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Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Aubrey Norton, says the A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, expresses condolences to the families, relatives, friends, residents of Mahdia and all Guyanese, as the nation mourns the loss of lives of our children.
Sunday evening the female dormitory of the Mahdia Secondary School was razed by fire. 19 persons died, including twins and a five-year-old boy, the child of the dorm mother. Several others were injured.
In a statement issued Monday, Norton says the Opposition is deeply saddened by the incident and hopes there is no more fatality. He also wishes the injured a speedy recovery and expresses gratitude to the Joint Services, medical team and others who are providing logistical, medical care and other support.
Shadow Minister of Education, Mrs. Natasha Singh Lewis, in a social media post says the Opposition is deeply saddened by the incident and their hearts go out to the family and loved ones affected by the tragedy. “The loss of innocent lives is always a painful and heartbreaking experience, and this incident has left us all with a heavy heart. As a community, we stand in solidarity with the families of the victims, and we offer our sincerest condolences during this difficult time.”
Norton has also called for 26th May, Independence Anniversary, to be marked as a Day of Mourning to show solidarity with the victims, their families and the community. President Irfaan Ali has since responded, issuing the order for three days of mourning which started Monday afternoon and will end Wednesday. The Golden Arrowhead will be flown at half-staff during the period, May 22-May 24.
Singh has called on the government to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire and to provide a detailed report on what really went wrong. According to her, there is need to understand how the horrific and deadly incident occurred and for government officials to take all necessary measures to prevent such a tragedy from happening again in the future.
Shadow Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. Roysdale Forde S.C, has also expressed his sorrow, stating his thoughts and prayers are with the families, community of Mahdia and all Guyana. “The sorrow we feel at this time for young lives’ loss rips at the core of our collective well-being.”
He advises that as the nation collectively mourns, Guyanese must also collectively correct. Further, as the nation patiently awaits the investigation of the authorities, which should be thorough and not rule out a commission of inquiry that could lead to answers, Forde says the tragedy must result in accountability and reform. “The entire country expects honest answers, accountability and collective input in reforming an evidently broken education system.”
In an invited comment with Village Voice News, Forde notes the apparent disregard by government officials to protect the scene of the fire to allow investigators to do their work. The area should have been cordoned off and it gives the nation no comfort there seems to be no desire on the part of the government team, led by Prime Minister Mark Phillips, to adhere to this basic aspect of crime solving. “If we are really interested in getting to the facts, preserving the evidence is critical,” he says.
Touching on the issue of the grieving family and community, Forde calls on society to provide the space for the aggrieved to express their pains and anguish. “The rights to freedom of expression and assembly are sacred, even more so now as a community grapples with their loss, demands answers and accountability.”
Responding to a media report that a child may be responsible for setting the fire, Forde says, “We must not accept that this child, whether a contributory factor or not, being made the sacrificial lamb when there are other serious factors that contributed to the deaths.”
Going further, the member of parliament states, based on information in the public, the school dorm sounds like a prison and Guyanese should address their minds to the fact children were placed in such an environment. He queries the whereabouts of the adults, the guardians on Sunday evening, stating the entire situation surrounding and resulting in the tragedy is unacceptable.
Where is the child, who allegedly knows something about the fire, he questions. “If this child is alive, is she having any protection? We must investigate,” he contends. Also, “we must examine our building codes, whether the codes allow for 21st Century firefighting measures to prevent or mitigate such tragedy.”
Forde calls on society to not only collectively weep and reach out in whatever way persons can to provide support, but also collectively work to correct the many things that were obviously wrong. “Let us also commit to make our schools safe places and ensure no parent or child will ever again have to experience such unspeakable pain.”
