Stop complaining, give us credit, BVI has come far with recovery
Minister with responsibility for agriculture, Dr Kedrick Pickering gestures to his Permanent Secretary, Ronald Smith-Berkeley. (Photo Credit: BVI News)
Deputy Premier Dr Kedrick Pickering has said local legislators deserve some credit for the work they facilitated, so far, to help haul the British Virgin Islands out of hurricane devastation.
He made the remark recently while responding to widespread claims from residents and even legislators that the pace of recovery has been underwhelmingly slow.
“We’re here killing ourselves instead of being thankful for how far this country has come and the blessings that God continues to bestow on this country. If we don’t be careful, another plague is going to hit us because we ain’t no different from the children of Israel. We had a problem, we were given a reprieve, and there is a solution that we can move forward and all we are doing is complaining,” Dr Pickering said.
“This country has come a tremendously long way in a year’s time. We must give ourselves credit where credit is due. It’s almost sinful for us to be thinking that we could have [fully] fixed this country back in a year’s time. I’ve been to many of these international meetings and I’m told that Hurricane Irma is a one-in-2,000 years type storm. Hurricane Harvey was a one-in-500 years storm. A one-in-2,000 years means that it’s going to take another 2,000 before the world sees a storm like Hurricane Irma,” he added while noting that a number of persons in the international community are impressed with the BVI’s recovery progress after a year.
The government legislator went on to note all the funds that government released to facilitate the initial phase of recovery.
Those he listed include $15 million towards housing recovery and another $5 million to bolster security and the local magistracy after the hurricanes.
Dr Pickering, who is the minister responsible for natural resources, even noted the capital that was used to help restore the now-booming marine sector.
“The little money that had been allocated to our ministry; we spent literally all of it cleaning up the marine sector. The Junior Minister of Tourism pointed out that the marine sector was probably the hardest hit. Eighty to 90 percent of all boats in the BVI were damaged or destroyed and I am told now by all yachting companies that they are expecting bumper season. Why? Because we’ve done something to help clean up the marine environment.”
“We need to count our blessings … The country is being restored. It isn’t as fast as we’d like it to be but all of us know that it was going to take five to seven years,” Dr Pickering said.
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At the poles. We will let you and your party know if we’re satisfy with what have not been done since Irma. Sometimes the things that we have not done. Is more damaging than what we have done.
Good luck with those poles.
@LOL, I see what you did there.
We all know the blogger Hodgie meant “poll”. Thanks for the smile though.
nope we want you guys out
“Clean up the marine environment “ ??? A broken down sewage treatment plant therefore pumping raw sewage into the sea.
You pooping on our turtles?
Ummmm, I am not sure even how one responds this. I can imagine the silence in the room as the reporters look at each other digesting what has just been said and the total lack of substance.
Let’s list the wonderful things the government has done since Irma…as I am struggling perhaps you can list them below in the replies because I cannot think of a single thing that these politicians have done. The only work done is through the blood sweat and tears of BVIslanders and residents, businesses, NGOs and government workers. These crooks been too busy scrambling for power and the crown to care about doing their damned jobs. There has been no putting aside of party politics for the good of the people. Vote the whole lot of them out please, every last one. VIP and NDP have failed time and time again. We need new independent leaders, people with vision and public service at their heart.
Don’t lump VIP in your NDP Government mess and lack of productivity.
They pooped on you.
They passed the Consumer Protection Bill
Rebuilt the high school
Insured all the government buildings
Fixed the sewage problem
Oh wait…that was just the dream I had last night.
Forgive me. I haven’t had my morning coffee yet.
I will need more time to work on the actual list.
LOLOLLOLOL They promised to fix the mess the VIP got the country into 8 years ago and they promass to take the country forward, LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLLLLLOOOL Ok Ok Seriously They made a down payment on a couple of planes and build wooden buildings on $5 million dollars in piles, to ensure we have the strongest foundations in the caribbean. They setup a testing facility to see how asphalt will hold up on dirt. They almost got it right, just another 50 million for the right formula, LOLOLOLOLOLOL. Ok Ok Seriously Man, Give them credit man for recking the country, I got a building that need taken down, Maybe I should call them in on this to.
Undoubtedly, the BVI and residents are blessed and have much to be thankful for post Irmaria; things could worse. Hurricanes Irmaria ravaged the BVI in September 2017, causing approximately $3, 600, 000, 000.00 in damages; the damages included housing, medical facilities, fire stations, police stations, infrastructure (roads, electrical grid, water system, water water system, telecommunications, ports), schools, government facilities, economy, jobs/employment, environmental resources, recreation facilities, tourist attractions……..etc. Additionally, the ravaging monster storms dramatically changed lives and changed circumstances. Moreover, the BVI is in recovery mode.
However, the BVI seems to be lagging in its recovery effort relative to the recovery effort in storm-impacted sister regional countries, ie, French and Dutch territories……etc. The VI is dragging up the rear. No, residents are not complaining but venting their concerns/frustrations about the slow recovery process that is severely impacting their lives. Why is the recovery effort moving at a snail’s pace?
Is the UK mucking up the recovery process by demanding an RDA, an alternative government, be initiated before it will co-sign for approximately £300M ($400M) loans? Did the BVI financial management performance invited this lack of confidence and trust and close up oversight? Is the current government fragmentation and dysfunction slowing the much needed investment and recovery? Should the BVI look at alternative funding options?
Anyway, instead of flinging corn, government/ministers should stop dissing the electorate and get to work. It needs to put up and shut up. Let concrete progress do the talking. The BVI needs action, not empty words and platitudes. Don’t p…s on us and tell us it is raining.
I will mention two words.THE ROADS
Hear this lazy, do nothing, rich white friends loving man. If Dr. Pickering had any decency he would just not again. After 20 years as the rep for district 7 he has nothing to show.
Stop the arrogance. The performance bleeds elitism. Some people lacking the resources are still struggling to get their roofs back on their homes. Many didn’t or don’t have the resources to get their home fully repaired weeks after the storm hit. Politicians need to stop throwing shades and start doing what they elected to do. Time is up for all the excuses and attitude. If they are under performing, the electorate will be wetting dem hands and waiting fuh dem at the polls on Election Day. You heard!
Please Dr.Pickering stop talking. Most of the BVI electorate knows your incompetent. Every time you open you mouth you remove all doubt of your incompetence.
Go take a back seat in London’s jail. It’s because of your reckless spending on a beach for sheep, is why we at this financial cross road. We want back our money so that we can continue to live comfortably;(
The Government has done a tremendous job considering the level of disaster, lack of money, and the negative response from the UK.
The island man has been called upon again to help rebuild this country. Like the government, they are not respected or treated fairly. None of us were prepared or had the capacity to respond to this magnitude of destruction. We will need each other going forward. No political party, politician, or agency can restore this country alone. Don’t be fooled into believing that anyone of them is going to be your savior. with the spirit of God, it will take time and leaders that can unite us. May God save us all from ourselves.
Sadly, self praise is no praise, this man needs to wake up to reality. Even Baron Tariq Amhad the UK minister for the Overseas Territories commented on his dissatisfaction about the total lack of progress.