NDP must not adopt VIP’s blame game
At-Large Representative Ronnie Skelton has warned that a future National Democratic Party (NDP) government should not follow the Virgin Islands Party’s (VIP) example of blaming previous administrations for the territory’s problems instead of taking responsibility for fixing them.
On the NDP’s radio programme, Skelton criticised elected officials’ tendency to complain about problems they inherited after promising voters they could deliver solutions.
“I hope we don’t do this thing I hear this government doing, saying they inherit this. I didn’t know you could blame other people for your inheritance,” Skelton stated.
“You went out there and told the people you can do all these great things, and now you get in, you’re crying about things you have to fix.”
He added: “I am not built that way. I ain’t blaming a man for a thing. If I say I can fix it, I’ll fix it.”
Skelton’s comments come amid growing public frustration over persistent water shortages and the government’s repeated assertions that years of neglect by previous administrations contributed to the territory’s infrastructure crisis. Skelton, in the meantime, acknowledged that the water problems began under an earlier VIP administration, which established water production facilities in the east, creating challenges with distributing water to western communities.
He said the subsequent NDP administration attempted to address those problems but lacked sufficient funding. However, Skelton argued that finger-pointing would not restore reliable water supplies, especially as consumption rises and rainfall declines.
“You can’t sit here and just blame people. You just have to find a solution to the problem,” he stressed. He also acknowledged that the current government’s efforts to improve water transmission and reservoir distribution form part of the solution.
Meanwhile, NDP Chairman Marlon Penn endorsed Skelton’s position, insisting that the party is focused on solutions rather than excuses.
“None of us are built that way on this team,” Penn declared, explaining that the NDP has been consulting industry professionals to develop practical solutions.
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Ronnie just wake up. Time for you to call it quits Sir.
Hon.Skelton still has value but he needs to have some self awareness and cut the Island man BS , swallow his pride and join PLM. And while we at it are Decastro and Maduro indiginous names ? They seem to be of spanish origin and The Sekltons with their blue /grey eyes appear to be of European ancestory not Carib or Arawack , my point is we all from somewhere at one time or another . Hon Skelton join the PLM that is the ONLY viable path . With Skelton they become an unstoppable force.
The fact that people see PLM and MV as the saving option we need shows where politics in the BVI is and why we get what we get and deserve what we get.
It will be better off him joining the VIP..
Just keep island man mark out far from our treasury
Not only water problems we’re being faced with at this time.
The conflict in the strait of hormuz is intensifying. Truckers in the USA are threatening with statewide strikes. If we think things are bad now- with gas prices keep climbing at the pump. The food prices in the grocery stores climbing higher and higher. Wait until the shortages start to impact the virgin islands. We do not produce enough of anything to sustain ourselves.
Surely, these seasoned and experienced visionary leaders can see the big picture ahead. Individuals like ronnie, mark, myron, lesmore, collin, sonia, shereen,and others who truly care, all need to step forward and join one collaborative forces to cushion the impact of these calamities, with workable and sustainable ideas to traverse thesetreacherous times.
Time is of the essence.
The NDP is their own problem….Internal fighting
Says the man who has NHI crippling us (rolling eyes)
VIP been there for 7 yrs..They campaigning on fixing the issues…What are they being doing for the past 7 yrs?