Governor Rankin issues ultimatum over delayed reviews
Governor John Rankin has threatened to publish a number of reviews arising out of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) that the current government has withheld from the public for months.
The governor stated at a press conference yesterday, April 6, that this will likely be done in the coming days and ahead of elections this month, if the government does not publicise the long-delayed reviews.
In his most recent quarterly report, Governor Rankin noted that while some progress has been made on the recommendations put forth by the COI, there is still a lot of work to be done. Rankin disclosed that a number of the reviews which were commissioned have now been received, including a review on Statutory Boards and on the Distribution of Crown Lands.
He reminded residents that the statutory boards review carried out by Jamal Smith was received on December 31, while David Abednego’s review on Crown lands was received on January 13. However, neither of these reviews have been made public, denying residents an opportunity to read for themselves the direction their proposed reforms will take.
Rankin pointed out that, similarly, the review on Social Assistance conducted by the Social Policy Research Institute in support of UNICEF is yet to be published despite having been received on January 18. He added that, considering the sensitivity of the issues arising from the Assistance Grants Audit, the public will be interested to see what solutions the experts recommend.
“I believe the reviews need to start being made public now, and unless they are otherwise published shortly, I will take steps to do so,” Rankin stated.
According to Rankin, it is imperative that the government considers the recommendations in the reviews, consults on them as necessary, and then gets on with delivering the necessary changes.
More delays
Other areas of delay the governor alluded to include reforms required to curb the unfettered discretion of government ministers.
“I welcome the fact that there has now been agreement on adopting the Protocol on Appointments to Statutory Boards, but in my view it should have been adopted sooner, and again, it has not yet been published.
In his last quarterly review, Rankin highlighted delays in the processing of applications for Residency and Belongership. He said there continues to be a huge backlog of old applications, and since June 1, 2022, more than 1,000 new applications have been made, with little if any progress in dealing with them.
Rankin said he is working with the Premier and his office, as well as the Deputy Governor’s Office to find a solution.
“This will require a significant commitment of time and resources, but this should have happened already. Under the Framework document, the Government made a commitment to prioritise and allocate resources to the agreed reforms,” Governor Rankin said.
Less than half and behind initial deadlines
According to Rankin, the government has completed only 20 of the 48 recommendations, which is less than half and behind initial deadlines.
Lord Goldsmith, the United Kingdom Minister for the Overseas Territories, has responded to Governor Rankin’s quarterly report, noting that progress on implementing the recommendations in the framework document has been too slow.
Goldsmith said he is concerned that there have been signs of insufficient commitment in some specific areas and that much of what has been delivered so far doesn’t yet represent sufficient reform to prevent future governmental abuses.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
Instead of frothing at the mouth ?, release the reports nuh man! What are you afraid of if you’re such a big bad dog? Not even 50% of the recommendations you tools have managed to make any headway on – not significant headway mind you. The games still being played out especially with the Stat. Boards as cronies still at the table eating the public’s lunch money! Is this really the best VIP has to offer in these dire times – if so, we salt again!
Dis Unity Government got a big fat F
The UK and Governor are blatantly again interfering in the election. Why do this now? Clearly the Governor wants to tip the scales. Colonialism in full effect.
government was really a disunity club. Please publish all the reports referred to in this new article forthwith. Why were they all withheld for months? What are they hiding?
Let the Rhythm go Gov. . We want to bounce to your beat. These politicians arn’t serious, Just Greed, tricks and games
If by now you all ain realize that this unity ambiton and reason for coming together wasn’t about the country. It was for them to be qualified to benefit from Greedy bill 2.. But the Gov and Britain onto them.
The results are slow because that’s the first name of the man in charge. He name slow for a reason but not when it come to being greedy ah bet yuh. They up and down the place campaigning but last time I check, 20/48 is a “F”. Why they not telling the people the truth that they are certainly a failure and the evidence is there. Let me guess, this was another mistake. They need to go do their homework and pass the baton to the people who know what they doing already, who already have the solutions for the country and who are ready to lead from day one on the job. The VIP are the downfall of this country. No failing head of a failing VIP government nor his failing party should be qualified to be put back in. Their track record is F FOR FAILURE. Get from under the voodoo and magic spells and wake up TERRITORY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS.
When will the Governor release the review reports on the Police Force, Prison and Civil Service which are all his responsibilities? When will the Governor release the review reports regarding the areas where his office missed deadlines and asked for extensions? Our hate for eacĥother gives everyone else a free pass.
The report is an inditment on the VIP Government not the unity Government.
That’s why they holding it up, they don’t want the people to see what else they foul up and decended the territory into untter chaos.
Governor John Rankin I understand that you have the power to take over now is the time to do so the government has shown you and the UK that this government has no intentions of doing the right thing, and don’t count on any of the others that are running in this election to do the right thing. I believe that the only thing that will change them is for the UK to take over for at least 2 years let them know this is not a joke, you can see from their performance they are not going to do any better enough is enough. UK please takes us over for people who think it’s a bad idea it can’t be worse than what we are going through now.
If the VIP gets back in power, I will be begging the UK to take over.
You already know why , but you only good for creating old talk ( ? hypocrite
Of course the government doesn’t want the reports published.
The reports are going to show that many standing for election are incompetent at best and crooks at worst
Can we have a consolidated report into how the billions of government revenue paid in since 1980s was spent, please?
I’d like to know because our infrastructure and public education training services are woeful.
I think something must have gone wrong somewhere; and as a taxpayer I’d like to know what and who.
Up to now no one has the guts to ask the Governor the real questions and ask him to produce the documents to validate his answers. I will not stop until this is done for the following questions with more to come:
1) Who determined the terms of reference for the COI and how were they derived and did the actions violate the Constitution of the BVI?
2) Who determined the terms of reference for the hiring of the Commissioner of the COI and how were they derived?
3) What process was used and by whom in the hiring of the Commissioner of the COI and was it a tender and was it transparent?
4) Produce what was written to the UK to justify the request for approval for a COI?
5) Who selected the staff that worked with the Commissioner of the COI and were they people from the same UK office of government as the Governor?
6) How come the Commissioner of the COI had more authority than the courts?
7) Why was it a one-man UK commissioner for the COI rather than a 3-person commissioner to allow for balance and remove prejudice by having one commissioner from the Caribbean, one from the Uk, and one selected either by the UN, CARICOM or OECS? This would have been transparent, reflect good governance, and create balance.
8) Where is the report from the UK Attorney Cox that was working with the AG’s Office on behalf of the people of the BVI and our rights as every story has 3 sides, yours, mine, and the truth?
9) Why can’t part or all of the COI be challenged in court as it is clear that some of it is extremely bias and collusion may be possible to derive?
10) How can the Govenor failures be looked into locally and by whom?
I will stop there for now, but these are serious questions that need answers because although the Governor, UK Commissioner of Police and the other UK Official thinks otherwise, we the people of the BVI have rights and they need to be protected. An Order in Council is modern day slavery whip and should not be seen as nothing else. Anything that makes a one man (Governor) above the judiciary and people is a slavery whip. Those who hate the BVI will see these concerns as foolishness but those who love true justice will see them as wise.
I am voting only for those who will get these answers and act on them.
I Wish I could like your comment x100
A country that is dictated to by an outside imperial governmental force is not a democracy.
A country whose sovereignty can be violated by another artificial imperial power is not a democracy.
A country whose people are threatened daily with
imperialist invasion is not a democracy.
A country whose constitution is being held hostage and can be revoked, cancelled and destroyed and rendered null and void by an external government at any given moment or within a next year is not a democracy.
A country that is dominated by another country is not and cannot be democratic.
A country that cannot decide for itself is not and cannot be democratic.
A country that can be invaded by an imperialist power at will is not a democratic country.
A country that has as its highest ruling and powerful official that was not elected by its own citizens to rule that country is not a democratic country, and is therefore not ruled by democratic principles.
A colony or neocolonial cannot be democratic a democratic country…
Therefore, any country having any to all of the above enshrined into its daily political realities and human existences, while participating in cyclical elections, are participating in a disguised scheme referred to as democracy, which is mere disguised hypocrisy.
Can Gov’t workers please get their Increments that is owed to them before April 24th? Look how long you all say them getting it “immediately” all now them can’t get nothing but still expecting them to stand in a line to vote for you all. This is Wrong.
Hoa, “what you gonna do when they come for you”
Rankin need an ultimatum to remove his mistress from the government house shackung up being unmarried. Integrity gone out the dam window.
My fat self been staying in small apartment. Give me more space for my fat self
A country where most of the adult residents have no vote is not a democracy
Please show how the UK has “dominated” the BVIs. A Uk passport gets you no privilege here. The currency is the US dollar not the UK pound. The laws and policy of the country are made in Road Town (even if they are inconsistent with principle of good governance) by people elected by people from here. Lastly, if the UK “dominated” the Territory, there would be no offshore banking permitted. The UK stepped in because the Territory has done a bad job of governong itself for decades.
As to your assertion that a a country invaded by an imperialist power cannot be democratic, are you aware of what is going in the the Ukraine?
@Putting things into Perspective who cares if you vote or not, your blog don’t make any sense.
Even if a hundred or a thousand likes were posted to that comment you/we will only see two… Haven’t you been observing the patterns and practices relative to likes and dislikes of this (BVI News site? Well Ray Charles has.
I thought I had seen the bottom of the barrel in this territory, but, you really do surpass everything seen to date.
The people deserve to find out what these politicians have been doing, so it’s time NOW to publish everything.
No justification for falling short of carrying out your role Hon Wheatley .
Either you trivialize the implications of your former leader consequences on the Government and people of the BVI
or you CANNOT lead or
you do not understand what you agreed to or
You plain out do not care if the Constitution to be suspended.
People hold Wheatley hand to the fire not the Governor.
If not let the UK clean up the lacking … if VIP goes back there
about yt and brit.
Enough stating straw man arguments and syllogism as fact. We know the games you and our fake politicians are playing with our lives and money. So does the UK.
The UK is not going to do a danged thing about the corruption and cronyism that leaves about 40% of VI citizens fighting to buy eggs and electricity….we have to take a stand for ourselves and our future. I can’t understand why you both chose to support this year’s big lie that corruption doesn’t exist (in all parties).