Hon Skelton blasts Gov’t for 'treatment' of Claude O. Skelton Cline
Making his presentation to the Budget Debate at the Seventh Sitting of the First Session of the Third House of Assembly (HoA) on March 31, 2016, Hon Skelton said based on his experience as General Manager at one point in time where he was involved in multi-million dollar projects, Mr Skelton-Cline did a wonderful job and “we need to give him the credit that he needs.”
Referring to the Tortola Pier Park as one of the flagship projects of Government, Hon Skelton said the project was completed “in about 12, 18 months” and that it was well done.
“There is a young man who did this…whose contract came to an end and it seem to me like we all misunderstanding the job that guy did, Claude Skelton Cline. He should have been somebody else I would have been here doing more but because he is my nephew I have this reservation, but like we scared to say the guy did a good job.”
Mr Skelton-Cline recently filed legal papers to sue the Government of the Virgin Islands. He is seeking Leave for a Judicial Review (JD) on his non-renewal of contract as Managing Director (MD) of the BVI Ports Authority.
The former MD, who had his first day in court on March 15, 2016, had his Attorneys amend the case file from just ‘versus the Attorney General’ to having each of the five Ministers of Government, as well as the Governor and Attorney General, be party to the lawsuit.
It is our newsroom’s understanding that all Ministers of Government, along with the Governor John S. Duncan OBE have been served with the legal papers.
Treatment of Skelton-Cline 'disrespectful'
Saying that he was not going to speak about the court case, Hon Skelton said he considers himself a fair person and he does not believe in going out of his way to do malice to people. “That is wrong. You could hate me but if there is something I could do for you I will do it, that is me, I got that from my mother. I can get angry and tell you what’s on my mind but next two, three, five minutes you and I could still live…”
“But when you going to sit in front of me and tell me you don’t have to give me any reason why I must make a decision, collective responsibility, to do what I am doing, I find that a little disrespectful, makes me feel like a little slave, and I think slavery was abolished but seems like it is not,” Hon Skelton continued.
‘Do the investigation’
The Health and Social Development Minister, who was the second to last member of the House of Assembly (HoA) to make his contribution to the Budget Debate, reiterated that Mr Skelton-Cline did “a wonderful job” and that he didn’t know Skelton-Cline had all of that skills in him.
“But I am sure, Madam Speaker, any project you do there are mis-steps, errors and such, let’s do what we have to do. Do the investigation. Let us find out what the mistakes are so that the next project those mistakes wouldn’t happen. And if there is wrongdoing, I don’t condone wrongdoing, I will not, but let us give the guy the credit for a wonderful job,” Hon Skelton concluded.
There have long been calls for a Commission of Inquiry into the Ports Development Project and more so with the revelations in January 2016 that the total estimated completion cost for the Cruise Pier Development and Tortola Pier Park project is $82.9 million, a more than $40M overrun.
Background
Mr Skelton-Cline contested the 2011 general elections with the National Democratic Party in District Two. He lost to former legislator J. Alvin Christopher in a four-way race. Mr Christopher received 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 over-sight of the NDP Administration’s plan to expand the cruise ship pier.
In 2013 he was appointed Managing Director of the BVI Ports Authority on a three-year contract that ended last year December 2015. According to an NDP source, he requested a renewal before the June 8, 2015 general elections after the BVIPA Board had already advanced an early recommendation for such a renewal.
However, he was reportedly told by Communications and Works Minister Hon Mark H. Vanterpool (R4) and reportedly other Cabinet Ministers to wait until after the 2015 elections.
To date, his contract has not been renewed and he is now unemployed, even after his NDP party won the elections in a landslide.
Recently, the subject Minister Vanterpool said Mr Skelton-Cline has done a good job in executing the Tortola Pier Project but “his assignment is over…time to move on.”
It was also reported and confirmed by Skelton-Cline, although denied by Government, that Mr Skelton-Cline was not invited to the opening of the Tortola Pier Park on February 16, 2016. Information reaching our newsroom is that he was not invited to the first scheduled opening date in December 2015 either.
While Government Officials, High Court Registry, Hunte & Co, and Mr Skelton-Cline are tight lipped on the legal details, it sets up another battle between Government and a private citizen.
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