Development at Nations “horrific” – PPP

…calls on Govt to take aggressive lead

The Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) said it is concerned about the “horrific developments” affecting the School of the Nations and urged the coalition Government to “stop treating this matter in a ‘business as usual’ manner and take a more aggressive lead in addressing the situation.”
In a statement, the Party said that “the safety of our children in schools must be of paramount importance. This situation could have serious consequences for both the children at the school and the country at large.”
The Opposition’s remarks comes at a time when parents of students attending the School of Nations on New Market Street, Georgetown, have expressed fear for

their children’s safety at the institution in the wake of the recent shooting of the Director, Dr Brian O’Toole and the constant threats posted on social media allegedly by an expelled student.
Their distress was clearly voiced during an engagement with the school’s administration on Monday, as questions mounted about the level of security which has been adopted in recent days.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of School of Nations, Dr Dexter Phillips explained that they are installing additional security cameras at blind spots along with an increased security presence at the entrances.
It was indicated that the administration took a decision to not resume classes as per normal today with the assistance of the Guyana Police Force for increased support.
The school had to implement these measures after the Director was shot on Sunday night at about 21:44h at his Prashad Nagar home shortly after returning home from a restaurant.
The police report stated that the 64-year-old man returned home and secured his gate after entering. As he was about to open the door, a male suspect approached him, pointed a gun and discharged three rounds in his direction – two of which caught him in both forearms.
This act came with what was considered warning signs from a social media account, believed to be created by students of the institution. The posts started on WhatsApp and moved to Facebook, where threats were made to the lives of students. In one instance, two persons were mentioned in the online posts.
The guardians spared no opportunity to probe the ongoing investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police Force. When contacted, a senior member of the Guyana Police Force related that an investigation is underway but could not divulge any information that could jeopardise same.