Gov John S. Duncan leaves VI in a few days; A brief look back!
As an unelected senior civil servant reporting to the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) because of the colonial status of the Territory, Mr Duncan has more powers than elected officials, including the Premier of the VI, Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith (AL).
However, Mr Duncan will go down in history as one of the most controversial governors since the days of John Augustus Cockburn Cruikshank (1946–1954) who had helped to incite the March of 1949 because of oppressive decisions against the people and faced public demands that he be recalled and another Governor Walter Wilkinson Wallace (1974–1978), who caused riots in the streets when he commuted the sentence of a murderer who was a foreign national sentenced to death by hanging for killing a local lady of the soil.
Duncan went rogue last 2 years
In his first two years in office, the public was concerned about his close relationship with the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) and many labelled him as the sixth Minister as he was their chief spokesman and it seemed like they could have done nothing wrong despite complaints from the public, the media, civil society and the Opposition.
In the face of some three damning reports (The Auditor General, Public Accounts Committee & Huge E. Darley's - a former project manager) about alleged corruption, conflict of interest and no one looking out for the public purse on a multi-million dollar cruise pier project with an overrun of some $40M, Governor Duncan turned a blind eye and did not call for a commission of inquiry.
However, in his two last years, to gain back the public's trust, he went rogue. He fired off a series of letters to the Premier and Minister of Finance and copied to the FCO, and obtained by media houses, accusing the administration of reckless spending of tax payers monies and demanded a Freedom of Information Bill, along with more accountability and transparency.
In one of the letters, he warned Premier Smith that if the reckless spending and lack of accountability continued he would no longer be able to represent their wishes in a positive manner to the FCO.
In going rogue, Mr Duncan insulted the Smith Administration at a public function at Her Majesty’s Prison, chastising them like little children for not funding the police and said they preferred to fund external courts but not the local Magistrate or High Court. This was said in the presence of Dr Smith and another Minister, along with some elected Members of the NDP.
Direct rule; Duncan made history
Governor Duncan also stripped Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3) of the title of Opposition Leader following a Virgin Islands Party internal election that saw Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) becoming party Leader.
Recently, he sidelined Premier Smith again and was successful in having British nationals fill the post of Director of Public Prosecutions, Police Commissioner, Auditor General and Head of the local Prison Services, while claiming there were no locals qualified, another insult to the government and people of the VI.
The crowning of the cake came when Governor Duncan used his power under Sec 103 (b) of the VI constitution to impose direct rule on the Territory, stripping the Minister of Finance Dr Smith and the House of Assembly of their powers to determine how monies are spent.
This was a history making move as it never happened before in the British Overseas Territory of the VI, according to former Deputy Governor Elton Georges OBE.
He ordered some $1.88M from the government coffers to fund the police as crime escalated, with a murder a month, and to fund the courts among other things. With this move, the public in general supported him and at least for the moment he is back in the good graces of residents.
Bye Bye tour
The Governor visited Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost van Dyke from June 20 – 23, 2017 as part of his official farewell. He was accompanied by his wife Mrs Duncan for the Virgin Gorda and Jost van Dyke visits, according to a Government Information Services (GIS) statement.
In Virgin Gorda, he met with the principal, teachers and students of the Bregado Flax Educational Centre – Primary Division, the Robinson O’Neal Memorial Primary School and the Ciboney School for Excellence.
The Governor also called on the Virgin Gorda seniors, and visited Yacht Harbour and Leverick Bay. He met public officers at the Virgin Gorda Administration Complex and thanked them for their hard work during his tenure. Mr Duncan also hosted a meet and mix at Hog Heaven restaurant that included residents from the Valley and North Sound on Virgin Gorda.
On Jost van Dyke, Governor Duncan attended the graduation for the Jost van Dyke School and addressed the students, parents and staff. He visited the Administration Building, the Public Works Department facilities, the Solid Waste facility and Foxy’s Taboo at East End, according to Government.
The Governor toured renovations at the Fisherman’s Wharf, and visited the Emile Dunlop Community Centre on Anegada. He attended the opening ceremony of the new visitor facilities at the Anegada Rock Iguana Headstart Facility and toured the clinic and the Government Complex, the press release stated.
Governor Duncan took office on August 15, 2014 and is the 12th non-elected Governor of the VI. He will be replaced by Augustus ‘Gus’ Jaspert, another British National.
22 Responses to “Gov John S. Duncan leaves VI in a few days; A brief look back!”
When someone get locked up, what is that going to do for you, what is that going to do for the reputation of our country? Let me tell you who should get locked up. The Governor should be the first to get locked up because he represents the queen and the Monarchy has not paid repatriation to the thousands of African it enslaved against their will.