ZBVI 780am 'Honestly Speaking' radio host and man of the cloth, Mr Claude O. Skelton-Cline has accused Virgin Islanders of having a 'crab in the barrel' mentality with regards to always seeking failure from each other and exhibiting an oppressive mindset. Photo: Facebook

'It is in the best interest of every virgin islander... If you live in these Virgin Islands it is incumbent that you do everything in your power to endure that the Premier [Andrew A. Fahie (R1)] and his government is successful,' Mr Claude O. Skelton-Cline said. Photo: GIS/File

Oppressive legacy

"We often accuse each other of tearing each other down, of having a crabs in a barrel mentality," Skelton-Cline lashed out on the Tuesday, October 1, 2019, episode of his radio show.

Speaking directly to the territory's population of Black slave descendants, he said, "Part of our legacy, persons who are part of the African diaspora, whose ancestors have been enslaved, and often times that oppressive mindset gets the best of us and we don't like to see each other move ahead and move forward."

Describing the behaviour as a mental ailment, he pointed to that mentality as a 'sickness and disease', while calling for its complete rejection from the culture of African people.

"I want to encourage you to begin to be very cognizant that you don't participate in conversations where you're tearing someone else down," Skelton-Cline implored his listening audience.

If the government fails, he said, the territory fails as a collective, noting that there are still persons in the Virgin Islands community who want to see the government fail.

No room for failure - Skelton-Cline 

"Brothers and sisters, we don't have the luxury of being a failed country, a failed state, a failed territory," Skelton-Cline added, pointing out that the February 25, 2019, elections day has already passed and the majority population elected the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) to power.

"It is in the best interest of every Virgin Islander... If you live in these Virgin Islands it is incumbent that you do everything in your power to ensure that the Premier [Andrew A. Fahie (R1)] and his government are successful."

Skelton-Cline also underscored that while party affiliation can be maintained, special interest should be placed in ensuring the government of the day finds success.

"It really disturbs me when I hear some side's conversation... as the leader of this country, if he [Hon Fahie] fails, it is not his personal failure, it will be the failure of our country and generations".