COI should not be an impediment — Premier
Premier Andrew Fahie has contended that the ongoing Commission of Inquiry (COI) should not be viewed as an impediment to the people of the BVI.
The Premier’s remarks came last evening, October 19 during the governing Virgin Islands Party’s (VIP’s) Let’s Talk radio programme.
“We’re going to get it right. We’re going to continue to be better,” Premier Fahie stated. “I feel that the COI, once done in a transparent and accountable manner with a just outcome will help us to become better. But in no way should it help us to become bitter, in no way should it be an impediment for us to continue to be more forward-thinking and more forward with what we want to do with these Virgin Islands.”
In the recent past, the Premier insisted that the COI has been shown much like a microscope on the BVI, but highlighting only the shortcomings of the territory, while simultaneously declining to acknowledge its substantial growth and progress.
We’ve had our share of missteps, but so have others
And while acknowledging that the BVI has made its own share of missteps, Premier Fahie asked the question, “what country has not made missteps here and there?”
He argued that anyone that seeks to point out your weaknesses likely sees your strengths more than you do and suggested that the only barriers the people of the BVI can possibly have are those that its people place on themselves and on each other.
According to the Premier, the BVI’s future is in its own hands.
He also said the territory needed to advance constitutional talks in the 21st century and beyond that reflect that it can man its own ship in a transparent and accountable manner.
I don’t just say things that people want to hear
Meanwhile, in addressing his own critics directly, the Premier denied that he was inclined to only say things that persons want to hear.
“I don’t do that. What I do in life is try to stay positive. I’ve met enough persons that are negative and they’re taking up that part of the stratosphere and I don’t need to deal with that,” Premier Fahie said.
Further exuding positivity, the Premier stated that problems are an inevitable aspect of life and persons will always encounter struggles, but he added that strength comes from the way in which these struggles are dealt with.
The Premier said the BVI also has success and should not allow persons to only “allow us to look at the areas we need to improve upon and not at the same time look at the areas where we have done well on.”
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After 9 months, the COI seems to have finally discovered some criminal activity- although it only discovered the criminal conduct because the Attorney General pointed it out.
Who is guilty? It looks like the former Governor is in the dock!
Gus appears to have confessed to committing a criminal offence (on more than one occasion) under the Register of Interests Act.
Each time he was asked about it, he tried very hard to hide the admission in a long story about what a tough job the Registrar had and how serious the non-filings by members of the HoA were. However, he seemed to clearly accept that he had sought and/or obtained confidential information from the Registrar – that looks like a criminal offence by Gus!
Will the Commissioner now recommend that criminal proceedings should be commenced against Gus.
Desperate efforts to save Gus going on now!
What were you listening to? You hearing what you want not what was said. There is plenlty of criminality, but not from the ex Governor
Put down the weed my friend, as you are not hearing the same information I am….
Blame is placed squarely upon this government and the last. Malfeasance. Corruption, graft, waste, and just plain idiotic behavior are the reason for this COI in the first place. Dear Leader fahie can whine all he wants and try to do the political tap dance, but ask yourself – are you better off now than you were three years ago? And, can you say that for the territory? Both answers are a resounding NO.
Time to change course. NOW.
From an historical, human and their natural way of being, the European, and by extension most of them around the globe will only highlight the shortcomings of the POC and of this territory, while simultaneously declining to acknowledge their substantial growth and progress.
Hence, we must continue onwards without expecting or wanting validation from them, as it is not in their DNA to want good for us or POC.
Remember where we were before 1834, and what we were left with after then. They left with every penny made off of centuries of unpaid labour of our ancestors..
From August of 1834, our ancestors began to build a life, little by little, and with much struggle to what we have today.
Now they are back putting their schemes in place to take over. Money is really the root of all evil, for it would be pure evil for the UK to come in now and take over our financial institutions that they/it did not build.
We must never forget least we fall victim again.
Who put money there, the ancestors or my taxes from my hard earnings? Who misspending the money, the Europeans or the crooked persons in power, who might we add is also taking our tax money to defend their crooked ways. All the COI is proving is that the governor had substantial reason and concern to call it. The governor past may have made errors due to his concerns, these are missteps. The government blatantly disregarded procedures in place to suit themselves, these are not missteps. They are the impediment. The COI must remain fair and allow questions to be raised lest they appear to be biased. The truth will continue to come out through those questions. Sir Geoffrey is an excellent attorney in his own right but our tax money should not be paying for anyone to defend the impediment to the progress of this country, that is the crooked powers that be. We should take over our finances by demanding a refund of our tax money as something of this nature should be covered out of the crooks personal finances. Then and only then will they think twice about their crooked actions in the future, maybe.
The COI is not an impediement, but the Premier is
The COI has highlighted what we always knew – cronyism, favouritism, grubby consultancy deals, non-tendered contracts, victimisation, normal government in short. However we are going through extreme challenges that actually require thought and leadership. In spite of an abysmal failure to get a grip on Irma rebuilding, Covid, or defending our borders against drugs, and heading to the biggest one yet – climate change and sea level rise, we get arrogance and parochial complacency. Doomed I tell you, doomed.
Black Caribbean people are treated like Slaves in this country from the blacks in authority, the white people give them respect. The way employers treat them, the oppression, unfair and bias treatment they get from labor immigration and those In authority..The true and modern slave masters of black are blacks in authority..
Missteps? Is that what are being uncovered by the COI, missteps? Well, the missteps since February 2019 are blatant, bulalkin, flouting laws, overspending, $295,000 a year for one building that cannot even hold the entire staff of one Department. Moneys handed out to cronies on a huge level. It is as if so what if you can see me doing wrong? You can’t do anything about it? Either that or the moral compass of this new Government is dead. Now that the backlash is felt, one cannot now say we made missteps, bear with us. These BVI have now landed in a pit of this Government’s making. And trust me, we remember it all how during the general election promises were made and the NDP were crucified for their “missteps”. These missteps are on a different level now. All I can say is there were consequences for theirs and there will be for yours.
Why then have you denied a transparent and accountable manner for dealing with the Auditors request for their audit of the stimulus grant?
AM GLAD YOU GOT OVER YOUR SUDDEN SPELLS OF AMNESIA (HYPOCRITE )
This is the tone, humbleness, acceptance and promise to do better we want to hear…Not the the excuses, the blame, the lies, the fight..We do believe you will do better and also become a better leader. Stay humble take the COI advice..Cut out the fights. We will be good going forward
But you are the man who called for the COI!
The premier should not be an impediment but he is. COI is more like The Help.
Oh it’s going to be an impediment for sure. Of your freedom while your in prison