Opposition Member of Parliament, Coretta McDonald, on Monday, castigated the Government over its failure to appoint an International Independent Commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deadly dorm fire that killed 20 children in Mahdia last May, telling the National Assembly that the report submitted by the local Commission Of Inquiry was tailored to suit the political agenda of the current regime. 

In addition to citing the Chief Fire Officer, Gregory Wickham and the then Regional Education Officer (REDO), Annesta Douglas for “dereliction of duty,” the Major General (Ret’d) Joe Singh led Commission placed a significant portion of the blame at the feet of the former APNU+AFC Government for not acting on a report that was submitted in 2017, which highlighted deficiencies within the Education Sector, including the deplorable state of student dorms in the country. 

The Commission said the “fact that no action was taken, in relation to the dormitory facilities in the country after the 2017 report, was a grave neglect of duty bordering on recklessness by the persons vested with power, during that period, for the care and welfare of the country’s children residing in dormitories.”

But MP McDonald during the Budget Debates on Monday said she has no confidence in the report submitted by the Joe Singh Commission.

“We were not confident that this report would place the blame where it needs to be, squarely at the feet of the Minister of Education. Sir, the doctrine of ministerial responsibility is clear: it is a fundamental constitutional principle in the Westminster Parliamentary System according to which ministers are responsible to the parliament for the conduct of their ministry and government as a whole. Ministerial responsibility is central to the parliamentary system, because it ensures the accountability of the government to the legislature and thus, ultimately, to the population. [But] We suspect that the report has been tailored to suit the political aims of the regime,” MP McDonald reasoned. 

The APNU+AFC MP said there is no doubt that the outcome of the fire was the result of gross incompetence at the Ministry of Education, adding that in normal societies, those found responsible would have been sent packing.

“This man-made disaster, in normal society would have resulted in wanton resignations and firings but not under the watch of the People’ Progressive Party. Instead, what we have is the usual denials and attempts to escape responsibility by the Ministry of Education and the Minister while scapegoating the Fire Service Chief and the former REDO,” MP McDonald said. 

The COI Report also cited a report done by UNICEF, and a number of reports done by the Officer in Charge of the Mahdia Fire Station under the current Government. It said based on the testimony of the Chief Education Officer (CEO), steps were being taken by the Government to act on the recommendations included in UNICEF Report and the fire inspection report on the dorm was never brought to the attention of the Government. 

But MP McDonald told the National Assembly that the Government was fully aware of the state of the dorms, but did little to remedy the situation.

“Prior to the fire, UNICEF and the Guyana Fire Service had submitted reports to the government of Guyana warning about the safety of dormitories across Guyana and also submitted recommendations to correct the risk. The ministry ignored these submissions. The government made matters worse when it sought to escape paying compensation to the families of the victims and established a Commission of Inquiry. After incessant calls by the opposition, this uncaring behavior continued when the government appointed a COI without international independent commissioners,” the MP said. 

She said in the interest of the victims, their parents, the people of Region 8 and the general population, the Opposition will continue to call for an independent probe and a fair and proportional compensatory package for the victims and their family.

 According to her, “the next Coalition government” intends to review the matter and make proper restitution that fully respects the full scope of the loss and grief experienced by the affected families.

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand in addressing the deadly blaze also cast blame on APNU+AFC Government for not acting on the 2017 report. Manickchand has been serving as Education Minister since 2020. The deadly fire took place in 2023.

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