Sam Henry maintains Claude Skelton-Cline should be fired!
“The Government of the Virgin Islands is currently in negotiations with Norwegian Cruise Lines and Disney Cruise Lines to finalise berthing agreements for the two companies. As it relates to what is being said about Carnival Cruise Line, let me state for clarity’s sake that I, Claude Skelton-Cline, did not turn back Carnival. No such powers are granted for any individual acting in the post of Managing Director,” Mr Skelton-Cline stated in the letter sent out to media houses late yesterday, October 18, 2013.
Reports reaching Virgin Islands News Online were that Carnival Cruise Line had cancelled all port calls to the Virgin Islands for the latter part of 2014 and beyond since the BVI Ports Authority (BVIPA) was unable to furnish it with confirmation for bookings.
Asked for a response to Mr Skelton-Cline’s statement, Mr Henry said he didn’t wish to make any comment as he didn’t wish for a back and forth with Mr Skelton-Cline but noted that he said publicly that the Managing Director should be fired and that he maintains that position.
Mr Henry had first called for Skelton-Cline’s head to roll during meeting on October 17, 2013 at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park where Minister for Communications and Works Hon. Mark H. Vanterpool met with taxi and livery operators.
“I’m going to make a statement and I’m being real calm with it and please don’t take it personal. The Ports Director, Mr Claude Skelton-Cline, needs to be fired,” the talk show host and taxi driver stated to loud applause and cheers from those in attendance.
He had also argued that if the person(s) who drew the previous plan for the cruise development project remained in consultation with government in trying to move the cruise pier development forward, then they too needed to be fired as well.
But according to Mr Skelton-Cline, under the new procurement process the cruise pier project is now being guided by the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works who is responsible for the subject and all capital projects and has been leading the charge in negotiations with Norwegian and Disney.
“The Honourable Minister has also been working alongside the BVI Ports Authority to ensure all parties involved are fully informed. It is only after negotiations are completed, and a deal is finalised that the BVIPA can then move towards the actual cruise pier and landside development,” Mr Skelton-Cline stated.
He further stated that although the BVI Ports Authority is responsible for the relevant infrastructure to support the cruise industry, it is not the final arbiter.
“The BVI Ports Authority continues to work with the Ministry of Communications and Works and Government of the Virgin Islands to ensure that the BVI will benefit from modernised cruise facilities that are sustainable and add to the economic development of this Territory.
Meanwhile, another talk show host, Natalio ‘Sowande Uhuru’ Wheatley said he felt certain decisions regarding Carnival Cruise Line would have been above Mr Skelton-Cline and that the responsibility and blame for the cancellations ought to be shared by the Minister for Communications and Works, Hon. Mark H. Vanterpool and Premier Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith.
Efforts were also made to draw a comment from Opposition Members Hon. Julian Fraser RA who could not be reached and Hon. Andrew A. Fahie, who said he had not seen the statement as yet.
Attempts to reach Minister Vanterpool, Mr Skelton-Cline and Chairman of the BVI Ports Authority, Mr Ed deCastro were not successful.
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45 Responses to “Sam Henry maintains Claude Skelton-Cline should be fired!”
tis letter is just cover Your @$$ tactics.
Well M...n full speed ahead on all cylinders. He look like he out to kill the poor teachers. Every minute tis something new..;;he want to implement everything in one year....when ya don't have a clue about education this is what happens;
Now back to the topic. Why send a novice to the table to negotiate? Carnival uses this MO all the time. They'll be back. You'll see.
Let's put Sam as Director of Ports and Sowande as Deputy. Let's give them a few months to come up with a deal that benefits everybody. What do you guys think the result would be? It's easy to sit on the sidelines and talk $h!t all day. With that said, Claude needs to be reassigned to a post that he's duly qualified to hold. Putting Henley as his Deputy is even more assinine as they both together don't have any experience in Ports. Henley would've been better served as a member of the Tourist Board, if they insist on putting him somewhere. When these guys go to the table with the big guns with ZERO experience in Ports or negotiating such deals, how do you think that makes the BVI look? That's why we are where we are now. Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dumb, no a clue but ranting and raving all the way home. This is the result of our 'LOCALS ONLY' policy coming back to bite us in our black @$$3$. We all should take that! The moral is that we should get qualified people who can act in the best interest of our country. If we don't have locals in that capacity then we should source them not just drop a local in and pray the rosary hoping for the best.
I will thank Sam for standing up to the Big Bad Wolf the small mad does not have a voice in this country.
We all have the same question, why go after a cruise line with a couple ships and turn away from a company who has over 20 ships. this is a no brainer! It's not just the ports we feel like we are being disadvantaged at every turn. We feel like it's not about what is good for the BVI and it's people but rather a selected few. When this government is ready the only thing that matters is Educations, when they re good and ready education or experience means nothing!
Look at the condition of our roads
Look at our tourism
Try getting paid when promised from treasury
The number of layoffs
House foreclosures
Financial services down by more then 15%
Crime on the increase
Festivals & Music Fest complete failures
This is not an NDP issue alone it effects all BVI Landers
You all need to research Carnival. They are trying to bully our Government and for us to get nothing in return for it. They know the game very well, divide and conquer and you all fell for it hook line and sinker. Nobody stopped to do any research, all they said is oh they have the bigger ships. Does it matter? Sam is talking BULL$%^&! Carnival has over 80 ships they say, SO WHAT! How many can we accommodate per year??? We cannot take more than NCL and Disney are offering so I don't see anything wrong with the deal. The same amount fo ships they're bringing is what Carnival is bringing. Carnival doesn't want to give anything but they want exclusivity! Wait man, wait! I can't wait for all the information to be brought out and you all will have eggs on your face. I agree Mark and Claude are clueless on most things but this is one decision that they have made intelligently. Carnival and Royal strong arm Governments all over the Caribbean to get what they want for as less as possible just because of their size and it's bad. Slave mentality all over again.
and what about loyalty? that must count for something. as far as I understand it, carnival has been coming to the bvi the longest, both in and off season; the taxi drivers and other vendors claim that carnival passengers are more willing to spend; carnival really mainly requested confirmation of dates which they had already made bookings for but was at least for one month being ignored by the government. Carnival seems to have been loyal and still remained loyal to the bvi despite the government's actions (or lack thereof). After being ignored, that's when they made alternative arrangements for their bvi based bookings.
As a well established company and due to their loyalty to the BVI, I'm sure you would understand why they would refuse to go through to DCL and NCL just to confirm when they can and cant make arrangements for bookings in the BVI. Just because the same issue has occurred elsewhere in the caribbean, does not make it right.
Insurance on some of these Safari buses ranging from $1000-$3000. dollars.
Tires For these Safari Buses Starting $230 per tire
Gas to fill up one these safari buses $150.00
would u like me to go on.
restaurants makes money from us,delta,shell,bob's,Sol
Nibb's auto sale
licence department average around $213.00
would u like me to go on.
Shark don't feed me bull$h1t I'm not a hog. None of what you mention above will change with NCL and Disney controlling the ports. Delta and all these other places have been making money for the past few months when you all are parked. I don't doubt there's an uptick of activity when ships are in, that's expected but it's also not the point. The same tour companies that would make money from NCL and Disney what do their vehicles run on, prayer? Surely they put in gas, insure vehicles etc. as well no? THis is all about greed and self-serving. If the Taxi Association, with the numbers they have and the shots they want to call, can't contribute anything to this development then nobody need to be coddling them. When the final plan is ready they should be informed of what their role is, point blank. All they're doing is holding up progress and no different to Carnival. They're trying to bully the GOvernment into doing what they want because they have 'numbers'. If NDP had balls they would do the people's work and ignore these self-serving idiots. They complained when the place was being developed. They complained when the development was called off. They complained when NCL and Disney were being mentioned. They now complaining that Carnival doesn't want to deal with NCL but want their own way and not giving us anything for it. Nowhere in there have you heard any solutions just bickering and complaining, that's my point. As much as I hate to say it these guys need to adopt the attitude of Ralph and Fraser. The people elect the Government with a mandate to develop and they need to get on with it. The same people putting up road blocks will be the same ones to say they did nothing in xyz years. I had enough of idiots running this place!! Government GROW SOME SEEDS!
what Mr. C? all he ever did was carry news and undermine all the managing directors. Point to one thing he did at the Ports. How is it all persons at sixty has to retire and he is 64 and still there creating mischief. Is it because he is in the fourth district? or because he is neighbor to the Doc? He needs to go too, he is lazy and useless.