Skelton Cline blasts Opposition Leader for welcoming COI report
Political commentator and clergyman, Pastor Claude Skelton Cline has come out strongly against Opposition Leader Marlon Penn for stating that he welcomed the Commission of Inquiry’s (COI) report and its recommendations.
“One would almost get by implication that the Leader of the Opposition had read and reviewed the report,” Skelton Cline said on his Honestly Speaking radio show yesterday, April 12.
He continued: “Because it’s difficult, unless it’s just a poor use of the English language, that he is suggesting to the public that he welcomes [the report] and I trust that there will be some clarification around this matter.”
Penn issued a statement days ago stating that he welcomed both the report and its recommendations and hoped it would be the catalyst to achieving proper stewardship of the BVI’s national resources.
Optimistic tone
While pressed at an engagement with the media a short while before Skelton Cline’s show to expound on his reason for welcoming the report, Penn said he wanted to offer an optimistic tone.
“Whatever is in the report, we have to deal with it. As a country, as a people, we have to deal with it and we always have to look forward in terms of what is in the best interest of our country moving forward,“ Penn shared.
He continued: “If there are things that we need to challenge, we need to push back on, then we need to push back on those things, but we have always as leaders of this country have an optimistic tone in terms of the way forward for our people.”
Penn urged that the COI’s report be made public and said this should have already been done given that the hearings were largely done in the public domain.
He also said that he would support recommendations from the report that offered improvement to the way things were done in the territory but was adamant that he was against any suggestions of regression.
“If there are things that are going to challenge and retard our progress that we made as a country, of course, I’m not going to support those things,” he added.
While Penn’s position was supported by Opposition members Julian Fraser and Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull, Skelton Cline showed little tolerance for the Opposition Leader’s optimistic framing of the matter.
“The Leader of the Opposition – whether poor use of language or whether or not these are in fact his thoughts — [they] are misguided,” he said.
“You don’t welcome these things – somebody told me [Penn] said that he’s giving a positive spin – this ain’t no time for no spin,” the clergyman insisted.
“This is time for us to confront reality sober-minded but together,” the commentator urged. “And sometimes when we’re not sure what to say, we shouldn’t say nothing.
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Thus man from a nether land of nothingness and with his hyphenated surname is attempting to steal Fahie’s thunder. The stealing ,thiefing and killing in one way or another has brought the VI to its lowest point and little hope for a better tomorrow. Andrew Fahie bellowed and hollered for a COI all these years.. Graciously the then Gov Augustus complied,agreed it was warranted after becoming aware of several questionable actions and inactions by the elected Government past and present. Hush for Chrissakes and go pray for deliverance from evil. It is the only thing Andrew has accomplished for the people in all these years. Not even running water he give his people so hush. The people ofthe VI overwhelmingly welcome the COI,its findings and results.
You would have thought that everyone who had nothing to hide would welcome the report.
You would also have thought that any government which campaigned on openness and ‘government in the sunshine’ would welcome a chance to show they are clean.
The fear around the report from VIP speaks volumes.
You’re one of the main causes
So what’s the alternative? It has been done. The best thing we can do for ourselves at this point is to learn the art of negotiation. Continuing to fight against the UK govt has never worked and will not work now. As a matter of fact, fighting with the crown is how we got in this mess in the first place.
I applaud you Skelton cline for your bold views on this topic. The leader of opposition statement is distasteful. You just can’t go welcoming recommendations before you see them as if he has immunity. Black people are their worst enemies. Not even an apprentice I think would make such a statement. If I could fire him a million times.
Did Skelton Cline mention poor English?
“And sometimes when we’re not sure what to say, we shouldn’t say nothing.”
Oh dear.
csc ,you know you will be locked up. Enjoy your freedom.
Sooner the better.
He will have a good time with all those lonely boys up in Balo
Csc try go repent you Wolfe in sheep clothin false pastor.
Ok, I appreciate that the leader of opposition is welcoming a report that he has not read and has no idea what it entails, lets just say that the report recommend that all the former ministers and junior ministers be charged criminally for whatever offence, what would be the leader of the opposition view on that now, wow wow wow.
Can Claude truly be objective on this topic? come on… people like him is part of the problem. one of the recommendations should be stop finding ways to pay unqualified people big money and they don’t even have to produce anything.
Claude the fr**d at it again.
He just doesn’t want the COI to remind everyone that he ran away from *** and judgment in the USA, let alone to highlight his array of s**dy dealings here.
Classic bottom feeder behaviour.
Do any of the politicians, and this pissant Claude Skelton Cline, read the articles written about what they say or do? Are they aware that a lot of people in this country are waiting for the COI report and welcome the intervention of the UK if it means that the scummy things being done by the politicians and their cronies will be stopped or at least slowed down. Do they know these things or they just don’t care. I can’t figure out what this guy has done to contribute to this country or why he should care what the COI says or requires of us.
More nonsense from CSC. @BVI News, please stop publishing this person’s views. They are not relevant and are not news.
Allowing a snake oil salesman the mike and printed page this much is proof all the brains done drained. The guy’s resume is stained with the biggest american mayoral fraud in history and he’s respected? In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king. Wake up brethren. We have voted and maintained a rotating cast of Kleptocrats/bafoons for 20+ years it is time to take back decency order and responsibility in government here.
In any other instance $3 billion pissed away in the last 15 years would be called theft of a century.
This opportunity for a reset of our government and civil services is actually a gift from God . do not squander it
This dumb f**hrrmucker doesn’t know which way is up.
Only in BVI would anyone care what he says.
All I saying it’s time to take these high-ranking, I born here, white collar gifters out these positions. We had enough of them taking our viginity out of the Islands. PERIODT!