Mahdia tragedy: Opposition wants monument to be erected at dorm site

The Parliamentary Opposition submitted a motion to the National Assembly calling for the construction of a monument at the female dormitory of the Mahdia Secondary School in honour of the 19 girls and five-year-old boy who lost their lives after a horrific fire there.

The motion was submitted by Opposition Parliamentarian, Ganesh Mahipaul.

It calls for the dormitory site to be declared a historical memorial site and gazetted under the Guyana National Trust for maintenance and upkeep. Further, it calls for a monument to be constructed in memory of the children.

Beyond these commemorative actions, the motion also calls on the Government to establish a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the tragedy after consulting with the Leader of the Opposition.

It was reported that the fire was started by a young student, but safety concerns about the dormitory have been raised.

Already, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has committed to establishing this Inquiry. In his Independence Anniversary address on May 26, he said this would be done at the earliest to help “inform the way forward.”

President Ali had also said that all measures will be taken to support the families affected by the tragedy.