Jul 22, 2026 Features / Columnists, The GHK Lall Column

(Kaieteur News) – A national disaster is when men dig deep. They find the best in themselves. Be it from force majeure or manmade, a national disaster is the worst time for spinning. Continuing membership in a political party isn’t worth it. Nor misplaced sense of loyalty to leaders. Or indebtedness that must be repaid. With contortions. With what deforms a nation already grappling with too much of both. This is the time for ministers, advisers, leaders in the PPP Govt. to come clean. The full story, as known. A clean sheet. Nothing redacted. Nothing withheld.

First, what is the figure on those missing? A firm number, if such could be derived. No tricks. The missing now presumed dead. I have presented 66, based on government’s figures of those onboard versus the number rescued. It was adamantly and dismissively said that the MV Barima was “not overloaded.” If 37 of the persons rescued were not on the passenger manifest, then this question boils. How many more names were also not on the manifest? How many of them not rescued? Perhaps, never to be found. Or their existence and presence on that boat officially acknowledged. Since those 37 turned up and upturned assertions of no overloading, another question surfaces. How overloaded was that boat now at the bottom? Was it only the known 37? Or was it 137? I hear approx. 110. Having fallen on its face with no overloading, yet 37 unknowns are found, the government can neither recover nor return with some number of its own. A number plucked from its bag of tricks to aid in damage minimization. The PPP Govt. has damaged itself. Beyond repair, I believe. It failed to provide adequate representation on a farm. It repeats that standard with a sunken boat; and a bulky circle of citizens never going home again. My advice stands: come clean on the MV Barima. Less of advice. More of a command.