Less talk, more action! Rankin slams govt’s bluster
Governor John Rankin has thrown cold water on the government’s hive of activity in recent weeks after he requested additional powers from the United Kingdom (UK) to help implement Commission of Inquiry (COI) good governance recommendations in the territory.
The governor said his request was necessary because there has not been sufficient drive and determination across the various ministries and departments to deliver on the agreed-upon COI deadlines.
According to Governor Rankin, the government made numerous statements in the last few days about what it will achieve in the next six weeks or so. However, he remains sceptical about what will be done.
“Frankly, I’ve heard more in the past six days than I’ve heard in the past six months of development in this area and let’s see if that can be delivered upon,” Rankin told ZBVI radio. “But whichever way it’s done, if we can get delivery of the Commission of Inquiry recommendations, I will welcome them.”
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley lashed out at the governor’s move to request more powers from the UK and argued that the governor was pushing half-truths about the government’s progress in achieving COI timelines.
Governor Rankin, in the meantime, said promises have been made before but “actual concrete delivery” is now required from the government.
But the governor also cautioned that his suggestion was not necessarily a done deal since Premier Wheatley has also written to the Overseas Territories Minister asking that the governor’s request for more powers be denied.
When questioned about whether he is likely to withdraw his request to the UK, the governor responded, “Let’s see. We need to see not just talk but action. And of course, the Premier has said he’s written to the Minister for the Overseas Territories and the decisions in this area will lie with the Minister for the Overseas Territories, not with me, because I don’t have the decision-making power in this area.”
Rankin said he was certain that the Overseas Territories Minister would take his recommendation as well as Premier Wheatley’s correspondence into consideration in deciding on the way forward.
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Fear tactics! That’s what the UK people do when they don’t get their way. People of the BVI, you must not fear, rather stand strong and boldly in this fight together as one for your sovereignty.
Fully agree. Less talk and more action should the MO of any Govt.
Governor you have challenges with the truth.
Good try gov. The govt belonger employee is one who is lazy, entitled and mostly incompetent. Add in an extra special level of corruption and graft and we have a recipe for nothing to be accomplished.
Please take us over
Jim, go back to your country.
K. Will jump on the ferry back to Tola
Read the UK news and get back to us. The reason you guys are here is because there’s nothing at ‘home’ for you and you envy the life that we live here because where you’re from, the ‘brown’ people only work their asses off, they do not own anything. Get used to it because we will continue to own the BVI and prosper more and more regardless of your labels. The UK is one of the most corrupt and chaotic places on earth right now so please handle your business before sticking your nose in ours.
sorry from here.
you fail
Gov’” Belonger” employees?
You obviously don’t know what you’re talking about.
So, why don’t you stop.
I’m really with the Governor on this,the government is pure talk no action whatsoever!! It’s really sickening!! So we as the young’s will continue to sell/theft to make ends meet!! Looking a job for a whole year and still can’t find!
I’m not being funny, but I do strongly agree with the governor of the BVI. In the last 10 to 20 years, the BVI has strongly gone downhill due to corruption and incapabilities of the governments that have been elected by the people of the British Virgin Islands failing to fulfil the duties and promises that they said they would do before being elected. This comes down to simple task, such as water, healthcare, power and a landfill that doesn’t catch on fire every other day. Simply put the BVI could be a wealthy and prosper country, but the capabilities of the governments in thinking about themselves, and not putting the people of the BVI first, has made it into an economical failure.
As we all know, tourism is one of the biggest income generators of the BVIbut we fail time and time again to fix roads, make beautiful destinations,upkeep our national parks, and actually make attractions visitors of the BVI. What I hear time and time again, as someone who works in the hospitality industry in the BVI, is that the BVI has gone downhill and it’s not a sort out destination like it used to be.
So if the United Kingdom can bring a change that would actually make the BVI into a wealthy economical strong point in the world then I welcome up with open arms.
Nothing getting done.. Just talk, talk, talk, divisive talk, hateful talk, dishonest talk.
“So if the United Kingdom can bring a change that would actually make the BVI into a wealthy economical strong point in the world then I welcome up with open arms.”
Fools folly that. Even if the UK decides to affect the economy positively, it will not do so in the interest of the local population, but itself.
Those who can read, write and express clear full thoughts within a sentence should read colonial history from the 10th century forward, of the UK and study the governing political, personal and racial psychology thereof .
Are you a history teacher at the university level? What good is reading 11th century history to sort out today’s problems. Is your regressive mentality affecting your ability to deal with the reality of the 21st century? It scares me to know that there are so many backward thinking people in the place, based on all the comments that refers to “history” with a one-sided perspective, and who can only look back, with no vision of where they are going except to fight against others in the spirit of xenophobia. Really pathetic.
After all this, I hope the premier stays in his office do some work for the people (and his partner will do likewise) so we can watch them “work baby” instead of taking vacations over the world. It is unfair to the citizens of territory and the organisation and staff where his partner supposedly works, especially since the benefits of these trips bare no fruits.
Can you imagine that the Minister of Finance find it necessary to be absent during the budget cycle?
I hope everyone realizes the COI and reform deadlines was intended and designed for the people of the BVI!
This government makes me sick!
The leaders in the BVI are fighting to save their skin and live their lavish life style and run their outside women and those who have their outside chikdren .
They are using the old adage “ Country abovevself” see how much of that they do. After elections they
Fool some
Promise some
Hide from some
Lie to somre
Never straight with tge truth
See where the Drew is in now
Country above self
AND YOU ARE THE GUY WHO BUILT NOAH’S ARK , RIGHT ~ YOU NEED TO STAY ON YOUR YELLO SITE , WHERE YOU RULE SUPREME – YOUR MAJESTY
* KING WIGO *
The ones who want the UK to take over, are the ones who are not from here.
BV Islanders do not trust their leaders because of corruption, nepotism etc. Expatriates know our place and we don’t necessarily want or advocate for the UK to takeover the territory, but if doing so brings justice to all residents, why oppose them?