A Finance Ministry official died after the vehicle he was travelling in with three other ministry employees toppled at Mabura, Region Ten yesterday afternoon.
Dead is 54-year-old Pretipaul Jaigobin, of Lot 25 Lowlands, East Coast Demerara, who was an Economic and Financial Analyst for the EU Task Force Unit of the Finance Ministry.
According to a Guyana Police Force report on the accident, it occurred around 3pm, about five kilometers away from Mabura Police Outpost. At the time, Jaigobin was one of four persons who were traveling along the Mahdia Access Road in a Toyota Tundra bearing registration # GTT 1936. The driver is reported to have lost control and as a result the vehicle toppled several times before coming to a halt.
It was reported that the vehicle was being driven by Nand Singh, 44, of 111 Miles Mahdia. The other passengers were identified as Franky Trotz, 29, of Meten-Meer-Zorg Ocean Gardens, West Coast Demerara, and Ravie Guyadeen, 25 of Zeelugt, West Coast Demerara. Singh, Guyadeen and Jaigobin were escorted to Mabura, where they were attended to by a medic, who immediately transferred them to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC), the police said. Jaigobin was pronounced dead on arrival, while Singh and Guyadeen were admitted. They were both said to be stable.
David Adams, the Mayor of Mahdia, said that he was passing the area on his way to Mabura when he discovered the toppled vehicle on the roadside. He told this newspaper that he was assisted by others in putting the four persons in his vehicle and taking them to the Mabura Health Centre. He said that on arrival at the Centre, he was told to take them to the LHC, which he did. He said that Jaigobin was pronounced dead when they arrived and that the other occupants were stable. He said that they are expected to be transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Jaigobin’s niece, Tuvanie Persaud, told Stabroek News that he left his home on Wednesday morning for work. She said that from what she understands, as part of his responsibilities he was supposed to be training persons in Region Eight on the COVID-19 cash grant distribution.
According to Persaud, the family was told of his passing around 5pm yesterday. She described Jaigobin as being like a father to her as she noted that his death was very hard on his family.
“It’s hard because it’s only the four of them, his wife, his daughter and his son… his daughter is extremely close with him,” Persaud related.
President Irfaan Ali in a Facebook post yesterday night shared his sadness at the news of the man’s passing. “I am saddened at the tragic death of [Pretipaul] Jaigobin. Jai died today on duty in Region 8. He was coordinating the second phase of the COVID-19 cash grant. In this phase he was training staff on the verification of the pink form. Since the commencement of this programme, Jai worked beyond the call of duty to bring relief to every family. I ask all the families who benefited from the work of this outstanding public servant, and all other Guyanese, to hold this family up in prayers in their moment of grief. To the extended family at the Ministry of Finance, I share your grief and shock. I cherish the moments we worked together at the Ministry of Finance. I thank his family for sharing this incredible soul with us. Rest in Peace Jai,” Ali stated in his post.
Jaigobin was recently elected Treasurer of the Guyana Cricket Board following long-awaited elections.
