HGP NIGHTLY NEWS – Two Government ministers and three senior officials should be temporarily removed from their duties while the MV Barima disaster is being investigated, according to a coalition of civil society organisations pushing for greater accountability following the deadly tragedy.
The coalition is calling for Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar to be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the inquiry.
The groups want similar action taken against MARAD Director General Stephen Thomas, Transport and Harbours Department General Manager Yolanda Hughes Smith and T&HD Board Chairperson Rosalinda Rasul.
Importantly, the coalition stressed that placing the five officials on leave would not amount to an admission of wrongdoing or guilt.
Instead, the groups argue that senior officials within the chain of command should temporarily step aside while investigators examine whether failures occurred within the systems responsible for Guyana’s river transportation.
The coalition pointed to several issues it believes deserve closer scrutiny.
Among them is the passenger waiting area at Kingston Wharf, which was recently refurbished but, according to the coalition, was not available to passengers travelling aboard the MV Barima on July 18.
The groups also raised concerns about the MV Ma Lisha, the vessel brought to Guyana in 2023 to replace the Barima.
They pointed to reports of corrosion on the vessel and claimed that despite its arrival three years ago, residents of Port Kaituma were still unable to fully benefit from the replacement because the necessary docking facilities remained incomplete.
The coalition believes those issues should form part of a broader examination of whether the institutions responsible for river transportation were providing passengers with a safe and reliable service.
Its statement was endorsed by several organisations, including Transparency Institute Guyana Inc., the Amerindian Peoples Association, Guyana Trades Union Congress, Red Thread, Crossroads Women’s Centre and the Oil and Gas Governance Network.
Additional support came from the Guyanese Organization of Indigenous Peoples, Organization for the Victory of the People and We The People, along with several individuals.
The coalition maintains that the way the MV Barima investigation is handled will have consequences extending far beyond the Commission’s eventual findings.
For the groups, the issue is now also about whether the institutions responsible for maritime safety can maintain public confidence while senior officials whose agencies fall within the chain of responsibility remain in their positions.
