Claude O. Skelton-Cline snubbed? No invitation for opening of Pier Park!
Word reaching our newsroom is that the former Managing Director of the BVI Ports Authority, Claude O. Skelton-Cline, the officer whom the Minister for Communications and Works Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool (R4) credited with doing a great job in executing the project, has not been invited to the opening ceremony of the landside development.
Information reaching our newsroom is that he was not invited to the first scheduled opening date in December 2015 either.
It remains unclear whether this was just an oversight or a deliberate effort to keep him out.
When reports reached our newsroom about the alleged snubbing of Mr Skelton-Cline, we made contact with the former Ports Managing Director who confirmed he had not received an invitation to date. The call to Mr Skelton-Cline was made around 9:30am today, February 16, 2016.
Interestingly, just minutes earlier Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communication and Works Mr Anthony S. McMaster confirmed to our newsroom that the committee dealing with the issuing of invitations for the opening of the Tortola Pier Park had sent out an invitation to Mr Skelton-Cline.
“I just confirmed that an invitation did go to Mr Skelton-Cline so I am not sure why someone would say he did not receive one or anything like that. I just confirmed that an invitation did go and to our knowledge it has been received,” Mr McMaster told Virgin Islands News Online.
Dark cloud of alleged corruption
As the BVI Ports Authority Development Project corruption scandal reaches its peak with a whopping $82.9 Million price tag on a $45 Million project that was scaled back in the first place, two players at the centre of it all are the former Managing Director of the BVI Ports Authority Claude O. Skelton-Cline as well as the Minister for Communications and Works Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool (R4).
Mr Skelton-Cline, a Virgin Islander and Pastor who was living abroad, returned home around 2009-2010 to make his contribution to the territory. He lived and worked for many years in Detroit, Michigan. His last job before returning home was an Executive Assistant to former Detroit Mayor, Kwame M. Kilpatrick.
Mr Kilpatrick resigned in his second term as Detroit Mayor after being convicted on state felony counts, including perjury and obstruction of justice. If that was not enough, Mr Skelton-Cline’s former boss was also in 2013 convicted on 24 federal felony counts, including mail fraud, wire fraud and racketeering, and was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison.
Skelton-Cline taking legal action?
Mr Skelton-Cline contested the 2011 elections with the National Democratic Party (NDP) in the Second District. He lost to former legislator J. Alvin Christopher in a four way race. Mr Christopher earned 423 votes to Skelton-Cline’s 339.
Following his election defeat, Mr Skelton-Cline was hired on a close to $100,000 a year contract as a consultant with the Ministry of Communications and Works where he had special oversight of the NDP Administration’s plan to expand the cruise ship pier.
In 2013, he was appointed as Managing Director of the BVI Ports Authority on a three-year contract that ended last year December 2015. According to an NDP source, Mr Skelton-Cline requested a renewal before the June 8, 2015 general elections after the BVI Ports Authority (BVIPA) Board had already advanced an early recommendation for renewal.
However, he was reportedly told by Communications and Works Minister Hon Mark H. Vanterpool (R4) and other Cabinet Ministers to wait until after the 2015 elections and it would be taken care of.
To date his contract has not been renewed and he is now unemployed, even after his party, the NDP, won the elections in a landslide.
There are unconfirmed reports that the former Managing Director Skelton-Cline is contemplating legal action, if his contract renewal matter is not addressed to his satisfaction.
Efforts to reach Hon Vanterpool and Acting Managing Director Alfred 'Al' Henley for a comment were not successful as of time of publication.
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33 Responses to “Claude O. Skelton-Cline snubbed? No invitation for opening of Pier Park!”
More likely what happened (speculation on my part) is that the powers that be didn't want him there and intentionally left him off the list. In light of recent disclosures and remarks made by Minister Vanterpool regarding how pleased he was with Mr. Cline's "contribution" to the project, they realized that leaving him off the list would put the project and the key players under even greater public scrutiny.
In other words, they had no choice but to invite him in an ATTEMPT to demonstrate a united front while pretending that all is well, when it clearly isn't. His speech will prove interesting. I wonder who wrote it for him?
What country throws their own under the bus? BVI people and the f**st lady and her brother, but I hope they dug two more holes. M*W and f**st lady in one and Education Minister and Acting Director in one. Sick and tired of these uncle Toms and Ton Ton Thi***s.