Abuses unearthed in COI must never recur
Governor John Rankin has argued that abuses which took place in government and were discovered during the Commission of Inquiry (COI) process should never be allowed to occur again.
According to the Governor, more audits and reviews flowing from the Commission of Inquiry Report have been completed and published in the last quarter.
Governor Rankin said he was also pleased to note that specific issues which were raised in his previous quarterly review received positive attention from the Premier.
“Additional funding for the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) was agreed and actions have been taken to improve and speed up the current arrangements for processing Residency and Belonger Status applications,” the governor said.
But while all of this was welcomed, Governor Rankin expressed that the vital next step remains to turn the findings and recommendations in the audits and reviews into practical action to achieve reforms.
Pointing to the findings from the audit on the COVID-19 assistance grants, Governor Rankin said this was clear evidence for everyone to see the need for reform and to ensure that public funds are being properly allocated.
The governor also said that he recognises that some of the issues covered in the reviews are sensitive and difficult and that meaningful public consultation is required.
In the meantime, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley told the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee this week that his government continues to work diligently in its respective areas of constitutional responsibility to improve and strengthen the systems and institutions of government.
“On the ground, we have been following through on our commitment to the people of the British Virgin Islands to build a model democracy,” Dr Wheatley told the UN gathering.
Premier Wheatley also indicated that he was pleased by what he described as a welcomed shift in the UK’s engagement with the territory and also the tone of communications.
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I am tired of this governor and the manipulation. BVI people are blind to what these UK people are doing. Yes, there has been abuses and this must be curbed but the trust and faith that we put in these UK white people will be something that we will sadly regret. These people are trained to scheme and to promote British interest and power. They are taking over the BVI while the locals stand and applaud them for doing it. We will live to regret it.
You speak racist nonsense! Why would the UK want to take over the BVI? It would just be drain on the UK’s time, money and resources. Try getting off this island and see the big wide world. It extends past BVI, you know!
The UK is not taking over the BVI. The BVI Government and its people have handed over the BVI to the UK by its constant mis-management of the Tax Payers funds in a wreckless manner and it seems like the majority of Citizens are quite comfortable with that type of behaviour in public office. The Andrew Fahie led Government being the worse while the Territory is in shambles. The BVI is operating on a serious Divide. While the majority of Citizens want well for the Territory, some would rather the UK come in and fix things for a while. WE would like to be able to go Independant BUT NOT with the present bunch. Sad to say but this territory right now is at its lowest but some people don’t want to admit it.
How Fahie government was the worst and the man wasn’t there long? NDP is the worst thing that ever happened to BVI government.
The CoI discovered hundreds of public servants, politicians and their relatives abusing this Westminster form of government. Their main goal was greed; i.e. free taxpayers money aka the cookie jar.
Those free wheeling corrupt days of the last 40+ years are over. Thank you CoI!
@Open your eyes
People like you want to live in a corrupt BVI, so you making the governor an enemy because he is rooting out the corrupt unfair practices that have been prevalent in government.
All this performative hoopla is about is to flood the country and give status. How you gon blackmail a country to give status. US & UK b**ching about immigrants right now
Cause that’s every day life in the BVI, but don’t worry, some of yall in for a rude awakening….continue to victimize people.
for Sir Gary Hickinbottom. Took on a difficult job and did it professionally and fairly. Produced a report with a clear, but difficult recommendation. The BVI he would see now is no different from the one that lead to his appointment. What a waste.
Between the Governor and his prearranged COI and hand picked COI Commissioner they found nothing the BVI did good over the last 40yrs only the “so called” bad while finding the Governors were without sin for the past 40yrs. The Governor can now say anything he wants but he is not elected and did not have to deal with running a country during one of the worse times in the history of the world. All he does is give weekly speeched to criticize to try to justify his own wicked agenda. Hind sight is always 20/20. We agree improvements need to be made but it is clear the COI was a Hit man job and was not transparent. Covid was a very difficult time as no government could pass a test on how they handle it if they are measured by regular policies that cannot apply to dealing with the worse pandemic in the last 100yrs. Yes the BVI, like UK & others, have to improve in certain areas but it is HIGHLY UNFAIR & EVIL what the Governor & UK did with this prearranged COI and preauthored report and for doing it in the heart of when the BVI & the world was trying to keep its people from dying and its economy from tanking out. Time will deal with the Governor and UK because in no way have they acted fairly nor transparently nor ethically.
White people blogging LOl
Minister for financial services-Lorna in we corner and minister for health will get a pass on this but you see them other 3 in those ministries they will continue to destroy people and then have their people blogging nonsense when who they victimized out there struggling. Especially that sing out gospel one. You can’t serve 2 masters brother. All of you should apologize to those who you all mistreated. What people do not see God above sees and knows.
In discerning the nuances between malpractice, corruption, and administrative inefficiencies, it’s paramount not to conflate them. It’s intellectually lazy, and quite misleading, to brandish broad accusations of corruption when the legal system has yet to convict anyone-indict yes but no conviction. It would be precipitous to interpret a solitary indictment as emblematic of pervasive corruption The BVI, much like the UK and numerous other nations, would benefit from refined processes and accountability. However, to paint the entirety of BVI with a brush of incompetence lends credibility to those that detect ulterior motives from UK intervention.
And NDP did much more than this government. That’s a fact because things being done now were projects planned from ndp time with a tweek here and there for the worse.
You answered your own question you dim f**k! The reason he wasn’t there long is BECAUSE HE WAS THE WORST!!!!
Yep, you can always tell. Can’t keep away,can they.
They don’t have their 30-40-50 thumbs up or down next to comments of truth and anti UK today.
You must be new to the BVI. I can tell by your name and your stupid comment. Fahie/VIP has been the worse Government to lead any administration. Fahie/VIP have had majority of the years in office. 40 + years! Compared to the NDP 3/4 terms. That is only 12-16 years. We have NEVER seen the country like it is now. EVER! It is bad all around.
We expect source of the problem to fix the problem. These white people not to be trusted but what’s the alternative keep taking licks from your own who only care about themselves and continue to watch the country decline?
Think nobody is taking you seriously
Action time
what complete drivel
You are racist scum!
The big wide world is what it is because of the wealth they made from our Black Ancestors worldwide, and they are still raping Afrika as we speak.
Please be aware of the BLM types and the woke folk.They will Stab you in the back..because of the colour of your skin.Stay out of local affairs/drama and you’ll be fine..just bite the tongue when they start up their st.It shall pass like BLM and COVID..thank god.
Yeah rite ( WANNABE ) YOUTH we know it’s you O thou WIGGED ONE your evilness has made you psychotic aka ( PARA ) U forgot to include ( free the DREW & free the WEED ) toad
The Governor need to check his abuse of authority before commenting.