Fahie celebrated for role in ESHS project
Former Premier Andrew Fahie has been praised for his role in the completion of the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) Redevelopment Project.
Current Premier, Dr Natalio Wheatley — who served as Deputy Premier and Education Minister under the Fahie administration — described Fahie as being supportive when called upon for assistance in getting the project off the ground last year and argued that it was inconceivable that Fahie should not be singled out for his efforts.
“I must say that I also thank our Creator that we had a Minister of Finance and a former Minister of Education, who was so supportive,” Premier Wheatley said of Fahie during remarks at the school’s official ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday.
He continued: “I speak [of] none other than Mr Andrew Fahie — and just in case you are wondering whether his name would be spoken this morning — there’s no way that I would allow his role and contribution to not be acknowledged this morning.”
As his statement drew applause from the small crowd gathered to witness the ceremony, Premier Wheatley said it was a collaboration with Fahie that helped birth the ‘Move With a Purpose’ initiative which helped to put ‘major millions’ into the ESHS project.
That controversial initiative saw Fahie petitioning business owners in the community who he said benefited from the school to each donate tens of thousands of dollars to help make up the $4.2 million dollar deficit for the school’s rebuild.
Fahie and other officials broke ground for the ESHS project mere weeks before his arrest in the United States (US) on charges of drug smuggling and money laundering on April 28, 2022.
But most elected officials have only made surface references to Fahie’s spectacular arrest since then, often alluding to it as the ‘events of April 28’, instead of mentioning Fahie’s name or any other details surrounding his detention.
In the meantime, Dr Wheatley highlighted a number of other government officials and members of the private sector as being instrumental in the completion of the ESHS project.
“The facts bear out that our Virgin Islands people are capable of rising above and beyond all challenges,” Premier Wheatley said. “That has been our reality and our truth throughout our history. And that is why I continue to say we must have confidence in ourselves. We must not let anyone convince us that we are lesser people, or that we are not capable of doing great things.”
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Regardless of the former Premier’s legal troubles, he deserves credit for all he did to get the ESHS rebuilt.
On another note, its been a long time coming from the destruction of the school during the 2017 hurricaine to this day.
Kudos to everyone who made this day possible inclusive of those who contributed financially as well as the workers who worked tirelessly to rebuild the school.
Its a good day.
Why didn’t you go look for him? You been flying racking up frequent flyer miles, UK twice and all around the globe but you aint had the decency to go look for the man….SHAME ON YOU
And this ladies and gentlemen is exactly why Natalio and his Unity Government are not fit for purpose.
We should get rid of this ridiculous Sesamestreet government.
They keep praising and supporting an alleged drug lord who served as a premier for crying out loud.
Natalio, please step down and never think about running for office again. You want to be friends with criminals, fine but don’t combine it with a job that requires honesty.
Thanks to the NDP for securing the 65 Million dollars for the recovery efforts of the country. That is where the money came from for all these works.
A well needed project.
Watch Natalio and the Unity misfits carefully. Anything that seemed to be good in the past they jump on board with it. Anything bad they blame Andrew alone as if they were not there. Think about it.
Still no cafeteria. Still no auditorium. The students are in the sun and under a tent this morning for assembly. How?
Can we have a new public holiday called ” Head Coach Day” where we celebrate all persons involved in the drug trade?
@ Styles.
If your mom disowned you does it mean you were not born? Look the guy was a crook but lets get better as bloggers in 2023.
Thoughts on those responsible for the assassination of one Bob ?
Not a whisper grumble not a murmur.
14.2million and still no auditorium, no cafeteria. Really???
hell ya we need to celebrate our real heroes
Why Fahie begging for help from businesses. He could have rebuilt the VI with his profits from drug running. What a disgrace. Two faced double dealing crook, (allegedly). More bad judgement from our current leader. Where are our new leaders with a fresh way of thinking. We need them or the UK.
All the negativity from the same person blogging under different names.This was long over due. Let us be thankful and move on.
BVI is the place where everybody want credit for doing the work they getting paid to do
The so called Premier praises a criminal drug dealer then wonders why no one wants him running the country unchecked.
All the current politicians and Fat Albert supporters should be barred from office for life.
What a stupid comparison.
We should be ashamed we ever elected Fahie. After all, we all knew what he was involved with already. Now praising him makes a mokkery out of us once again.
Now you know what you post is false. Go find work in your UK to do.
Because that is one way of laundering money. Set up an NPO and get the friends to place the dirty money into the financial system then pay a next set of friends to get the construction contracts to build the school but over price every invoice then because you as the drug lord ultimately own everything, everything coming back to you clean, with no questions asked. No doubt, some of the donations and contracts would have been genuine and clean but there needed to be a mechanism in place to funnel through the dirty stuff as well, to disguise it so it don’t look suspicious. Some said bvi was too rich for the revenues it was generating and that this was due to the existence of a shadow economy. What happens when a leader of a shadow economy falls? Poverty is evident. Let them praise wrong. They are clearly lacking sense.
please get your own name
You clearly have knowledge of the man that others don’t. We know you and your white UK friends are blogging these things on paid assignment but it will not work. All of us know for a fact fahie was never in drugs. All of us know what is taking place. We will wait and see.
Grossly over budget and 5 years late, why does Fahie deserve praise?
And why would we want the proceeds of crime at the cornerstone of the school? Whatever they get learn to leave them with it. That’s whats wrong w us as a society.
And what about those who were assassinated under the same one!
Grossly over budget and 5 years late they say, and therecould not be four walls, a floor and a roof and call it an auditorium for graduation purposes?
Something, every thing is wrong with that picture, project, its cost execution and completion. Looks like the more some scream corruption, the more it screams back at them, except thousands louder.
If you born here does this mean you forfeit your birthright? YES
Everything is backward in BVI
Scotland Yard, CIA, DEA, UCA’s all ah dem on here daily.The model trade mark is evident.
You are talking about auditorium?
Where is the staff room?
Yea the $65M from CDB was to replace the ‘relief fund’ that was not accounted for cause it was not there to be utilized after hurricane irma!! Relief fund over the years from different administrations was STOLEN!!!
What did he do? The only thing he did was came into office met plans and money and did his job by making sure the school is rebuilt seeing that it was his government that is in!!!!!!!!!
NDP secured the money and did all the negotiations, they would have rebuilt the school had you morons not been fooled and kicked them out of office. Give me a break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nonsense, While I appreciate, we have a school, the credit should go to Kishma, Cindy, and Picko moff.
I award no points to the government. The people had to protest and pressure them to get it done in their last term. We saw no efforts to construct that school. Pressure built it!! The thought of not been reelected. So, the VIP are no heroes. To make matters worse their ignorance cause then to build the entire complex are boxed up on one another and has no room for air flow.