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Press Release: “Whatever you choose to do, do it well, do it excellently. Your journey is far from over” – Finance Minister tells J.C. Chandisingh Secondary graduates

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Press Release: “Whatever you choose to do, do it well, do it excellently. Your journey is far from over” – Finance Minister tells J.C. Chandisingh Secondary graduates

October 7, 2026

–lauds Region Six for producing the country’s top graduating student  

Addressing this year’s graduating batch of students during the J.C. Chandisingh Secondary School’s annual graduation ceremony today Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, congratulated the Regional Education Department of Region Six, the Board of Governors of the school and all teachers and students for all the work done at the school culminating in the excellent results coming out of the institution this year following the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examination (CSEC) as well as the impressive results for a number of years. The minister also congratulated the school for outnumbering the national average in terms of pass rates and offering new subjects such as theatre arts and religious education. In addition, the minister congratulated the institution for serving the nation and producing excellence for close to a hundred years.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh

Turning his attention to the graduating students, the finance minister said he is proud of them all for their hard work and success.

“…and I want to congratulate the parents who are part of this school for those absolutely impressive results. I want especially to congratulate the students who are the embodiment, who are the personal manifestation of this remarkable and successful journey, because these successes, while they are national and regional and institutional, they are also individual and deeply and profoundly personal. They are your successes,” he added.

Dr. Singh then urged the students to ensure that they continue performing excellently through their lives as the journey isn’t over yet.

“If you want to be a farmer, be a farmer. If you want to be a doctor, be a doctor. If you want to be an engineer, you want to be a data scientist, be a data scientist. If you want to be a nurse, be a nurse but whatever you choose to do, I implore you and I appeal to you, do it well.  Do it excellently. And the rest will take care of itself,” Dr. Singh charged.

Homing in on government’s continued efforts to improve the education sector so that world-class education is provided countrywide, Dr. Singh said it is why government, led by President  Irfaan Ali is firmly committed to ensuring that the traditional top schools, not only maintain their tradition of excellence, but that they are joined in that tradition of excellence by schools throughout the length and breadth of Guyana.

“Because we want to consign to the annals of history this notion that you must go to a particular school, or one of two or three or four particular schools in Georgetown in order to excel and in order to be a top student.   We want you to be able to attend high school in Berbice, in Essequibo, in Linden, in Region 10—anywhere in Region 10 beyond Linden—in Region 9, in Region 1, in Region 7 or Region 8. We want you to be able to attend secondary school irrespective of where you and your parents live, and be able to excel,” Minister Singh emphasized.

He noted that it is for this reason that government is rolling out the vast array of programmes being implemented in order to ensure that every single secondary school in Guyana is able to deliver world-class education.

“First of all, access: ensuring that you have adequate places; ensuring that you have adequate spaces to accommodate all of the students in your catchment area; and indeed that you have adequate facilities to diversify the range of subjects that you teach, including, where appropriate, natural sciences laboratories, facilities to do technical and vocational subjects and other technical subjects, facilities to do information and communications technology; that you are able to participate meaningfully and actively in extracurricular activities, including sporting activities,” the minister explained.

Prior to the Minister delivering the feature address, Headmistress of the school Ms. Sabereena Supaul highlighted that J.C Chandisingh achieved an almost 100 percent increase in students writing the CSEC examination at the school as well as 100 percent pass rate in a number of subjects with this year’s best graduating student Sufia Mohamed  gaining 12 Grade Ones, six Grade Twos, and one Grade Three followed by   Saria Yunas who wrote 13 subjects, securing 12 Grade Ones and one Grade Three.     

Minister Singh also used the opportunity at the graduation ceremony to congratulate Region Six for producing the country’s top student this year who hails from Tagore Memorial Secondary School in the region. Narine achieved 26 Grade Ones and 1 Grade Two after writing 27 subjects at the 2026 CSEC examination.

Also attending the graduation and delivering remarks at the ceremony was Regional Education Officer Mr. Satesh Udit.

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Source: Department of Public Information (DPI)

MV Barima inquiry pledges to follow evidence ‘without fear or favour’

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MV Barima inquiry pledges to follow evidence ‘without fear or favour’

October 7, 2026

The five-member Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of the MV Barima pledged on Wednesday to conduct an independent, transparent and people-centred investigation into the July 18, 2026 tragedy.

Introducing the commissioners to the media, Chairman Justice Godfrey P. Smith said the inquiry would examine not only the vessel’s final moments but also the decisions, conditions and failures that may have contributed to its sinking.

“We approach our task with no predetermined view… and will inquire into all the circumstances around the sinking of the Barima, without fear or favour,” he said.

COI Chairman, Justice Godfrey P. Smith embraces a family member affected by the tragedy

The investigation will cover the vessel’s seaworthiness; passenger and cargo operations; the qualifications and conduct of its crew; search, rescue and recovery efforts; regulatory oversight; and human factors that may have influenced decisions before and during the tragedy.

Justice Smith stressed that the commission is not a criminal court.

Its role is to establish the facts, identify causes and contributing factors, expose shortcomings and recommend measures to strengthen Guyana’s maritime safety systems, not to determine criminal guilt or award compensation.

“Our allegiance is to the law, our terms of reference, procedural fairness and, above all, to the truth as established by credible, tested evidence,” he said.

Families, survivors at the centre

Even before taking testimony, the commissioners met with approximately 120 relatives and survivors at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre. Some attended the meeting with young children.

Justice Smith acknowledged the profound grief families continue to endure and warned that the proceedings could revive painful memories and raise further questions.

“We cannot promise that every question you may have will have an answer. But we will endeavour to find those answers,” Justice Smith told the gathering.

Relatives of the people who lost their lives listens as the COI team engages them

Family members and survivors who spoke described their grief and loss and appealed to the commission for answers. At the close, some embraced the commissioners, sobbing as they were comforted.

Five invited WIN parliamentarians, including the Leader of the Opposition, attempted to hijack the meeting, seeking to draw attention away from the accounts of survivors and bereaved relatives.

Evidence will determine who testifies

Justice Smith said the commission wants to hear from the three crew members charged in connection with the tragedy because they may hold important information.

Their participation, however, must be handled within the law and with due regard for their rights and whatever legal advice they might receive from their lawyers, he said.

Asked whether ministers responsible for the sector would be called, Justice Smith declined to prejudge the witness list.

“We are collecting as much information as we can, and we promise you that we will follow the evidence wherever it leads,” he said.

The commission expects to examine more than 100 witnesses, consider documentary and technical evidence, and visit communities and locations connected to the tragedy.

Sunken vessel retains forensic value

Recovery of the Barima remains an important part of the investigation, although commissioners said the inquiry’s success does not depend entirely on raising the vessel.

Commissioner and maritime expert Andrzej Jasionowski said the vessel’s “forensic value will be there almost in its entirety; the time has very little effect.”

Commissioners Rear Admiral Hayden Pritchard and Captain Hamada Fouda engage a relative

Arrangements for salvaging the vessel are being advanced, and late Wednesday, the National Tender Board awarded the contract for the salvaging of the MV Barima to BK International.

Commissioner Rear Admiral Hayden Pritchard said substantial documentary, technical and other evidence had already been gathered, allowing the investigation to proceed without relying solely on the vessel’s recovery.

Six-month target

The commission intends to complete its work in approximately six months, while maintaining that a thorough examination of the evidence must guide the process.

Smith said the outcome must go beyond explaining the sinking to identifying lessons that can help prevent another tragedy.

“When this inquiry is complete, the country should know more than simply what happened… It should know what lessons can properly be learned from the tragedy.”

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Source: Department of Public Information (DPI)