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The tragedy they would’ve loved to forget, has now become the tragedy they’ve eventually whitewashed. For this tragedy, the Mahdia inferno, will go down in history, as one of our worst, barring the Jim Jones massacre. In which, twenty innocent children, grilled away from the outside world, were reduced to smouldering ashes. Twenty innocent children, forced to confront death, even before they knew life. Twenty innocent children, having been peacefully buried, forced to face a political exhumation, for a Madhia Commission of Inquiry (COI) coverup.
In fact, given the opportunity, each of these twenty beautiful children, now all dead, could’ve blossomed into incandescent bright future. However, unfortunately for them, their parents weren’t in the PPP aristocracy of Friends, Families and Favourites. As a result, they were treated like the insignificant plebeian class, deserving of the most painful and undignified of deaths. And this PPP made excruciatingly obvious, as they paid $5M hush money, for each life and silence. Thus, even as mothers mourn for their precious babies, and the way their bodily remains were desecrated to fill potholes, PPP was on a campaign of a COI coverup. Therefore, in the context of the aforementioned, we must remind ourselves of the facts of this catastrophe, that took the lives of twenty innocent children.
For this is the reality, Priya Manickchand was in receipt of the Caesar and UNICEF reports, which lamented the fire unpreparedness of our school dormitories. But rather than acting on these damning reports, Manickchand chose to sweep them under the proverbial carpet. Then having hidden them from public view, Manickchand made no effort to give them not even a cursory examination. Additionally, apart from these reports, Manickchand had four further fiery warnings.
1. Northwest Secondary burnt to the ground.
2. North Ruimveldt Multilateral burnt to the ground.
3. St. George’s Secondary burnt to the ground.
4. Christ Church Secondary burnt to the ground.
That is, in 2yrs, four schools burnt to the ground, even as Priya Manickchand and PPP were in receipt of the damning Caesar and UNICEF reports. Four schools’ infernos, along with the damning reports, yet the cluelessly incompetent Priya Manickchand, didn’t act to prevent this catastrophe.
Having said that, the inept Priya Manickchand wasn’t alone in her astounding incompetence, as she had abled companionship in Robeson Benn. For in Robeson Benn, we have an abysmal failure, since under his watch, both crimes and fires are skyrocketing out of control. Nevertheless, despite his gross ineptitude, the Fire Service worked assiduously in establishing fire preparedness reports for schools. Where of note, was the Madhia fire preparedness report, which was damning, explicitly stating that the school dormitory wasn’t fire safe. But Robeson Benn was apparently in his usual somnolent state when the report was released. As a result, the prison grills remained on the dormitory, such that when the inevitable fifth school fire visited, the students had no route out.
Therefore, from the aforementioned, the conclusion is inescapable, this deadly Mahdia fire would’ve been wholly preventable, contrary to the COI conclusions, if only Priya Manickchand and Robeson Benn were competent. Which begs the question; what about others in PPP? Are they free of culpability? Sadly, the answer is a resounding no, for they were all made privy to the Caesar and UNICEF reports, even as they were aware of the many school fires, yet failed to act.
Mark’s Take
Thus, we have an incompetent PPP, despite multiple fiery warnings and the damning reports, failing to take steps to protect our children. Where down to their incompetence, twenty innocent children have painfully lost their lives. In fact, the evidence is, Manickchand’s incompetence, is directly responsible for these deaths. As a matter of fact, Benn’s incompetence is also directly responsible for these deaths. Nonetheless, despite their conspicuous culpability, both were insulated from the Madhia COI, thus not held to account. For this evidence a blatant coverup, and an insultive spat in the face of the mourning relatives, who are desperately craving closure.
Now having endured three months of a deliberative farce, PPP has delivered this Mahdia COI report, that they expect the populace to consume without question. However, that which we read is nothing but an unadulterated coverup. For this COI is without accountability. This COI is without transparency. This COI is without credibility. This COI is without validity. For this Madhia COI, not dissimilar to the Dr Walter Rodney and Elections COIs, has been predetermined to whitewash. Predetermined to whitewash the deaths of our twenty innocent and beautiful children.
Predetermined to whitewash, with its released being perfectly timed with the budget debates, as a smokescreen. Predetermined to whitewash, so that Manickchand, Benn and in extension PPP, aren’t held to account.
