HGP Nightly News – APNU parliamentarian Dr. Terrence Campbell wants the National Assembly to suspend its scheduled agenda on Monday and devote the sitting to the MV Barima tragedy, arguing that no other parliamentary business carries the same urgency.
Campbell said bills and a supplementary financial measure are among the matters awaiting debate, but none should take priority over a disaster that has claimed dozens of lives and left fundamental questions unanswered.
“I would like to see a suspension of the standing orders for us to discuss this incident,” he said Thursday on New Day on GoMoseley Radio.
“There are bills for discussion. There is a supplementary financial bill, but none of that rises to the level of importance of a discussion on this tragedy.”
Campbell said Parliament should examine the circumstances surrounding the capsizing, the government’s response and the measures needed to prevent another maritime disaster.
He also wants the Assembly to help determine the composition, scope and terms of reference of the promised Commission of Inquiry.
The government has committed to establishing a commission but has not yet published its membership or complete mandate.
Campbell said Guyanese need more than assurances that an inquiry will be convened. They must be confident that it will operate independently, ask difficult questions and scrutinise every level of responsibility.
“Parliament needs to have a say in the decision going forward as to the Commission of Inquiry and all other steps that must be taken,” he said.
As of Thursday evening, 72 bodies had been recovered. The failure of the original manifest to record everyone aboard has continued to complicate efforts to determine precisely how many people remain unaccounted for.
Campbell described the capsizing as the largest loss of Guyanese lives from a single event in the country’s history. Although the 1978 Jonestown tragedy killed hundreds, he noted that most of those victims were not Guyanese.
“This needs to be addressed at the level of the National Assembly,” he said. “The path forward to avoid any recurrence must be addressed at the level of the National Assembly.”
His call followed a visit to the search area, where he encountered the bodies of children, teenagers and adults.
“I’m a little emotional because I’ve been out there,” Campbell said. “I’ve seen a baby. I’ve seen teenagers. I’ve seen adults.”
He warned that the investigation must not end with lower-level workers being blamed while decisions made by senior officials and regulatory agencies escape examination.
“Accountability must go from top to bottom,” he said.
The MV Barima’s captain and a Transport and Harbours Department loading superintendent have been detained as part of the criminal investigation. Neither had been charged when their detention was disclosed.
Campbell said the wider inquiry must examine the vessel’s maintenance, certification, loading procedures, passenger and cargo records, regulatory oversight and deployment on the North-West route.
He also questioned why recently acquired vessels were reportedly unavailable for the route and why government helicopters were not more effectively deployed during the initial emergency response.
The government has said 19 maritime vessels and three aircraft were operating across a search area of approximately 2,100 square kilometres. Regional and international partners, private operators, fishermen and volunteers have also supported the operation.
Campbell maintained that what he personally observed appeared heavily dependent on private vessels, fishermen and resources mobilised by Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed.
He was unable to reach the wreck site but said that, roughly 30 minutes away, he saw fewer state vessels than expected.
The government has maintained that its assets were deployed through the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre. Whether the response was timely, adequately equipped and properly coordinated is expected to form part of the investigation.
Campbell also renewed his call for Public Works Minister Juan Edghill to resign, citing the principle of ministerial responsibility.
“You take responsibility when a major catastrophe like this takes place under your watch,” he said. “You resign and allow someone else to come in.”
Campbell further accused the administration of failing to brief or involve the parliamentary opposition since the tragedy.
Monday’s sitting, he argued, gives the National Assembly an opportunity to confront the unanswered questions publicly, establish a credible path towards accountability and ensure that safety reforms do not disappear once the immediate grief recedes.
