BVI News

Skelton Cline calls for residents to be ‘patient’ in ongoing D4 matter

Owner of Grace Consultants and Chairman of the Cruise Tourism Committee, Claude Skelton Cline.

Devoted Virgin Islands Party (VIP) supporter Claude Skelton Cline is calling on residents to be patient in relation to the ongoing legal case on whether Mark Vanterpool should be sworn in as Fourth District representative.

Despite the High Court ruling that Vanterpool ought to be sworn in, the VIP’s Speaker of the House of Assembly Julian Willock has filed an appeal on the matter.

In a statement during his Honestly Speaking radio programme on Tuesday, Skelton Cline said the matter is a constitutional one that needs to be handled ‘properly’.

“We cannot allow, in my opinion, the current conclusion (the High Court’s judgement) to stand because you will have a situation and set the precedence where you are allowing the court in this instance to tell you what to do. With the same breath … no matter what the appellate court says, it still going to have to go back to the House and there is where the matter has to be properly distilled,” the talk show host said.

“I just want us to be a little more patient,” he therefore said.

Skelton Cline went on to describe the ongoing case as ‘important’.

“There are those who think that political capital is being extended and monies are being wasted. But here me say today, even where I sit politically, on matters of Constitution, we need to, yes, move with diligent haste. But [also] come to a place where there is no erosion by no personality who sits in a particular seat at any time. There should not be anything that undermines,” he said.

Skelton Cline, who is the owner of Grace Consultants, recently received a $98,000 government contract after he and his company were invited to submit a proposal for the job weeks after the VIP administration took office.

There was no tendering process because the contract was $2,000 shy of the $100,000 figure required for a tendering to occur.

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27 Comments

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  1. Lawd says:

    District 4 make your collective voices heard loud and clear! The VIP are playing with peoples lives all because the speaker has an a*e to g***d! Can the At Large reps inform what they have been doing to address the void in representation being experienced by the voters of the 4 as a result of their support of this Speaker?

    Like 23
    Dislike 4
  2. Dafuq? says:

    This man is disingenuous. Wasn’t this the same court he ran to when he was fired from the port authority? He trusted the court then, so why can’t its judgment be allowed to stand now?

    Also, if it doesn’t matter what the court of appeal says, because it must go back to the House to be properly distilled, why not recommend that it be taken up in the House rather than asks people to wait while a case is litigated in court in what seems like bad faith?

    Like 28
    Dislike 1
  3. Well Well says:

    SO tell the people of the 4th.

    If we did not need the court to decide on this, WHY DID YOU THE PREMIER NOT DEALT WITH IT BEFORE.
    Why appeal? VIP decided not to swear in MR V. Said let the courts decide. the court did. VIP had the chance the to have the HOA deal with it ,But NO it had to Appeal first. Now Mr Smart man is saying if the Appeal do not go in VIP favour, The HOA will handle it. In other words, this is not about the Constitution, this is about the VIP & Willock vs NDP .SHAME ON THEM. SHAME.

    Like 48
  4. heh seh says:

    Someday a crokked stick gon beaet pon ah croked hed mak un strait.

  5. Dictator says:

    “no matter what the appellate court says, it still going to have to go back to the House and there is where the matter has to be properly distilled,”

    So basically you don’t care what anyone says unless it aligns with what you want.

    Like 33
  6. See says:

    First week of new government in office, he got paid how much? More than any teacher will not even make after working for twenty life times. And our premire was a teacher. For doing what?

    And we here working and contributing for years and today is the 15th, and after much promising, and paying out of hundreds of thousnads to those who have not lifted a stroke or contributed little or nothing, WE STILL CAN’T GET OUR WORKED FOR AND EARNED INCREMENTS AND OR SALARY INCREASES!

    This is depressing and demoralizing, but he can get the air waves and ask people to be patient.

    He belly full and bills paid. Our belly is empty, Our bills are unpaid. Some have no savings accounts, and shoes have holes in their soles, and eat ramien noodles morning, noon and night.

    Is that that all a professional degree in education is worth in education today in the BVI?

    How long can one be patient living like that? four years before the next promising cycle?

    Like 35
    Dislike 1
    • Just saying says:

      Increments will be paid the same time the speaker looses again so people will be happy about their increments instead angry that tax payers money was wasted in courts.

    • @See says:

      And you all is not going to see a red cent of that money any time soon. The c*n man who ran back from the school of how to c*n in the motor city got Bull***t contract for something he has no experience in. What a waste of money.

  7. Ausar says:

    Perhaps your position on this issue will be well served if you, Claude, used your power and position, to ask the Speaker to change his stance on the issue, or step down and tender his resignation.

    Blabbering sounds on the airwaves have not convinced me that the Speaker has been unbiased in his position.

    I am confident that Honourable Vanterpool will be successful in his bid.

    And if tax monies were wasted on this issue, just garner the Speaker’s annual salary, that’s all!

    Like 14
  8. Wow says:

    “We cannot allow, in my opinion, the current conclusion (the High Court’s judgement) to stand because you will have a situation and set the precedence where you are allowing the court in this instance to tell you what to do. With the same breath … no matter what the appellate court says, it still going to have to go back to the House and there is where the matter has to be properly distilled,” the talk show host said.

    This statement shows how dangerous and vindictive these people are! What the h**l you mean it has to be distilled in the HOA? When the Leader of the Opposition tried to get the matter dealt with in HOA he was completely shut down by the Speaker, who was the one that initiated the Court situation in the first place. The Speaker told the LOP that he will NOT deal with it in HOA and because it’s a ‘weighty’ matter, it will go before the Court. Now the same Speaker is appealing on the grounds that the Court shouldn’t tell them what to do as it’s an HOA matter. So essentially Claude and the Speaker have said, let’s waste money going through the courts and appeals process even though we don’t think it matters anyway, because the matter will only be resolved in the HOA. So we spend hundreds of thousands that could have gone into school repairs just to satisfy the egos of a few?

    Like 28
    Dislike 1
  9. Opportunist Pastor says:

    Folks of the BVI stay awake this guy is opportunist once it’s a benefit for him he doesn’t care about the average BVI citizen. He is just like the rest future and present politican. G****y??. What bothers me is where was this guy in the 90 and early 20? He is just like other f****s who used to live in the US and now preying on the BVI ????.l am for no party either no Affiliation and l dont usually comment. I feel for my BVI with people like this guy with influence on the radio waves and sweet tougue. The Average citizen can’t afford to build a house and open a business but s***s like this guy can get numerous opportunities to get Gov’t hand out. I never got a hand out and l dont want none either but BVI folks wake up because if we dont hold these leaders accountable we are always going to be behind the fence. Oh and l dont have nothing againist this guy let me get that straight.

    Like 30
    • K kill pat says:

      CSK as he is NOW known is d*******s… Mark my words BVI following the same path as Turks . CSK came back from the US with no shirt and look at him now WTF

  10. NB says:

    BVI highest paid comedian….this man of the cloth.

    Like 18
  11. vip heckler says:

    The action man fired karwind from the cane garden bay sewage, he refused to rehire wilcock at the ministry after winning his case against government, he also terminated fraud’s contract with the ports and left big ben in a bad state after a contract dispute. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN DO THE MATHS

    Like 17
  12. Rayun says:

    Patience is needed in this matter.It is sad that this case was brought about by indecision of somebody who had been in the administration in the former regime for not less than 8years. It appeared he was not serious just playing with the lives and the interest of people in District 4. He would have known better.May be he should go and rest.

    Dislike 17
  13. Windy says:

    A Donald Trump hiding behind a collar

    Like 11
  14. :) says:

    No water, Poor internet, poor road quality, Pier Park overspend, poor sewage one man was in charge of that. The people of the 4th district failed the people of the BVI when they voted selfishly again and again.

    Like 2
    Dislike 11
  15. Please People says:

    We have to stand up and show the people we elected in Government that they work for us,we are their bosses. We have to stand up and let our voices be heard, stop letting them hold us hostage. They canot send hit squads on all of us. They do that, the law will know exactly who they are.

  16. Wow says:

    Why does this man believe he is qualified to voice an opinion on this vexing issue? He really and truly gets my goat. His bread is properly buttered on both sides by this government as witnessed by the contract already given with more to come irrespective of his performance on the job so for him to stand there and ask the constituents of the 4th to have more patience – the unmitigated gall of this man! Mister, why don’t you put yourself in their shoes for one minute and tell me if you would be willing to be patient in light of the nonsense that has gone on with the 4th district rep seat and still to come. This man is an utter f**l. Talking out of both sides of his mouth. On the one hand the matter must go to court. On the other hand, irrespective of what the COA says, it must still go back to the House to be decided. The same House where the government of the day is in the majority. Is he listening to himself? Is his brain in gear when he opens his mouth or does he simply enjoy hearing himself braying? On top of that he is asking people to be patient while they continue to waste taxpayers’ money on this circus in the courts. I never hear more.

    Like 11
  17. Check says:

    There is no rule of the House that allow its members to decide who sits in the house. So forget this partisan effort to prevent the member from sitting in the house. This guy is going to continue to create such a constitutional mess that England will have to step in and said enough is enough, you cannot handle your affairs.

    • @Check says:

      You may be on to conspiracy behind the scene theory or fact.

      Wondering if a secret back door consultancy clandestine operation might be on?

    • BuzzBvi says:

      Are you talking about the guy that wanted to resign but did it so badly and now thinks that means he should stay because he messed up resigning so badly. Is that the guy? And you want still want him?

  18. E Scott says:

    Mr CSK your being paid $98,000 by us so please get of the radio and go do your job.
    Oh and just because people here have short memories
    http://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/en/news/where-is-claude-o-skelton-cline-why-is-he-so-quiet-over-ports-scandal
    Ps Mr Cline are you feeling the heat ….. tick tock tick tock

  19. Banjo says:

    Dis man s***l in plain sight year after year and we just let him then allow him his voice . What hold does he have over BVI he has done this with both parties . Is the current dispute because somebody it not towing he cline way ? Governor needs to step in and sort this

  20. @Check says:

    Maybe you have inadvertently stumbled upon a (the) b**k d**r conspiracy?

    Wonder if a big check is being gotten there to.

    Looks like the territory is being screwed with a m***y d**k with metal spikes on it.

    God help these Virgin Islands. From the top they have embarked on an apparent course of malevolence.

    The consequences of the greed for the accumulation of money unfolding before our eyes.

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