UK OT Minister’s visit took BVI officials surprise?
There are reports that many top ranking BVI officials did not know that UK Minister for the Overseas Territories (OTs), David Rutley would arrive in the territory this week.
“My understanding is that persons had to cancel pre-arranged appointments in order to [attend] some impromptu meetings. It is disrespectful to this territory that you think we should just shift everything to accommodate you,” said Damion Grange, host of the Talking Points radio show.
It is unclear whether his statement includes the Premier and other elected leaders as well as civil servants who are leading the COI implementation process.
The government will be meeting with Rutley to give him an update on the implementation of the COI reforms and tell him how they plan to prevent the UK from invoking additional powers over the BVI.
This was Rutley’s promise in a release from the Governor’s Office when he landed in the territory on February 4: “The UK will provide further technical assistance if required. However, if there continues to be a lack of progress, we will not hesitate to take further action to help deliver the much-needed reforms.”
In the meantime, the Talking Points hosts agreed that it would have been more diplomatic if the territory were provided with due notice of Minister Rutley’s visit, as well as an agenda outlining the actions he is set to take while here.
“We shouldn’t have to speculate, we should have a full agenda — who he’s meeting with, the outline of his visit; and this should be done in advance and not on the day of or the day after his arrival,” host Elvin Grant said.
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What about the Premier deliberate absence when the Governor left the territory?
UK officials have the right to visit anytime . This is the UK territory not an independent state
You cannot tell parents when or when not to visit a house they allow you to live in . I am sure the now Governor knew he was coming .
Please !!
Planning ahead, what a concept. Courtesy, what a concept. Doing what we promise to do in the timelines we said we would, what a concept! 😉
Such a two-faced set of talking heads! Demanding that our elected leaders be respected when in turn they do nothing worthy of any such respect.
Truly unbelievable, and another reason why we are totally lost as a Country.
I know for certain that Elvin has been brought up better than that!
This is exactly what the government do to us. It’s a taste of their own medicine. Every time there is a community meeting or a meeting with stakeholders it’s done on short notice with no consideration for us.
I bet Rutley started his meetings on time instead making them wait for hours for him to actually show up though!
We need full details for ourselves to evaluate what is happening behind the scenes between an incompetent Premier, Cabinet and HOA and the threat which the UK has over our heads.
D. Grange go sit down plz. Who ask for your opinion?
Maybe the OT minister has been briefed on all the drug smuggling going through the BVI. its high time to clean up the place. shooting , robberies we are not Natures Little Secret anymore.
Governor ! please restore law and order. if current police Force is not up to the task, then fire the unwilling officers and bring in UK Police.
for law abiding citizens its not a great place anymore. For the Crooks its great, no consequences.
The sooner these bunch of crooks get shut down the better. Useless and incompetent.
Surprise inspection is disrespectful?
Next we’re going to say that Pop Quizzes are disrespectful to school children?
At the new Governor’s swearing in ceremony, the PREMIER said he was looking forward to the U.K. Minister’s visit to the Territory. DID you listen to his remarks AT ALL? He said NOTHING about being surprised or unprepared. In fact, he wanted a face to face audience with the UK Minister to discuss Rankin’s additional powers.
Why do you make up the news or based it on gossip rather than getting the true, Mr. Grange? You are doing a real disservice in our ADOPTED country if all you do a spread office gossip.
This entire article is absurd.
We heard in the press that he was coming for times
Only traitors and edomites want the UK to suspend our constitution and return to colonialism.
it was reported by one of the online media houses a few weeks ago he was coming and people were speculating he was going to suspemnd the constitution. This current administration takes us for fools
This news article would have been significantly more effective if it specified the level of Government Officials who were not informed. It also appears that the problem is the lack of communication in the Government and the writer is trying to slant the news to suit an agenda. Which is better known as Fake News.