Nothing can be done to justify taking away BVI’s autonomy
A 15-months-long Commission of Inquiry (COI) has produced nothing that suggests the BVI should lose its self-governing status, Deputy Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has concluded.
Dr Wheatley gave that indication last evening, March 5, on the heels of the COI’s Commissioner Sir Gary Hickinbottom delivering the final report on the Inquiry to Governor John Rankin, who has since indicated that he will review the voluminous document before discussing it with officials locally.
Dr Wheatley said the inquiry would have identified some challenges faced within the modern-day governance structure of the Virgin Islands. But the Deputy Premier argued that there is really no country around the world immune from some of those very challenges faced pertaining to governance.
“I’m quite confident that there’s nothing that has been done – and of course we can only speak for ourselves, of course – but nothing can be done that can justify any loss of autonomy of the Virgin Islands, or any persons restricting your development,“ Dr Wheatley said during his appearance on the Virgin Islands Party’s Let’s Talk radio show Tuesday night.
What UK did after Turks & Caicos COI frowned upon
According to Dr Wheatley, this is because the United Nations essentially guarantees the BVI‘s right to self-determination.
“Things like what happened to the Turks and Caicos Islands and things like that, like taking away their constitution and things like that, this is really frowned upon – and really should never be the case – by institutions like the United Nations,“ he contended.
Dr Wheatley, who also serves as the territory’s Education Minister, further stated: “We all have to stand up and we all have to defend our ability to determine our own destiny.”
Independence isn’t the only option for BVI
Among the options he explained are available to the BVI are free association, independence and integration.
“Some people treat independence like it’s the only option, it’s not the only option,“ Dr Wheatley noted.
He also expressed that the BVI can even consider the option of free association with the United Kingdom – its current administering power – if it so desires, and define what that relationship should look like.
“What the world has said is that colonialism must be a thing of the past, where one group of persons wants to determine what happens to another group of people without their consent and without their approval. That’s what we call colonialism when one group nominates another group and you don’t have democracy,“ the Deputy Premier argued.
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He need to shut his face
– NHI which is bankrupt
– Sewerage running in the streets
– Corruption in the police force, customs and immigration
– Corruption in government
– Broken school system
– Broken schools
– Organised crime and drug trafficking
– Bankrupt pension system
– Broken infrastructure
You are absolutely right – we are ready for independence!
Apart from those, it’s not going badly!
Sewerage doesn’t run. It’s pipework.
Sewage runs. It’s s**t.
Long term BVI shouldn’t have its autonomy taken away; BUT short term it does if there is to be any hope. From the evidence that came out in the CoI we are well on the way to turning into Haiti.
We can’t do nothing in the face of this terrible governance. It has lead to terrible infrastructure, terrible levels of public education, rampant drug trafficking and a spate of contract killings.
It is getting harder and harder to recruit highly trained staff for financial services and the commercial law firms, which are going to face issues as it is, because of what is happening in Hong Kong. Recruitment is hard partly because the BVI has become so run down, and also because the work permit system is disfunctional. Again this is a consequence of having wasted so much of the revenue generated since 1990 when the going was good, instead of investing it, so we could be more like Singapore or Cayman. If we had built better in the first place and/or had the funds in hand we wouldn’t still be trying to crawl out of the rubble of Irma.
Tourism is inherently difficult for the BVI firstly because of the transport issues, secondly because of the need to bring in foreign labour for many of the roles in hotels etc, and what we do well, i.e. yacht charters will have been damaged by the recent heavy handed raids. I am afraid the chickens are going to really come home to roost if there isn’t a drastic re-set.
Natalio Wheatley, It seems to me that every time you speak you think you are talking to stupid people or kids. The COI was on You Tube for the world to see and you come here talking but they didn’t find anything, even after the COI your government have been doing things that’s not on the up and up. You need to start looking for a job, you may find it hard to find one because we all know who you are and what kind of person you are because even if the UK don’t take us over next year you are DONE. Why is Andrew Fahie rushing off to the UK if you all don’t have anything to worry about?
What have they found that they themselves are not guilty of?????. Let them fix their own affairs before getting into ours.
Andrew Fahie asked for the COI. He invited them in to fix our affairs.
When you wish ill for other people it can turn around and bite you in the a$$.
You are a failure and have caused immesurable harm to our childrens education. You will not be reelected
The irony; this… coming from the most confused of all of them.
This person really is too dumb to be in charge of anything significant.
Where is the host of the 3D show?
ask the wanna be noel lloyd which part down town he dropped him off
make me sht wid shame
The good thing is that all of the COI proceedings are still on youtube for anybody to search and view. If anyone forgot how this particular Minister performed, just pull it up. Unbelievable. Sowande and Sharie deCastro are the BIGGEST political disappointments in the entire history of the BVI and do not debate me! One would’ve thought the highest at-large vote getter and experienced/qualified (they say) Educator along with the Deputy Premier who has his Doctorate and is also an experienced Educator, would’ve meant that our youth are in good hands. Fast forward 3+ years and the kids are still going to school half-day, no public library and on the eve of election they are digging up the ESHS grounds and issuing contracts that they admitted they do not currently have funding to cover.
This guy is more focused on self determination than education for the kids; our real future of the BVI.
I am from the Turks and Caicos Islands(born there, school there, work there, live there) and I lived through the suspension of our constitution. The decision of the British and their subsequent occupation after, altered the way of life for our people in significant ways. Our economy shrank along with the economic downturn that was occurring back then. The British are the best and divide and conquer. They used failed local politicians to do their dirty work and paint an image of the country that made all local, indigenous people in positions of authority as corrupt. Then replaced them with British or Canadian “experts” who knew nothing about real life, life living and how policy should meet those demographics.
I also feel a bit like Deja Vu here because while persons are quick to point out the Turks and Caicos reference, especially your political leaders, NOTHING was said by them including Caribbean Overseas Territory leaders back then. We were shunned, looked down upon and cast to the side like some black sheep. My God, My God! But God surely doesn’t sleep. Look how the tables have turned.
What BVIslanders should do is demand the British stay out of their governance and allow elected leaders to make decisions, whether bad or good and suffer the consequences at the polls! Hence, that it why it is called a democracy.
This sounds like sour grapes from one of the corrupt public officers who had his/her gravy train cut off by the British.
If the TCI didn’t like this happening, they could have declared independence, but they didn’t. Why? Oh, right, because it would have been a disaster like it would be here in the BVI, and the people knew it and would have never supported it. I hate to break it to you but you are not in a position to “demand” the UK do anything. Either shape up or ship out.