Former government minister Annette Ferguson has rejected President Irfaan Ali’s references to “sleepless nights” over the MV Barima disaster, arguing that grieving families need action rather than assurances as questions mount over what authorities knew about the vessel before it sank.
“I personally do not care whether Ali sleeps comfortably or not,” Ferguson said in a social media post. “What I care about is that the MV Barima is raised, the remains of those who perished are recovered where possible, and families are given the opportunity to lay their loved ones to rest with dignity.”
Ali, speaking recently to journalist Fareeza Haniff, described the July 18 disaster as a continuing personal burden.
“That tragedy continues to be a heavy weight. Still a lot of sleepless nights. It is something that I wish never happened. It was something I wish the families in our country would have never had to go through.”
He said the tragedy must produce a new culture of safety, infrastructure, leadership and responsibility.
Ferguson, who served as a minister in the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government between 2015 and 2020, including as Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, has been among those repeatedly joining families and supporters demanding that the sunken vessel be raised. Parliament records confirm her ministerial role during the APNU+AFC administration.
Her intervention comes as a government paper trail highlighted in a September 28 Village Voice News investigation raises fresh questions about the condition of the 87-year-old vessel and the government’s own knowledge of its maintenance requirements.
The investigation found that the government had already launched a G$124.5 million docking and rehabilitation programme for the Barima months before the disaster. The National Procurement and Tender Administration documents put the engineering estimate at G$124,539,250, with five companies submitting bids ranging from approximately G$105 million to G$123.99 million.
Even more striking procurement records showed awards under the wider Transport and Harbours Department contract for the MV Ma Lisha, MV Barima and MB Hercules were dated July 17, 2026 — one day before the Barima sank.
The published procurement record does not clearly identify which company was assigned the Barima lot, meaning the complete procurement file would be required to establish that detail.
The timing raises a fundamental question. Why was a vessel already earmarked for more than G$124 million in docking and rehabilitation still carrying passengers the day before the disaster?
Government Said There Was No Warning
Two days after the sinking, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said there had been no indication that the vessel was unseaworthy.
“There was no report of any kind that suggested the vessel was unseaworthy. It was in line for dry docking in keeping with the schedule.”
The government has maintained that the Barima was last dry-docked in 2024 and that its next scheduled docking was due in the second half of 2026.
But subsequently reported internal maintenance records paint a more complicated picture.
However, maintenance logs, requisitions and technical reports contained repeated warnings about mechanical and safety problems. 20 engine-related complaints and eight generator-related failures, including concerns about heavily corroded main-engine fuel lines were highlighted
A January 2026 engineering report reportedly warned that the fuel lines were heavily corroded and could break while the vessel was operating.
Other reported problems included an inoperable VHF system, GPS failures, defective emergency equipment, generator failures, overheating machinery, exhaust leaking into the engine room and ventilation problems.
None of those records, standing alone, establishes that the Barima was legally unseaworthy or proves what caused the sinking. But they directly sharpen the question of what government officials knew, when they knew it and what they did with that information.
The issue is particularly significant because G$11.2 billion was budgeted for river transportation in 2026, including G$570 million for reconditioning ferry vessels.
Ferguson Keeps Pressure on Government
Two months after the tragedy, Ferguson says the families’ demands have not changed.
“Two months after the MV Barima tragedy, the focus should not be on whether the President is losing sleep. The focus should be on the families who are still waiting for answers, the recovery of their loved ones, and the raising of the vessel.”
She has appeared at weekly demonstrations alongside relatives, opposition figures and other supporters, where the recurring demand has been “FLOAT THE BOAT” and “BRING THEM HOME.”
The Barima sank while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma. Government figures subsequently presented to Parliament indicated that 179 people were aboard, 76 survived and 73 bodies were recovered, leaving about 30 people unaccounted for.
A Commission of Inquiry established by Ali is examining the disaster, including the vessel’s seaworthiness, maintenance history, maritime compliance and whether negligence, misconduct, dereliction of duty or institutional failures contributed to the loss of life.
Three crew members — Captain Kevin Price, Chief Mate Rondell Roberts and Goods Superintendent Delon Granderson — have been charged with murder. They remain presumed innocent.
But Ferguson’s demand goes beyond the criminal proceedings.
“Until there is meaningful action to recover the vessel and provide the families with closure, the pain of this tragedy will continue to haunt those left behind.”
Her message is blunt: condolences cannot recover the missing, and an inquiry cannot itself bring the wreck to the surface.
“The families deserve more than sad stories, they deserve answers and action.”
The growing paper trail now places a harder question before the authorities — if warnings and major rehabilitation plans existed before July 18, why was the Barima still in passenger service when it sank?
The Commission may ultimately provide the answer. Until then, Ferguson and the families continue to demand the same thing — raise the boat.
