Vox Pop: How do residents feel about Premier’s arrest?
As the territory deals with the fallout of Premier Andrew Fahie’s arrest in the United States and the subsequent release of the Commission of Inquiry Report, Virgin Islanders have expressed general shock and embarrassment at the alleged actions of their political leader.
BVI News sought the views of some residents on the matter and all participants requested their names remain anonymous for safety purposes.
A 23-year-old Road Town resident said the arrest was quite unfortunate and it was embarrassing to see the Premier’s name associated with these sorts of activities.
“To see the BVI on CNN, NBC, BBC, Fox and all those big sites across the world in a negative light was embarrassing,” he stated.
A 54-year-old man from Long Look also told our news centre he was shocked, embarrassed, and disappointed while one 62-year-old female Baughers Bay resident said, “I am sad for the country but was not surprised”.
Over on the eastern end of Tortola, one 26-year-old resident said it was no better time than now for the Premier to be arrested. She was alluding to the timing of the arrest and the arrival of the COI Report.
But not all residents were eager to pass judgement on the disgraced Premier as one 55-year-old resident said she needed to hear his side of the story before coming to a conclusion.
Meanwhile, residents in the sister islands were were also stunned by the reports. A 65-year-old man from Anegada told BVI News he was at a loss for words regarding the nature of the arrest while a 50-year-old Virgin Gorda resident described the reported events as a “damn shame”.
Corruption and direct rule
As for the COI’s recommendation for the UK to impose direct rule over the territory for at leats two years, there have been mixed reviews about that matter.
On one hand, a crowd of residents were outrage enough to stage a protest outside of Government House where the governor residents.
On the other hand, there are those who’ve said they were not at all surprised that the COI Report suggested that corruption was deep-seated in the Virgin Islands government and public service.
A 23-year-old Road Town resident said it was not surprising since most people have seen the corruption first-hand. Another resident — 54-year-old from Long Look — also shared the same sentiments and said he believes changes are needed in the overall system.
One senior citizen from Baughers Bay told BVI News, “it was not surprising. It has been happening for a long time.”
Others have told our news centre they are hope the findings of the COI report honest while some said they believed the report “did not uncover everything” in relation to corruption.
One East End resident told BVI News she was “shocked and a bit scared of the outcome that will come out of it [the Report findings]”.
While BVI News’ sample size of respondents was too small to give an accurate representation of what the majority of the population feels and wants, it appears as though many have accepted that there is clear evidence of corruption or dishonesty in parts of government and the public service. And many just want to see this problems fixed.
It is yet to be decided how that will happen.
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We want to here from C.O S-C. What has he got to say. He usually in the press everyday.
hear- the thing u do with your ears
hair- the thing that grows out of your head
here- to be in a particular place
We really must do better, our education system is trash and I think that this is impacting the ability of our citizens to reason well and therefore select good leaders.
Hare?
The five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Let’s skip the denial stage and move towards acceptance. We will never move forward if we don’t accept what has happened. Fahie and other’s have set us back a generation or two. Let us calmly understand what has happened and agree to never let it happen again. God has given us this opportunity to focus on building a more sustainable tomorrow – one where our children’s education comes first; one where our infrastructure is improved, one where everyone is united in pursuing the common goal of excellence. We can do better. We must do better. We will do better.
I totally agree with you, but right now it is hard for me to get out of the anger stage.
Not surprised
How do we know you aren’t making up all these quotes since there are no names attached? Crappy journalism, BVI News. You can do better.
Nobody here wants their namin the news criticising the government because they will be a target. Stay quiet and let the English deal with them crooks.
Post your name!!
The procedure for direct UK rule has already been decided. The meetings with the civil service began yesterday afternoon and will continue for the next 2 years at least, maybe longer. As time progresses these meetings will shrink in participants and guests because of the suspensions, forced early retirements, criminal indictments or just plain redundancy; e.g. the HOA.
Please expedite legislation to allow no jury judge only trials with fresh off island independent judges and serve up a little Justice.
Better and fairer to send the accused somewhere else and have a jury trial there.
The propaganda machine is in full gear now.
The beast is up and running.
The gizzels are running and the roaring beast is in full stride.
B. Ridges, you were right, when you said sixty years ago, ” There is a monster across the water, and he is coming for these Islands.” You were so damn right!
How do I fell? Delighted. We knew he was a crook since 2003.
and to think all we were getting from the thousands of drug money was a turkey OR ham at the end of the year..
Not no “WE” cause many of us wasn’t hungry and beggy beggy like you and the others. Some of us work hard, buy our OWN turkey and ham to cook, instead of running for free food which many of you couldn’t resist
Major pharmacies are refusing to accept NHI payments. Presumably because they have not been paid. And this gang want to stay in charge? Who has been looting the NHI?
I never ask, but when they give me. I use to tek it and dash it wey, bc I don’t like deh ob*ah business and I suspected that long time.
If you all really want to know how people feel send a petition out to get signatures, just like the crooks did and you will see jokes, especially if persons do not have to put their names.
They should run a poll: what concerns you more about the COI report – all the evidence of decades of corruption, or the suggestion of suspending the constitution. I’d be very interested to know what concerns people the most.
We are all missing the big picture. The cocaine and money laundering bust is not news anymore. The COI recommendation is parallel to this development and has nothing to do with the arrests in Miami. The big picture is the alleged presence and activities of the “Hezbolla” – a US-UK labelled international terrorist group, which puts this BVI situation a totally different global perspective and sense of urgency the BVI being a UK Territory. This case involves the UK’s national security which is of paramount concern of the US & UK authorities. This is the bigger picture.
there’s more to go usa for sure is not hon. fahie more to go for sure
I have read some of the COI report and we can all agree there was some corruption at every level but what’s comical here is that we are marching against the people that are trying to fix it. Why didn’t we march against the corruption that we knew was going on. A takeover by the UK is not the answer but lets ask for help when its needed and embrace the help. We have a chance for a do over here so lets get it right!
Look to see who was leading the march
I keep wondering the same thing…why not march and protest against the ones in government who are cr○○ked
Every one needs to read the statement against Fahie and Maynards – it could a film script. The Premier met with the DEA undercover agent here in Tortola and a ‘stone’ house an hour’s drive away from the airport along a few weeks before he was arrested. He was in the passenger seat so that means his driver knows where this meeting took place and who was there. The Premier cut for this deal was going to be $7.8 million. Yes for $7.8 million he put himself in jail. Everything is on tape and supported by evidence. There is no way he or her is getting out of jail – not even for bail. His best bet is to turn witness and maybe he wont get life. But there are still people here would rather this man than an honest man – he and her is the devil work.
Yep – them march want to keep corruption in BVI. Want to keep the $ to themselves but is not good for BVI people.
The premier getting arrested is a blessing in disguise. He wasn’t no good for this place. The ones making the most noise is the same ones who been on the gravy train fearing it coming to a halt.