fee of $225.00 

• Book Clearance form from previous school 

• 2 RECENT passport size photos 

• Original and photocopy of Birth Paper 

• Original and photocopy of Health Card 

• Copy of Passport information page and original 

passport 

• Non- Nationals- Copy of Passport page showing 

time in the country and Passport 

• Pen and note book to write down the name of books 

issued to the students 

The collection of textbooks for students transferred to the 

Ottos Comprehensive School will also be on Tuesday 16th 

August, 2016 at 9:00am. 

Are you a Building Technology student and are interested in 

furthering your education in this field? Or are you thinking 

of entering the field of Architectural Technology? Earn a full 

scholarship to the Antigua and Barbuda International Institute 

of Technology (ABIIT) to pursue an Associate Degree in Architectural 

Technology. Simply apply to ABIIT and enroll in 

the Architectural Technology program and write a 500 word 

essay on “Why the field of Architecture is important and how 

will attaining a degree in this field enable you to achieve your 

academic and professional goals” Submissions may be dropped 

off at the Coolidge campus or emailed to dmartin@abiit.edu. 

ag and kbjoseph@abiit.edu.ag. Deadline for submission is 2nd 

September 2016. 

VACANCIES at OSEC 

The following VACANCIES are currently registered at the One 

Stop Employment Centre (OSEC): 

** SERVER/BARTENDER 

3 Years related experience required 

** LINE CHEF 

4 Years related experience required 

** COOK 

1 year experience 

Must have a passion for cooking 

** SECURITY OFFICER 

Police record required 

** CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES 

A Minimum of 3 CXC’s (including English) 

Bi-lingual (Spanish) a plus 

Proficient personal computer skills 

Strong written and oral communication skills. 

** NURSES 

Must be a graduate of an accredited nursing school 

Must be currently registered with the Antigua & Barbuda Nursing 

Council 

Customer Service skills 

** EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

5 Years education facility management experience 

** RESTAURANT OPERATIONS MANAGER 

5 years experience in similar role 

** MAINTENANCE CO-ORDINATOR 

General knowledge and experience of the hotel & hospitality 

industry is an asset 

3 years experience in similar role 

Must have experience in plumbing and electrical training 

If you are currently registered at OSEC and interested in a listed 

vacancy, kindly contact OSEC. If you are NOT registered 

with OSEC you may call the centre for more information on 

registration requirements. Our centre is located on Old Parham 

Road in the Ryan’s Building, next to Antigua Motors. OSEC 

telephone numbers are 5628533/34/35. 

[Kindly note that the DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS 

is Thursday 11th August, 2016]



Hope replaces Chandrika in WI Test squad 

For Sale 

Services 

West Indies have included 

Shai Hope, the 22-yearold 

opening batsman from 

Barbados, in their squad for 

QBLab - Quickbooks Training! Levels 1 to 4 classes are 

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the third Test against India, 

which begins on August 9 

in St Lucia. Hope replaces 

Rajendra Chandrika, who 

made scores of 16, 31, 5 and 

1 in the first two Tests, and 

saw his Test average drop 

to 14.00, the worst by any 

West Indies opener who has 

played 10 or more innings. 

Hope, a right-hand batsman 

who is also capable of 

keeping wickets, has played 

six Tests so far, scoring 171 

runs at an average of 15.54. 

He has been in excellent 

form in recent months, with 

two hundreds in his last four 

matches in the WICB Professional 

Cricket League 

four-day tournament, and a 

century for the WICB President’s 

XI in the Indians’ first 

warm-up match in St Kitts. 

The selectors have made 

no other changes to West 

Indies’ 14-man squad. India 

lead the four-Test series 1-0. 

West Indies squad for 

third Test: Jason Holder 

(capt), Kraigg Brathwaite 

(vice-captain), Devendra Bishoo, 

Jermaine Blackwood, 

Carlos Brathwaite, Darren 

Bravo, Roston Chase, Miguel 

Cummins, Shane Dowrich, 

Shannon Gabriel, Shai 

Hope, Leon Johnson, Alzarri 

Joseph, Marlon Samuels.


Chase - I knew only a ton could save us 

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Batting 

hero Roston Chase says he, along 

with a few teammates, had plotted the 

strategy on the previous night, on how 

to draw the second Test against India 

on Wednesday’s critical final day at Sabina 

Park. 

In a discussion on Tuesday night 

with wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich 

and reserve player Carlos Brathwaite, 

Chase said it had been determined then 

that either he, or Dowrich, of the specialist 

batsmen remaining, would need 

to reach triple figures in order to save 

the game. 

West Indies began the day on 48 

for four in their second innings – still 

requiring 256 runs to avoid an innings 

defeat – and batted all day to reach 388 

for six and force a stalemate. 

Chase led the way with a superb 

unbeaten 137 – his maiden Test hundred 

in only his second game – while 

Dowrich stroked 74 and captain Jason 

Holder, an unbeaten 64. 

Jermaine Blackwood slammed a 

quick-fire 63 from 54 balls early in the 

morning session to complete his second 

half-century of the game. 

“Last night, me, Dowrich and Carlos 

were having a conversation. We 

were speaking about drawing the Test 

match and I told them that once me or 

Shane gets a hundred we’ll be safe,” 

Chase said. 

“[We knew because] Blackwood 

plays a bit aggressively there would 

still be a lot of time so either me or 

Shane, and probably Jason, would have 

to get a hundred in the match. 

“Also the innings that was played by 

the Sri Lankan [Kusal Mendis] a couple 

of days before, that really inspired 

me and actually made me believe more 

that I could save the match for us. 

The 21-year-old Mendis struck 176 

to help fire Sri Lanka to a shock 106- 

win over Australia in the first Test in 

Pallekele last week. 

Chase, 24, matched Mendis. He 

struck 14 fours and a six in an innings 

that spanned 269 balls and nearly six 

hours. He posted 93 with Blackwood 

for the fifth wicket, 144 with Dowrich 

for the sixth and 103 in an unbroken 

seventh wicket stand with Holder. 

He had also claimed five for 121 

with his unassuming off-spin in India’s 

first innings of 500 for nine declared, 

and on Wednesday became only the 

fourth West Indian to score a century 

and take a five-wicket innings haul in 

a Test. 

“It’s a great match for me. I’m just 

looking to move on from here, stay 

humble and take it Test match by Test 

match,” the right-hander said. 

“It is a great confidence booster for 

me to know that I can actually perform 

at this level. I know people will be 

expecting a lot from me so I will just 

go out there and play it Test match by 

Test match and keep on looking to improve.” 

He added: “They say I am cool [and 

that] I don’t really show any emotion 

and stuff but I just believe in my ability 

so when I do stuff that people don’t really 

expect me to do and they say ‘you 

did great but you don’t really show any 

emotion’, I just think it’s my job to perform. 

“So when I perform, I thank God 

and just look to perform again. I just 

don’t look to stop at that performance. 

I just want to keep going on and going 

on. 

Chase has been in the Windies 

frame for some time. When the Australians 

toured the Caribbean last year, he 

scored a half-century in either innings 

of the President’s XI tour game in Antigua. 

He followed that up with over 700 

Roston Chase 

runs in the regional first class tournament 

for Barbados Pride which kept his 

name on the lips of selectors. 

And despite a tough debut in Antigua 

where West Indies suffered an innings 

defeat, Chase said he was enjoying 

his stint at the highest level. 

“I’m enjoying the experience because 

I’ve waited all my life to get 

here and I’ve finally gotten here,” he 

explained. 

“I never thought it was easy but all 

the guys I’ve spoken with, who played 

before me and are playing now, told me 

it’s a very hard task but just try to enjoy 

it. 

“Right now I’m enjoying it although 

we’re behind in the series and 

we’re fielding 160 overs every innings 

but I’m enjoying it while I’m out there 

and while I’m batting as well.”



Sir Viv thrilled by Windies character 

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Cricket legend 

Sir Viv Richards has praised West 

Indies for their “character and fight” after 

they produced a magnificent batting 

display on the final day of the second 

Test, to earn a precious draw in the second 

Test at Sabina Park here Wednesday. 

Starting the day on 48 for four in 

their second innings – still requiring 

another 256 runs to avoid an innings 

defeat – West Indies lost just two wickets 

and batted all day to finish on 388 

for six. 

They were led by a splendid unbeaten, 

maiden Test century from Roston 

Chase who finished on 137 while 

wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich got 74, 

captain Jason Holder 64 not out and 

Jermaine Blackwood, 63. 

Following the amazing back-to-thewall 

performance, Sir Viv made his 

way to the West Indies players’ area to 

applaud the team for facing up to the 

challenge. 

“This is a marvelous performance 

from this young team. I am really proud 

of them,” said Sir Viv, a member of the 

television commentary panel for the series. 

“They really stood up to the challenge 

and we should be proud of this 

kind of performance. They did not win 

the Test match but if we can see more 

efforts like this I am sure this team is on 

the way to very good things. 

“They applied themselves and were 

rewarded. This should be great for them 

and it shows that they can play at this 

level. This has lifted the series and I 

hope it lifts this team as well. There is 

talent, there is fight and there is character 

in that West Indies dressing and we 

saw it here today.” 

Chase’s innings was the highlight 

of the day. All told, he faced 269 deliveries 

in a knock lasting just shy of 

Sir Vivian Richards, right, shakes the hand of Roston Chase, who struck his maiden Test 

century with an unbeaten 137 runs. 

six hours and which included 14 fours 

and a six. 

The knock came in just his fourth 

innings and followed his five wickets 

for 121 runs in the Indian first innings 

of 500 for nine declared. 

Chase also created history by becoming 

just the fourth West Indian to 

make a century and take five wickets in 

the same Test match. The last occasion 

was by Sir Garfield Sobers in England 

50 years ago. 

Sir Viv, renowned for never having 

lost a Test series as captain, said self-belief 

would now be critical for Chase as 

he tried to build on the performance. 

“My advice to him is keep believing 

in [himself]. He’s off to a tremendous 

start in his Test career – with a terrific 

five-wicket haul and then a significant 

century like this which saved the 

match,” said Sir Viv. 

“He’s now being mentioned and respected, 

where this is concerned with 

making a ton and taking a five-for. So 

I urge him and the team to keep growing 

and keep believing in themselves.” 

(CMC)

Caribbean Times 65th Issue - Friday 5th August 2016

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