Calls grow for Edghill to go

(Kaieteur News) – With at least 83 persons still missing and 27 bodies recovered as of Monday afternoon, calls have intensified for Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill to be removed from office following what is being described as Guyana’s deadliest maritime disaster.

The calls come on the heels of the government’s decision on Monday morning to send the entire management team responsible for the loading, dispatch and overall oversight of the MV Barima on leave pending an investigation. Pointing to systemic failures and lapses in leadership, political stakeholders argue that accountability should not end with those directly responsible for the vessel but should also extend to ministers with oversight responsibility for the relevant agencies.

Calls have also been made for the removal of Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar, as well as Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) Director General Stephen Thomas.

Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill

The Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), in a statement, said the tragedy exposed poor management and accountability within the operations of the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) and called for the removal of Minister Edghill, under whose purview the tragedy occurred.

The 87-year-old vessel sank about seven miles offshore near Iron Punt, in the vicinity of the Pomeroon River, on the evening of Saturday, 18^th July . On Sunday evening, government officials disclosed that the number of persons aboard the vessel at the time of the incident may have been higher than the previously reported 133 (116 passengers and 17 crew members). The recent figures disclosed by government suggest that the vessel was carrying at least 179 persons.

In response to Minister Edghill’s revelation regarding the discrepancies in the vessel’s manifest, APA reminded that, for years, passengers travelling on the North West ferries have complained about the deplorable condition of the vessels, the behaviour of some crew members, and the generally unsafe conditions they are forced to endure while travelling between the North West District and Georgetown.

“While Guyanese of all ethnicities reside in the North-Western District of Guyana, the majority of the population is Indigenous, and all use this mode of transportation because it is the most cost-effective, given the high costs of other means of travel,” the APA outlined, adding that persons travel for various reasons, including medical care, business, education and even vacation.

APA stressed that the tragedy is a devastating reminder of the risks and inequities Indigenous peoples and other hinterland residents continue to face. “The state has a responsibility to provide safe, reliable and cost-effective means of transportation for its citizens. For too long, the safety of those who depend on Guyana’s air, waterways and roads has not received the level of attention, urgency and care it deserves,” it lamented.

APA added that Minister Edghill’s report about the manifest exposes poor management and accountability in the operations of the vessels serving the North West District. “Who oversees the operations of the vessels that they do not detect what appears to be corrupt practices in overloading? Who is responsible for the regular maintenance of the vessels that a seemingly unseaworthy and aged vessel is allowed to ply dangerous routes without care for the souls on board?” the association questioned.

It stressed that the acceptance and normalisation of corrupt practices, which Minister Edghill described as “mischief,” have consistently contributed to the systemic failures that led to the tragedy.

In addition to calling for Minister Edghill’s removal from office, the APA called for a comprehensive, independent and transparent review of the tragedy. It also called for a similar review of Guyana’s entire river and sea transportation systems, arguing that many of them are plagued by longstanding faults and deficiencies.

“The loss of lives aboard the MV Barima must become a turning point for significant improvements in public safety and maritime regulation. We cannot afford to hear the Government of Guyana respond to a tragedy with temporary expressions of sympathy, only for another one to highlight public deficiencies. Every tragedy that fails to produce meaningful reform increases the likelihood of another. The Government of Guyana must commit to sustained investment in safe, reliable and modern river and sea transportation facilities and infrastructure,” the APA said.

In a video posted by APNU, Member of Parliament Saiku Andrews said Ministers Edghill and Indar must resign.

“As rescue and recovery efforts continue, the emerging facts point to serious and unacceptable failures. Minister Edghill’s own admission already exposed systemic failure,” the MP noted.

He cited initial government reports showing that the number of persons on the vessel’s manifest did not accurately reflect the number of persons on board, as well as reports concerning the vessel’s actual tonnage at the time of the incident.

“Lives have been lost, and families remain in anguish. This is not a minor administrative lapse; it is the collapse of basic maritime oversight and control,” Andrews said.

He also questioned the maintenance of the decades-old vessel and called on the government to address critical issues surrounding the vessel with factual evidence.

The MP further called on the ministers to produce the MV Barima’s inspection, seaworthiness, safety certification, crew fitness and emergency readiness records. “The PPP/C Government must not scapegoat junior workers while shielding the ministers who supervise the system,” he added.

The MP stressed that MARAD cannot credibly investigate its own regulatory conduct without independent oversight. “The PNCR/APNU therefore calls on Minister Indar and Minister Edghill to resign or be removed pending a truly independent inquiry led by qualified external maritime experts.”

Meanwhile, APNU MP Terrence Campbell, commenting on reports that the MV Barima management team had been sent on leave, stated, “This is the problem in Guyana, leaders do not take responsibility. The Great Bishop needs to resign or be sent off.”

The Alliance for Change (AFC), in a separate statement, called for the immediate removal of Edghill and MARAD Director General Stephen Thomas.

AFC called on President Irfaan Ali to remove both officials to facilitate an independent and transparent investigation. The party also proposed the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry (COI) under the Commission of Inquiry Act, Chapter 19:03, to conduct a comprehensive investigation into all aspects of the tragedy.

The party proposed that the inquiry examine key areas: the vessel, the voyage, weather and sea conditions, the captain and crew, safety equipment and emergency preparedness, the events leading to the sinking, search and rescue operations, crisis management and public communication, regulatory oversight, compliance with international best practices, and recommendations for reform.

The AFC said the commission should also assess the effectiveness of MARAD and other regulatory agencies, identify any systemic failures or negligence, compare Guyana’s maritime safety regime with international standards, and recommend legislative, regulatory and operational reforms to prevent similar tragedies.

The party further stated that the commission should be chaired by an independent person with the requisite judicial expertise and experience and supported by international maritime and emergency management experts. It also recommended that hearings be conducted publicly wherever possible and that the commission be vested with full powers to compel witnesses and documents.

Pres. Ali will decide

Meanwhile, at a press conference on Monday evening, Minister Edghill was asked whether the calls for his resignation in light of the tragedy were justified. While Edghill did not respond to the question, Prime Minister Mark Phillips answered on his behalf, saying such a decision could not be addressed by anyone at the press conference.

The prime minister said, “Let me answer all the questions. Minister Edghill was appointed by a president of Guyana… But I want to also inform you and remind you that, that decision lies with the president. None of us here cannot answer that.”

Phillips noted that officials, including President Irfaan Ali, are aware of the calls for Minister Edghill’s resignation and dismissed those calls as “noise.”