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“Nothing in life is free” – Fahie hits back at Walwyn

“Nothing in life is free” – Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) hits back at Hon Myron V. Walwyn (AL). Photo: VINO/File
According to the Opposition Leader, as directed by Cabinet, interim reports were brought to Cabinet for review. Photo: VINO/File
According to the Opposition Leader, as directed by Cabinet, interim reports were brought to Cabinet for review. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – The Government of the Virgin Islands’ (VI) push to have a Medical School come to fruition in the Territory is brewing a war of words and, as put by Opposition Leader Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1), is now being used as “distraction tactics.”

“The cream doesn’t need to push anything down to the bottom in order for it to rise to the top”, he said.

“It takes its rightful position naturally…The Minister of Education will one day learn this lesson,” Hon Fahie said in response to the controversial Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn.

National Democratic Party (NDP) Chairman and Minister for Education, Honourable Myron V. Walwyn recently accused the then Minister for Education and Culture, Hon Fahie, of spending  $600,000 in pursuit of a medical school that was never constructed and had called on the Opposition Leader to account for the funds.

USAT

Under the leadership of Hon Walwyn, it was recently announced that the Medical School will finally become operable in 2019—without a penny of tax payers’ money being spent.  

“We were able to get the University of Science, Arts and Technology (USAT), along with other institutions to apply for licenses to operate medical schools in our territory and we will get more...And we did all of this without one penny of the public’s money being spent,” Hon Walwyn announced recently.

As such, he questioned, “how is it that Hon Fahie would have spent $600,000 on one report and absolutely no results…That has to be explained…I am calling upon Hon Fahie with his new found love for transparency and accountability to tell the people what happened with that $600,000 that he spent on that medical study. It is outrageous, and it cannot go simply like this.”

Nothing Free

Hon Fahie today, September 6, 2018, in a public statement, contends however,  that Hon Walwyn, “…is at it again, employing distraction tactics in the middle of launching the licensing of a medical school in the Territory.”

Hon Fahie blasted the Education Minister’s claim of having done the entire initiative for free, calling it suspect because, “truth be told, nothing in life is for free.”

Seeking to set the record straight, Hon Fahie said that during his tenure as Minister of Education, the medical school consultancy was commissioned, as dictated by common sense. 

Every VI citizen, he said “inspires for a dream home…A dream home cannot and must not be constructed without detailed plans.” Those plans according to the Opposition Leader, is what will set the direction for proper construction of the home. 

“Without them you must falter and so will the medical school initiative if a master plan had not been developed.”

He said the pursuit of the Medical Schoo,l under his tenure, included competitive bidding and the submittals were received and reviewed. 

The consultancy contract was awarded in the amount of just over $500,000 following established financial procedures followed by the government technocrats and Cabinet, he said.

Known All Along

According to the Opposition Leader, as directed by Cabinet, interim reports were brought to Cabinet for review.

He disclosed however, as a result of the outcome the elections of 2011, the Ministry would have been charged with charting the way forward with the matter. 

“The payment history is lodged at the ministry…The preliminary and other reports are lodged at the Ministry and at Cabinet… The Permanent Secretary and other public officials are fully aware of the details of this consultancy,” Fahie insists.

He was adamant, “Minister (Walwyn) is in possession of all the details and it is quite curious that eight years later that this topic will now be raised ahead of the Elmore Stoutt High School $1.6 million wall; ahead of a $7.2 million-dollar plane that will never fly; ahead of the $8 million for the East End/Long Look sewerage project funds that were illegally transferred to the Cruise Pier Park Project; ahead of the over spending of $40 million dollars on the Cruise Pier Park Project.”

In 2010, during the rule of the government by the Virgin Islands Party (VIP), Hon Fahie who was the Education Minister had announced that Government had signed a contract for $551,922.00 with Effect Incorporated.

The company which was out of Virginia, United States of America, was to determine the feasibiliyt of establishing a Medical School in the Territory.

18 Responses to ““Nothing in life is free” – Fahie hits back at Walwyn”

  • WOWW (06/09/2018, 11:06) Like (9) Dislike (15) Reply
    Fahie you right!!
    • No he is not right (07/09/2018, 07:30) Like (15) Dislike (3) Reply
      This love to hate Myron is getting stale now. Andrew is not ready for the premier seat.
  • Music (06/09/2018, 12:33) Like (20) Dislike (7) Reply
    But he still hasnt disclosed whether they recommended that medical school would be invited to come. His statement does not say what we got for the $600k.
  • Me (06/09/2018, 12:34) Like (18) Dislike (3) Reply
    This tit for tat between these two is becoming annoying! Let us all behave as grown people sheesh, not amateurs. Put country and its people first and stop the back biting. So we getting a medical school, hurray and nothing was spent according to the Minister, hurray! Let's move on and bring it to fruition. It's now a year after Hurricane Irma and this territory still has ways to go. Peace my brothers!
  • qc (06/09/2018, 13:01) Like (47) Dislike (27) Reply
    funny man is fake news
  • hey (06/09/2018, 13:36) Like (93) Dislike (204) Reply
    Thumbs up if you want Andrew Fahie be the next premier.

    Thumbs down if you want Myron walwyn be the next premier.
  • Outlaw (06/09/2018, 16:55) Like (23) Dislike (19) Reply
    In my opinion, I really don’t think Fahie should respond to this latest criticism. Myron as a lawyer, as he claim he is should know better. He said that they we able to get USAT and other institutions to apply for licenses to operate medical schools in the territory without costing the government one penny. Now my question to walwyn is. If you get them to apply for license to come here and do business, why must it cost tax payers and money? Are you in the habit of paying people to come here to do business? Well if that is the case we will like to know how many people you paid to come here to do business and what the cost was. On the other hand, the talk of a medical school came up under theVIP rule, wasn’t it feasible to do a study to determine what impact a medical school will have on the territory? Now we are hearing much talk about airport expansion, tell us Myron how many studies has been done thus far and the cost. Stop try to score cheat political points with these old story, we surely will not buy them this time around. Tell us about the CDB loan that you guys keep fooling people about when you all fully well know they you guys cannot touch the CDB money, it have to go under the recovery and development agency because of the Agreement you all sign with the UK.
  • One year after (06/09/2018, 17:02) Like (8) Dislike (2) Reply
    Let there be peace in this place neh man tit for tat nonsense
  • Jim (06/09/2018, 17:40) Like (129) Dislike (228) Reply
    If this education minister becomes premier he will be worse Han Trump. We want indigenous Virginislanders to run the affairs of this country. He has already made his statement that Virginislanders cannot have first preference in their own country. Watch his move. He must stop fooling the youth of this country.
  • HMMM (06/09/2018, 22:51) Like (86) Dislike (58) Reply
    Myron has divided the NDP and this country forever with his evil minded, self centered conduct
    • @strupes (07/09/2018, 17:47) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
      Myron is not responsible for S;;T!!!!!!!.You people is.responsible for destroying your own Country and dividing people. Look at the way you guys treat people that is not from here. Always with the bull!=it about I born here so I should be placed on a pederstole of entitlement.
      • Ajic (12/09/2018, 15:19) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        Why is it that every other country citizens are entitled to rights and privilege of belonging to that country...except here in the BVI. Why shouldn't BVIslanders expect the same rights and privileges of belonging to their country. I AM SICK OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT FROM HERE AND ONLY SEE HERE AS A CASH COW TELLING ME I SHOULD NOT EXPECT SPECIAL PRIVILEGE OF BELONGING TO MY COUNTRY!
  • guy hill (07/09/2018, 02:52) Like (17) Dislike (2) Reply
    The enemy would not be attacking you if something very valuable was not inside you. A thief does not break into an empty house.
  • Mr.XXX (07/09/2018, 07:47) Like (64) Dislike (74) Reply
    @Strupes, Myron didnot divide anyone or Country. You all did it to yourselves. At least Myron is on his grind doing what has to do. MYRON IS THE HARDEST WORKING MAN IN POLITICS and you all fail to see this. Tell me, who else is QUALIFIED for the premier seat when Doc step down. Honestly, Andrew is a good person but he is not ready to be premier just yet.
    • To Mr. XXX (07/09/2018, 11:34) Like (231) Dislike (119) Reply
      You obviously speaking without facts. How do you accurately measure which politician is the hardest working? That's an irresponsible statement. Myron is for Myron. He will destroy anything and anyone to get what he wants. He's not Premier quality. Fahie has proven to be a steady head and a wise head. The majority of people will vote to ensure that Fahie is the next Premier despite the ongoing efforts by Myron to always try to tarnish him as well as anyone else who Myron feels is a threat to his quest for the Premiership.
  • Measure This (07/09/2018, 13:58) Like (12) Dislike (6) Reply
    I agree with Mr.XXX. people also believe that the Government is suppose to supply their every need. If they run out of bath soap, they feel that the Government should supply them with bath soap, People here feels like they are entitled.
  • Former NDP Supporter (07/09/2018, 18:28) Like (5) Dislike (2) Reply
    I worked with both Myron and Fahie. They are both "go getters". However Fahie works within the rules and the budget. Myron does all kinds of things outside the office with no supervision nor authorization and then come to the office and informs the technocrats and force them to do things against their will and contrary to the rules especially the financial rules. I will take Fahie as Premier over Myron every and any day. All Myron is doing here is trying to create doubt in the people's mind about Fahie but it will not work. The majority of us knows better.


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