Gov’t was more hindrance than help for me serving sister islands
President of the Rotary Club of Road Town, Vincent Wheatley.
VIP candidate Vincent Wheatley said he resigned as Sister Islands Programme Coordinator because he believes he can do more for the islands independently than he could ever do while working under the directive of NDP government.
Wheatley served as the programme coordinator for the last 11 years and officially resigned on September 14.
Speaking to BVI News on Sunday, Wheatley dismissed claims of being pressured to vacate the post.
He said being a government employee under the Smith administration was more of a hindrance to him serving the sister islands.
“My job was a hectic job and I wasn’t getting the chance to focus on really getting things done. And, as a government employee, I could put no pressure on the government. But now I can actually do that,” he said.
Wheatley noted that he has been a public servant for 24 years overall and that experience has made him ready and qualified to be the next representative of the Ninth Electoral District — a post currently held by his NDP rival, Dr Hubert O’Neal.
He said not only is he a well-known figure across the sister islands, but he is also quite aware of the issues plaguing the residents of the Ninth.
He said he plans to use this leverage to ‘get to work’ right away.
“Virgin Gorda is in a very bad situation right now – it is in a recession and it will take a lot of planning to bring Virgin Gorda back and time is against us,” he said.
I plan to tackle sister islands unemployment and energy woes
Wheatley pointed to many issues that he intends to tackle such as the high unemployment rate, the banking woes, and even alternative energy.
He said North Sound, Virgin Gorda and Anegada should not be fully dependent on power from fossil fuels but rather on renewable energy such as wind and solar.
He made those remarks about energy on the heels of a generator failure which caused an islandwide power outage on Anegada which lasted for several hours.
“Things I want to see happen for the Ninth District I am going to start doing those things now. I’m not waiting until elections to start to work. I am starting to work from now,” he said.
The political-hopeful said he will now be pounding on government’s proverbial door to make the lives of the people better.
Wheatley has served as a teacher and assistant principal at the Bregado Flax Educational Centre in Virgin Gorda and currently holds the post of president of the Rotary Club of Road Town.
He has a Bachelor of Math and Computer Science from the Freed Hardeman University in the United States and a Masters in Math Education from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom.
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ANOTHER “ALL OUT”
We the people of the 9th District is going all out for Vincent Wheatley to be our next district nine representative
We need somebody like cassandra oneal, jose decastro or shareen flax, NOT HE! What we need is a breath of fresh air not another …
casandra who? you must be MAD!some of you just don’t know.
Changing of the Guards. The current 9th made a similar statement when he got up and took the mike to speak at Hon. Fahie’s meeting on Virgin Gorda, (shortly before the banking situation); basically agreeing with fahie (on 3 or 4 points points he ad made regarding better representation. Should I provide the tape?).
Important: Vincent is a doer; lives in the 9th, has been working in the 4th over the past 11 years returning to the 9th after work to be with his family. Living in the 9th is one of the core requirements for an applicant, Applying for the Job of Representing the 9th. We shall not sit by any longer waiting 4 years after 4 years listening to the same old government Promises. “Pressure Bursts Pipe”. Please stay out de way or you’ll be wet down.
Time to stop talking fart. Cassandra, Jose, shereen who? Vg don’t need none to suffocate wha. Strupes
he will lose badly just like his other brother
Is he sober?
He couldn’t get nothing do then so i don’t see how he could get it do now.
You really meant that post for the current representative because he’s the real and only waste of time.
So sorry he could not have held on a bit longer to be able to qualify for a reduced Government pension.
I heard that he worked exceptionally hard after the 2017 hurricanes to get his island in shape despite all the hardships being experienced.
I wish him all the best.
That was his job as sister island coordinator. On the other hand, he seems to be sucking up to those big-shot white boys so i suspect he will be another sellout
His true colors will show eventually. He was NOT the one making things happen after the storm. He was put at the head because he was the most senior civil servant available at the time. He is a poster boy…takes pictures ton”show” he is working. A LEADER DOESN’T MAKE EXCUSES FOR HIS ACTIONS. A LEADER TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS ACTIONS, INACTIONS, MISTAKES ETC. A LEADER CREATES MORE LEADERS. A leader would have not sat in a post for 11 years and not done anything and blamed someone else. He had a choice and he chose to stay and collect a check without doing anything. Had he done his job the sister islands would be in a better position EVEN IF the government did not allow him to do his job etc HE should have resigned then on PRINCIPLE. He resigned now because he is running for office and he was told he had to! He is running now because Bertie doesn’t stand much of a chance winning. He should have stood up for VG long time. People don’t be distracted..PAY ATTENTION!
Bahhhhh, hum bug, who paying you. If you don’t really know this man on a mission then shut up.
I am sorry Bertie but I am now supporting Vincie.
Respect
Finally a representative that will live on VG through we the people daily.
No one with integrity and sense trust the NDP. We could have been further on with our recovery efforts but no one trust them with the money nor anything else.
I ask why re-elect O’Neal? The man is a complete disappointment. Worse yet is that he is a member of the NDP government side and always complaining that he cannot get anything done.
Vincent will win hands down! He got my vote for sure!
Mr. Wheatley is an intelligent and hard working young man who will make an excellent representative for the ninth district. The good part is that he lives in the ninth district with we the people of the ninth district.
Did you just said young man…..thammmmm
Please continue to work hard and stay with the people because your time is now. I know that you will be a great representative for us.
We need a new 9th District rep who we stand up and not kiss up. I know that Vincent will stand up for us. He has my family and I support.
Christ, who we don’t crucify buddea?
I am certain that he has our best interest at heart genuinely!!! If wasn’t for this man I would have become a drop out of high school. He noticed I was missing from his Math class and he left that class, came to my home and took me to school. Today I am a very successful young woman and I always reflect how he cared about my education when I was giving up, this was my inspiration then and is my inspiration now to be there for others at every opportunity I can. He came and found the lost sheep from his flock. Who better to serve us in VG that a man who’s heart is after God’s. This speaks to his character so yes we want someone who values each sheep of his flock.
Good testimony of Mr. Wheatley’s involvement in transforming a life…
What we have currently is a puppet
Mr. Wheatley all the way.
Don’t mind the noise.
Real people do real things.
At least he is a more outgoing person you can talk to. O’Neal is a waste because he couldn’t get anything done.
In addition to the service Mr. Wheatley will deliver to the 9th, an added plus will in time be the service of his daughter, Dr. Amber Wheatley, who has been studying for the medical profession for the past several years; graduated and doing currently doing her her internship.
Power to the 9th. We have been treated like Step children Way to Long.
Like the inspirational poem by Maya Angelou “Still I Rise”. We’ll rise together.
(Maya Angelou, 1928 – 2014)
I fully endorse Mr.V Wealthy and will do whatever I positively can as a local, belonger, entrepreneur/businessman. I will also like most of us hold him accountable when we have to.
Headline for this story is misleading!
I will vote for Vincent. I hope he starts identifying persons to serve on his Committee soon who, if he wins could also serve as his district committee. These should be unpaid positions and should consist of Individuals who care about the district and less about self. Individuals who will engage the community as a whole and identify and document the issues and come up with solutions. Sometime you have to look at the root causes of the problems first rather than just jumping to implement solutions.
already has most of your team
Very good to hear that Vincent is prepared to listen to the people of the island. I just attended a meeting of a group of residents of Vg last night where people were expressing their hopes for the future of VG and seeking input on how we all may be able to influence the way we are regarded by the government in Tortola in the aftermath of the elections.
Many people feel we are taken for granted once the election is over and it becomes business as usual. Deals are struck in one on one meetings in district representatives back offices with no consideration for what effect the decision has on the general public. Political party committee members rule for 4 years and everyone else is left by the roadside. The young people are so sick and tired of promises that they are the future and the political parties care about them but once the votes are counted the youth are forgotten until next election.
It is my hope that Vincent will change this but I worry about his association with one of the old tired parties who I think will be more of the same old same old again . VG voters will continue to be ignored until we get a large community group together which represents all the people of VG and Anagada and not just the VIP ,NDP , or any other P district committees. They are power hungry groups with closed meetings . We need a public forum where everyone who cares about the sister islands is represented and has a voice and can speak.