Some of us have withstood COI — Dr Pickering
Some persons who appeared before the Commission of Inquiry (COI) may have just managed to escape further scrutiny past the COI’s blistering report on governance and the flurry of investigations ordered in its wake.
That was the contention of former Deputy Premier Dr Kedrick Pickering when he spoke in the Huntums Ghut community last evening, January 25.
As he urged persons to dismiss the talk of “who was there” or “who doing what” in public office, Dr Pickering made a pitch for those that have thus far emerged relatively unscathed by the COI.
“It is clear that some of us have [stood] tall. It is clear that some of us, despite all the Commission of Inquiry and all of what they have dusted over, some of us have stood up and our reputation has [stood] clear,” the former legislator said in what is believed to be his seventh public meeting since announcing his candidacy for re-election.
He pointed out that this was important for residents to understand ahead of expected general elections which are constitutionally due by mid-May.
Dr Pickering’s assertion comes in the wake of criminal proceedings against several persons who appeared before the COI — including his former ministerial colleague, former Education Minister Myron Walwyn and Walwyn’s then-Permanent Secretary.
In addition, there have been a several other criminal investigations ordered by Governor John Rankin after he noted that there needed to be “an urgent and decisive move forward”.
These investigations include probes into the scandalous BVI Airways project, the Sea Cows Bay Harbour Development project and the Virgin Islands Neighbourhood Partnership project, among others.
Don’t allow UK to to take over
In the meantime, Dr Pickering said he has been going throughout the BVI to warn residents not to allow the UK to suspend the territory’s constitution, arguing that residents will live to regret it.
“There has to be an election, let me make that clear. The only way that there won’t be an election is if the United Kingdom government — through an act of parliament that is sitting over our head — suspends our constitution,” the Territorial At-Large candidate stated.
The former lawmaker said he will continue to fight for the territory because it has been good to him and has allowed him to have a good life.
“I have the courage of my convictions. I’m prepared to stand up for what I believe in and I believe in this country and I believe in doing my part to help our country,” Dr Pickering said.
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His rhetoric is nothing more than politics. The COI is targeting who they want to target for a particular purpose. You have been the most unproductive minister of government in the last 4 decades in this country. After 20 years in government you have nothing to show for your stewardship. You cannot run in district 7 because your performance was awful. You have been rude and unhelpful to locals while uplifting and being proud of your rich, white friends. If the system was fair you should have been made to account for that fiasco of a beach called Brandywine Bay where over a million dollars was spent and it was started without planning approval. You allowed hurricane Irma to blow down the 6 million dollar green house investment. Not even the good common sense to direct that they be taken down. The hurricane rolled them up into a great big ball at the expense of people. You didn’t close to 10 million dollars on the airport expansion debacle and not even one rock moved and there is nothing to show. Then to add insult after spending 10 million of the public money on salary for your friend Wilson from Trinidad you turn around and invited Chinese to come build the airport when it had locals who were interested in building it.
So we just re-elect a washed up, unproductive, unhelpful, uncaring, rich white friends loving man because the COI didn’t call his name? They didn’t call your name because I’m sure you those people are a part of your rich white friends network. Give the young people a chance and go sit down.
And why didn’t you declare your interest in the register of interest for 6 years while you were deputy Premier? You forgot about that?
Anything that involve white people I will not feel comfortable with Dr. Pickering involved. He will sell us out. Period!
Finally! finally! The plan has been revealed. Dr. Pickering comments tell you exactly why certain people are being targeted. It is to help some people get elected who they could easily manipulate and damage some people who might be more difficult to handle. Wow! If you wait long enough things will reveal themselves. For all you know he is one of the locals who helping them to destroy other people. These comments are a revelation.
Regardless, your track record over the last 20 years is shameful. Look at the state of district 7. You have nothing to show for your 8 years as a minister of government. The COI can’t tell us how to vote. We don’t want you. Go work for the COI since you and them good.
I want to vote for leaders who are enlightening and independent thinkers. You failed in my book with these comments. The measuring stick for honesty now is the COI report? Are you this colonized in your mind that you say to yourself that you are honest and others are dishonest because of a bias report prepared by the descendants of our colonial masters? Where our country needs to go you cannot take it there. I see you now as someone who would help them to achieve what they want. I am ashamed of you. There is no presumption of innocence before guilt in the BVI anymore? Is the COI our courts of law? You aspire to be a leader again and don’t even respect the fundamental underpinnings of our democracy. Instead of trying to play dirty politics try to redeem your dismal record of past service in the eyes of the people.
Shots fired! That’s a shot at Myron. But Doc, I would still vote for Myron over you any day.
If this f**king guy think that people will elect him At-Large he needs to get his head checked ASAP!
one thing I know for sure is that his rich white friends will vote him into office and if it isn’t for his rich white friends the bvi would already be a ghost town.his rich white friends is who have the bvi floating and this is a fact. another fact is that he have enough rich white friends at large to get him back into political office.
the bvi airways plane Pico you may be next
Myron was one of the most honest politicians we have had. I never heard anyone say he accepted any kickbacks, bribes and any such thing. If 60 people got work on the wall if something dishonest went on we would have heard that by now. We too wicked and ungrateful in this country. This man looked out for everybody. Everybody! And a lot of people got help because of him. Now we want to kill him over one thing that even the blind could see that it is a set up and case that the DPP cannot win.
Who had Kedrick Pickering help beside Kedrick Pickering, David Johnson, Richard Branson and his other rich white friends? What is his track record of service to the people of the country besides lip service? Why he running at large and not his own previous district? He thinks the white people are enough to get him on government?
It wasn’t him who did not file his register of interest information for nearly 4 years when he was deputy Premier. Did he conveniently forget this? What was he hiding?
If they intent to come back with the same gutter and tearing down politics like the past years then please count me out from voting. Let us hear what you have done for the country before and where you want it to go.
If your campaign is going to be that the COI report did not call your name then I don’t want to hear you. Maybe they didn’t call your name because you were not producing anything to be scrutinized. Keep on the high road. We are tired of this lame style politics.
Why all of them on this one man like this? You could tell is Myron he trying to damage from early. They got to be threatened by that brother or something. Dr. Pickering’s statement solidified in my mind what I suspected all along. My suspicions came from reading the auditor general’s report, watching the COI interviews and the subsequently produced report and following the court case against Myron.
This is nothing more than an attempt to smear his name and kill his political career. Now the strategy is coming to life through the words of Dr. Pickering. Some powerful people are trying to keep him out of government. Maybe it is because he cannot be twisted and turned to their liking.
The colonial masters have us fighting each other and wishing the worse for each other from their well organized plot using their pre-arranged COI with their pre-authoured COI recommendations. They even have Pico feeling good because he was not targeted but he doesn’t know that it is delayed gratification by design. Let us wake up and remain focused on the main issue of securing our BVI from their high handed attempts at trying to take us over.
When you live in a glass house don’t throw stones. Many are lucky that A Wheatley took the fall for many. If he had open his mouth some of you would have been lost up Balsum Ghut. Be careful what you saying.
East End/Long Look still has the raw sewage on the road that you were barking about since 1999. You served 8 years as deputy Premier and 20 years as the representative for district 7. What excuse could you possibly have for not addressing this issue? If after 20 years you couldn’t get sewage off the street from running in front of your own house what could you do for this country as an at large representative?
he had an opportunity of a life time, to put the BVI back into producing healthy vegetables to supply the country first then develop
into exporting later as time goes by , but instead
the genius left the door open for saint Andrew to introduce the holy WEED , so now we going to be eating those GMO imported vegetables , food ect and smoking weed / or eat , drink and smoke weed ,(you guys are really creative ?
The Territory needs to develop sustainable agriculture. People cannot eat politics.
The United Nation’s agenda 21 to “Transform our World” is preaching $”sustainable development” and the most important of these is to eradicate poverty; this agenda stretched from last decade to this one with the target set for 2030. But by 2027 the goalpost will shift again by major crises is food shortage.Poor people need to start growing their own food again like long ago. Put your lands to agriculture, it is your hope for the future.