The Organisation for the Victory of the People (OVP) has called for the immediate dismissal of Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill, Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) General Manager Yolanda Hughes-Smith and T&HD Board Chairperson Rosalinda Rasul, arguing that there is already sufficient evidence in the public domain to hold them politically accountable for the MV Barima disaster.
In a statement issued by its National Directorate,, the organisation said the officials should not remain in office while investigations continue into one of Guyana’s deadliest maritime tragedies.
“We do not believe that we must wait for an investigation to call for their resignations because there is sufficient evidence in the public sphere to incriminate them on the grounds of gross negligence and incompetence,” the statement said.
The MV Barima, a government-operated passenger and cargo ferry serving Guyana’s North West District, sank during its voyage from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, claiming dozens of lives. The tragedy has prompted nationwide mourning and intensified scrutiny of the vessel’s condition, regulatory oversight and the Government’s management of the country’s ferry services.
In its statement, OVP extended condolences to the families of those who died but said expressions of sympathy alone were inadequate.
“Condolences are not enough,” the organization declared.
“The deaths of so many innocent Guyanese babies, children, women and men cannot be in vain. For us, they are martyrs. Their death was not a result of a natural disaster or genuine accident. It was a result of the corruption, incompetence, and lack of any kind of accountability that has been normalized in Guyana.“
The organisation described the sinking as evidence of broader governance failures, alleging that corruption, political influence and weak accountability have become entrenched throughout the country.
“Everything is broken. Everything,” OVP stated, arguing that bribery and political connections have become commonplace in obtaining contracts, resolving official matters and conducting business.
According to the organization, a culture of fear has also prevented workers from speaking out about unsafe conditions.
“We are all aware of the often-unspoken truth, that our comfort, our careers, our children’s prospects can only be guaranteed in return for our silence and complicity,” the statement said.
OVP pointed to testimony given by Diane Cort, the wife of longtime MV Barima canteen operator Neil Cort, who publicly recounted conversations she said she had with engineers before the vessel departed.
According to OVP, Cort said the vessel’s second engineer had warned that one of the engines required repairs before the ferry sailed but was reportedly told that he “didn’t know his job.” The organisation also cited reports that another engineer warned the vessel could not safely complete the voyage with one functioning engine but that his concerns were ignored.
The organisation further alleged that crew members who complained about the ferry’s condition were told that if they refused to operate the vessel, others would replace them.
“Do any of us doubt that the crew felt they had to say nothing to keep their jobs?” OVP asked, noting that only the captain and crew members have so far been arrested in connection with the tragedy.
As justification for its call for the removal of senior officials, OVP cited what it described as established facts, including video footage allegedly showing the ferry leaving port below its load line, numerous accounts that the vessel had long been in poor condition and recurring reports that it was unfit for service.
The organisation also questioned why a replacement ferry, the MV Ma Lisha, has not been deployed despite arriving in Guyana in 2023.
OVP noted that Minister Edghill attended the vessel’s christening in India but claimed the ferry remains idle because the Government has failed to complete the required pier and roll-on/roll-off infrastructure.
“That boat, the MV Ma Lisha has been used by the PPP, their family and friends to party. Lavishly. Up till now the Government has not constructed the local pier and roll-on/roll-off facility upgrades so that the new boat can be deployed and the people can travel in safety,” the organization alleged.
The statement also broadened its criticism beyond the ferry disaster, describing Guyana as a “captured state” in which foreign governments and corporations exert undue influence over the country’s political and economic affairs.
OVP criticised opposition parties for appealing to the United States, United Kingdom and European Union for assistance in combating corruption and also questioned Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed’s call for Scotland Yard and the FBI to participate in the investigation.
While agreeing that political divisions could undermine a purely domestic inquiry, the organization argued that regional participation would be a more appropriate alternative.
“We agree that partisan politics and intimidation will hinder an internal Guyanese investigation… however, there are many options for regional participation in the investigation,” the statement said.
The organisation concluded by urging Guyanese to reject what it described as a culture of silence and demand sweeping reforms.
“We need more than constitutional change, we need system change, and we need it now,” OVP stated.
It argued that the contrast between Guyana’s oil wealth and the condition of the MV Barima reflects deeper governance failures.
“An oil rich Guyana is growing up around us, beneath us, on top of us, but certainly not with us, the people,” the statement said.
OVP said the lives lost aboard the MV Barima should serve as a turning point for the country, warning that unless corruption and systemic failures are addressed, similar tragedies could occur again.
