Hon Walwyn blames wrong information given by Premier Smith on his $1M ‘Wall’
Million dollar wall was needed
However, to justify this reckless spending on a wall, the Minister ran to his favourite radio station claiming that the Premier provided inaccurate information to the Public via the House of Assembly (HoA) as his Ministry’s records show a different figure for the ESHS wall- costing only “nine hundred and fourteen thousand dollars.”
Mr Walwyn, the second term Minister for Education and Culture, told the local radio station that the over million figure provided by the Minister of Finance was for other works done beside the wall and even works on Virgin Gorda.
The Minister has therefore contradicted the Minister of Finance’s figures when Premier Smith responded to a question posed by Senior Opposition Member Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) in the HoA to Premier Smith on spending via advance warrant not approved by Parliament.
The Minister also claimed that he built the costly wall as the previous Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Administration could not get it done. Minister Walwyn claimed that the objective of the costly wall was for the safety of students and teachers, as the previous fence was “porous” allowing for knives and drugs to get onto the school compound.
Wall a waste of $$$$- Students
However, many of the students of the ESHS we spoke to this morning for this article reported that nothing has changed and knives and drugs can still easily get onto the school compound even after the million dollar wall. In fact, they have reported that fights on campus after the wall have gone up and just last school term a number of male students were expelled for fighting and smoking among other infractions.
MF: ‘Figure could be higher’
A Ministry of Finance official, who our newsroom spoke to but was reluctant to comment even off the record, said “that’s politics and we stay clear of that, but I will tell you the figures came off the JD Edwards system and they are correct, as in fact they might be higher as sometimes when the questions are asked all the bills are not in as yet on a particular project.”
According to the answer provided by the Minister of Finance on February 4, 2016 and the notes on the figures, $828,000.00 and $250,000.00 was spent in 2015 just before election for a Perimeter Fence for the ESHS.
Who is lying to the people?
This is the second time this week that Premier Smith has been accused of giving the public wrong information in answers to questions.
Last week, the Premier told the public that the BVI Airports Authority (BVIAA) was taking legal action against the government propped up BVI Airways to recover the $112,000.00 owed. However, days later the BVIAA released a statement saying the Premier was misinforming the public, as no legal action was pending or will be taken.
Now, in less than 24 hours, Premier Smith’s own Minister for Education Walwyn is claiming that his boss Dr Smith has provided false information as the Ministry of Education figures are different.
The VIP Opposition, the media, civil servants and others have long contended that they cannot trust the accuracy of answers to questions by NDP Government Ministers, as they are often not accurate, or a mixture of half-truths and outright lies.
.png)
.png)
.png)
Follow Us On
68 Responses to “Hon Walwyn blames wrong information given by Premier Smith on his $1M ‘Wall’”
In pot guts old men, who seduce our people with lies.
And if you praise, the wrongs men do.
Well then you is, a devil too!
Pay de devil! ball headed ! Pay de devil! tall man
As the Minister of Education he should think, before speding the people money!!!.
Thanks
You all have to stop thieving and trying to cover up spending the people of the bvi know what is going on/ and this will take a big stand against you all don"t say that you all did not get a warning people are hungry and tired of you all and you all covering up sh*t
if you vote NDP and here bloging, then you must be dumb and chupid ...
wtf ...
is the NDP yuh vote for ....
the NDP ....
this is what you wanted ....
this is what you get...
If you wanted "accountable ministers" , you should freaking vote for the VIP all the way
In the first place Myron should not have been allow to be in the political arena, He is showing his true colours and the type of character he possessed.
So you telling me that these weapons cant be thrown over the wall? Bull S$$t.