It wouldn’t be right to reprimand governor since HOA is also guilty
Premier Fahie (foreground) and Governor Jaspert during an April 15 public broadcast.
Premier Andrew Fahie said it wouldn’t have been ‘right’ for him to vote to reprimand Governor Augustus Jaspert since the House of Assembly is just as guilty in other matters.
A motion had been moved to reprimand the governor for violating Section 20(2) of Act when he neglected to deliver the Auditor General’s special report about BVI Airways within the legally-prescribed three-month timeframe.
“I couldn’t join to vote against the lateness of the BVI Airways [report] because, over the years, the House itself was late with many things,” argued Fahie, who said he was criticised for supporting the governor instead of his ‘own people’.
“It wasn’t that I agreed that the report wasn’t late. The report was late,” Fahie added. “But, the point about it is; why are you going to chastise … when there are so many things outstanding by us? That’s the premise why I didn’t vote for it. And I believe in sitting on a principle. I can’t crucify a man for something that we don’t do in right ourselves.”
“So I was not joining anybody to go after the governor at that time,” he added.
Supplementary bill to balance gov’t books six years late
The Premier gave that explanation while debating a supplementary bill in the House on Monday, June 22.
According to the Virgin Islands Constitution, a supplementary bill must be brought to the House to ‘regularise’ or balance the territory’s financial accounts when monies allocated for a particular purpose were either underbudgeted for or not budgeted at all.
They are usually brought at the end of the financial year that the monies were used. But, the bill that was tabled in the House on Monday — the Supplementary Appropriation (2014) Act — is a glaring six years late.
“This is monies reallocated in 2014 that we’re coming now in 2020 to regularise … The parallels of it [and the governor’s lateness] are the same,” Fahie reasoned.
Consequences needed
The Fahie-led VIP government inherited the responsibility to table this late bill from the previous NDP administration.
The Premier, in the meantime, underscored that penalties need to be implemented to deter officials such as legislators and the governor from committing these violations.
“So until we wake up in the House and put some penalties to guard our actions and police ourselves then we have an issue,” Fahie said.
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A word from the wise, NEVER admit that you are wrong , even when you are wrong….simply let it disintegrate into nothingness!!!
Grown man move!!
Keep this crap up. Then you wonder why the UK won’t give or back loans. You can’t fix stupid and you can’t fix the Belongers.
Good move Premier
When principles are clear, decisions are easy.
Nobody hangs their dirty laundry in public….
But waitttttttt. Riddle me this- who sanctioned or promoted it in the first place ? Wellsah
I have more respect now for the Premier than before.
We need to know who those lands were bought from with our Social Security money because we will be shocked. I glad the NDP out of Office so these crooks over Social security can finally be exposed and removed.
Meanwhile back at the ranch we have traffic on lockdown with the good ole boys, ticket book in hand, issuing for every simple infraction. Way to go y’all. Wow I need a pair of shades. One for donkey too.
Why did you even write a letter to FCO in the first place then??? Learn to pick your battles wisely so that we don’t always have this back and forth. Now all your supporters making you feel special after YOU were the one to initiate the entire thing and now backing out of it. If you weren’t ready to proceed all the way you should have just be quiet smh.
Come again Premier. it sounds like you don’t have a leg to stand on after the Gov responded to your allegations.
Yeah this!
all that happen to the Fahie Led government is that somebody from the UK called him up and reminded him that we are a Territory for 1 and that the allegations were baseless for 2.
Put a stop to it now.
thats all that happened here.
This is one of the most correct opinions I have come across this week.
Anyone notice partner “Pannah” smirking at the back. Mmmm check mate.
@MMMM… the picture above based on date listed, does NOT coincide with the comments made by the Premier. We are so quick to denigrate our own on the blogs. Just pitiful!
Nuff respect Andrew. Fair is fair . We can go places now
And that my friends is what we call “back tracking”. He’s doing this because the people have been complaining about how petty he is with regard to the governor.