67 days no CoI into deadly Mahdia fire 

Jul 28, 2023 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

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– Opposition slams Govt. for delays, says mischief afoot  

Kaieteur News – Today will mark 67 days since the tragic Mahdia Dormitory Fire that took the lives of twenty young Guyanese on 21st May and government is yet to launch a Commission of Inquiry ( COI) although President Irfaan Ali said a chairman has been identified.

On Thursday the main Opposition- A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) raised the issue during a news conference, noting that following the fire, the government deployed several “devious and heartless ploys to avoid taking full responsibility and to brush the matter under the carpet.” The opposition added: “most recently, Guyanese across the social and political spectrum joined in condemning the insulting act by the government to offer the parents the stingy financial compensation and to coerce or intimidate them into signing documents absolving the government from any future potential claims for liability and injury.  Guyanese must continue to reject these acts by the PPP. It should be noted that in the judicial system Guyanese are awarded $20M or more dollars for libel and defamation. It is therefore ridiculous for the government to offer $5M per person for the loss of life. Life cannot be that cheap in a country where the government squanders billions of tax payers’ money.”

Additionally, the Opposition said to date, the government has failed to constitute the long-awaited commission of inquiry into the fire. “There can be no excuse for the delay.  Several organisations, including the Parliamentary Opposition, have publicised detailed TORs and there are several well-qualified and professional Guyanese and Caricom nationals who can sit on such a commission. Guyanese must see the delay for what it is: an act by a government that is interested in its own political self-preservation at any cost—one that has no sense of morality, integrity, and duty but to itself,” the Opposition asserted. “We will not relent until an independent commission of inquiry is established. Until all those responsible in the PPP Cabinet are held accountable. Until all corrective measures are identified and implemented across the country for similar facilities. Until justice for the dead Mahdia children and their parents is served. We owe it to the dead and to the wider society to hold the government accountable for what is clearly their incompetence and lack of care for the nation’s children.”

Back in June President Ali announced that Major General (Ret’d) Joseph Singh will chair the Commission of Inquiry (COI). President Ali had said that he would have been meeting with Singh and his team before shortly. “We are finalizing the TOR [Terms of Reference] right now. I have a meeting before the end of this week with the team. I can tell you I identified Major General (retired) Joe Singh to led that team; I have a meeting with him before the end of this week. I’m also having a meeting with the family members of the Mahdia fire to discuss some outstanding issue,” the President had mentioned.

Following the fire, President Ali had signaled the government’s intention to establish a Commission of Inquiry (COI) to investigate the tragic fire at the Mahdia dormitory, which claimed the lives of 19 young girls and a 5-year-old boy. During his Independence Day speech, he had said, “We are also committed to establishing a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the causes and circumstances of the fire which destroyed the dormitory and to inquire into related issues. This will be done soonest. The findings of that inquiry will inform the way forward”.

On the night of May 21, 2023, a fire swept through a heavily-grilled dormitory which housed students of the Mahdia Secondary School, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni). Deputy Fire Chief (ag) Dwayne Scotland on May 22, 2023 disclosed that the fire which took approximately three and a half hours to be extinguished, was maliciously set. It was confirmed by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on May 23, 2024 that a female student of the Mahdia Secondary School reportedly started the fire because her cellular phone was taken away by the dorm mother, and a teacher. She was later charged and remanded to a Juvenile Holding Centre. The 20 children who died as a result of the fire are, Adonijah Jerome, Tracil Thomas, Lisa Roberts, Delecia Edwards, Lorita Williams, Natalie Bellarmine, Arriana Edwards, Cleoma Simon, Subrina John, Martha D’Andrade, (and twin) Mary D’Andrade, Belnisa Evans, Loreen Evans, Omerfia Edwin, Nickleen Robinson, Sherlyn Bellarmine, Eulander Carter, Andrea Roberts, Rita Jeffrey and Sherana Daniels.

Meanwhile, only recently this newspaper reported the announcement by Government that it has  commenced the process of giving financial assistance to the relatives of the 20 children who died as a result of the May 21 fire. According to a document seen by this publication, each family will receive, if agreed, the sum of $5 million in financial assistance, which constitutes a settlement of all claims and causes of actions on account of all injuries resulting in death and not resulting in death, that resulted from the fire. The Ministry of Legal Affairs, in a statement said that the families were requested to sign an agreement having received independent legal advice. It was noted that while the process of providing this financial assistance is ongoing, as part of the agreement, the government pledged to continue to offer such support as may be necessary to the victims’ families.

Also, the ministry said too that thus far, all the affected families engaged have signed agreements. Importantly, it was stated that the Commission of Inquiry (COI) as promised by President Irfaan Ali, will be established, and that COI will, if it considers necessary, review all the facts and circumstances relating to the events, in accordance with its Terms of Reference.  “Given that public monies are being expended, and recognising that these expenditures will have to be transparently accounted for, the agreements were reduced into writing. Needless to say, a full report of all monies expended in respect of this tragedy will be made public in due course, as the process is a continuing one,” it was stated.

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• Adonijah Jerome, Delecia Edwards, Lisa Roberts, Lorita Williams, Natalie Bellarmine, Tracil Thomas

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