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'Voice of the people must be heard & respected'- Hon Fahie

- Leader of the Opposition speaks on the controversial billboard erected in Road Town opposing UK Framework for VI Recovery Plan
The billboard placed in the heart of Road Town urging Virgin Islanders to oppose the United Kingdom's High Level Framework for UK Support for VI Hurricane Recovery document. Photo: VINO
Honourable Andrew A. Fahie, Opposition Leader and First District Representative, stated that the voice of the people must be heard and respected. Photo: VINO/File
Honourable Andrew A. Fahie, Opposition Leader and First District Representative, stated that the voice of the people must be heard and respected. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - A huge billboard erected to drum up support from Virgin Islanders to stand up against the United Kingdom’s stipulations for the Virgin Islands (VI) Recovery and Development Plan was sighted today, Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at the roundabout in Road Town.

A Recovery Agency Board was stipulated by the United Kingdom (UK) in order for the Virgin Islands government to receive guarantees for loans to go towards the rebuilding efforts following hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017.

The strict measures were outlined in the High Level Framework for UK Support for VI Hurricane Recovery where the United Kingdom (UK) called for full level of transparency and accountability of monies spent for the recovery.

News of the document and Premier Dr The Hon D. Orlando Smith (AL) signing off on it was hidden from the public and even some members of Government, mainly the Backbenchers.

Many have accused Dr Smith of returning the Territory to a form of colonialism, while some have said the NDP Government brought it upon themselves due to their lack of transparency and accountability with the public purse.

Controversial billboard

It is unclear who is responsible for erecting the billboard in the heart of Road Town. It called on Virgin Islanders to let their Representatives know they do not support the Framework and that their Representatives should vote against it.

"We Virgin Islanders Do Not Support The UK Framework For The BVI Recovery Plan," the billboard reads. It also called on persons to "Join The Movement" against the UK policy.

“The voice of the people must be heard & respected” – Hon Andrew A. Fahie

Opposition Leader and First District Representative Hon Andrew A. Fahie was asked if he had anything to do with the billboard; however, he did not admit or deny.

“Any wise leader knows that the voice of the people must be heard and respected,” Hon Fahie briefly stated.

It was Hon Fahie who continuously stated that the National Democratic Party (NDP) is the most corrupt government in Virgin Islands history as a result of their lack of accountability and transparency.

He is also famous for saying if the VI does not police itself someone else would in a manner that is not liked.

“I am surprised” – UK national

Meanwhile, our newsroom observed two UK nationals reading and taking pictures of the billboard.

In an invited comment, one of the UK nationals expressed, “I am surprised because I thought there would have been enough money sent from the UK government without too many conditions.”

Meanwhile, the other UK national said, “The UK government gives billions away in overseas aids and I would have thought that overseas aids would go to a country that has got such strong link to the UK without any problems.”

25 Responses to “'Voice of the people must be heard & respected'- Hon Fahie”

  • 1 (28/02/2018, 17:25) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    Poor Mr ZZZZZZ must be embarrassed
  • ndp cvil war (28/02/2018, 17:42) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    Troy them not playing with the old guard
  • surviver (28/02/2018, 17:46) Like (10) Dislike (3) Reply
    not a belonger or citizen, but a lot of not so funny things around here. help from UK and others not delivered to
    the people, protectionism toward the worst most corrupt national corporations still functioning here, while haveing
    whitchunts against innocent people. preventing people from communicating with the UK who's territory this is,
    and then getting into their bank accounts whie protecting billionaire and trillionaire accounts from interference.
    and then the rent gouging before and after Irma with some landlords of famous name kicking people out so they
    can re rent at a higher price, and so on. insane. and then a shooting contest in a country with very limited rights
    to even have a gun. nice. immitating the US, are you?
  • wize up (28/02/2018, 18:17) Like (18) Dislike (8) Reply
    this should be good: are we suggesting to the United Kingdom how conduct business in its own territory: I personally prefer the UK to have control over any funding air mark for rebuild the territory: one might get better accountability using this process.....some of us keep asking for the UK to come back, well them arrive
  • hog city (28/02/2018, 19:06) Like (2) Dislike (2) Reply
    Why Fraser trying to take credit lol
  • Belonger With A Broader Perspective (28/02/2018, 19:13) Like (30) Dislike (10) Reply
    I have a lot of respect for Hon. Fahie but I can't stand with him on this issue. I am for the UK's recovery plan. Money keeps getting misused around here for one reason or the other. If the UK is putting forth a plan where the money will go to the right places and people for the right reasons. I'm for it!
    • @belonger (28/02/2018, 19:43) Like (15) Dislike (11) Reply
      The British has played us to a fine tune. They are no better. They allowed corruption by this government to run wild when they could have stopped it. But no! Let it run so now they could come in like a knight in shining armor as a hero to the BVI people so they can take us over with our permission. The perfect set up and conspiracy plot. BVI WAKE UP!!!!
  • tretretrete (28/02/2018, 19:17) Like (16) Dislike (5) Reply
    Fahie is a wise man beyond his years.
  • Yes (28/02/2018, 19:25) Like (15) Dislike (0) Reply

    This fight for leadership for the NDP is going to be a bloody one.

  • Youth for bald head (28/02/2018, 19:28) Like (7) Dislike (17) Reply
    Your time is up Mr. Zzzz. Bald head is the new Head of the NDP and neither Mitch nor Marlon can stop it. We the youth are with him and if he doesn't get the head of NDP we are leaving to form a new party that will try to make bald head the next premier. Talk that!
  • History is repeating (28/02/2018, 19:30) Like (18) Dislike (8) Reply
    This is another Bates Hill and Wivkhams Cay situation. But this time we have a weak leader with a corrupt party who only care about their pockets and not the people.
    • @history is repeating (28/02/2018, 20:27) Like (9) Dislike (2) Reply
      As far as I know, the great HL Stoutt is who got us into the Bates Hill situation. It was people like Noel Lloyd and Position Action Movement who fought against that. So I actually don't see any difference from a leadership standpoint.
  • dude (28/02/2018, 19:32) Like (3) Dislike (8) Reply
    Colonized minds were making decisions for us free folk. The stipulations of the grants were too much so they wanted loans which have more stipulations. Colonialism is what UK was great at and these poor ignorant subjects that we call leaders are inept at dealing at such levels of understanding. We have progressed more than the mentality of our leaders who are still in the mental state of colonized negroes of the 1940's.
  • WHY? (28/02/2018, 19:36) Like (5) Dislike (2) Reply
    Why do we need this Board? Because the British doesn't trust the corrupt NDP. However the British isn't accountable neither just check their history. What they need to have done is to have looked into the many corrupt acts of the ndp from long time and we wouldn't be where we are now. The NDP has taken us back to slavery.
  • fact (28/02/2018, 19:38) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    Like Fahie or not he clearly says where he stands on any issue but these other elected persons always hiding behind each other or some technicality in the law.
  • hello (28/02/2018, 20:01) Like (7) Dislike (3) Reply
    The voice of the people should be heard and respected but on that kind of grand scale?? I don't think so especially if it's embarrassing for us as a country and also if it's negative.
  • Interested (28/02/2018, 20:06) Like (11) Dislike (8) Reply
    In this situation following Irmaria Britain would have imposed the same conditions regardless of which government was in power.Don’t let all the noise fool you.Tell Fahie anybody can talk anything when they are not in position
  • Belonger With A Broader Perspective (28/02/2018, 22:44) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    What some of you fail to realize is that the government wanted to be run independently without the dictation of the UK government. That is what your leaders fought for in the past and present. If you remember during election time, the UK was threatening to come down and rule. Many election campaigns spoke against that. They didn't want to be ruled by the UK officials solely. This is what happens when you are ruled by a higher power. Many of you want to be independent but cannot facet what that truly means. Many of you want to stay under British rule for the benefits of being a British territory and want to run wild like how it is now. The UK has been aware of NDP's actions. They are not sleep but very much woke. Do you really think that if the UK wanted to come down hard on the BVI that NDP and VIP could stop them? Absolutely not.
  • Vilp (28/02/2018, 23:00) Like (10) Dislike (3) Reply
    Whoever do the sign should come forward from being a coward
  • rattie (28/02/2018, 23:04) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    Let freedom ring
  • Yes (28/02/2018, 23:16) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
    first it was the cats now this
  • ccc (01/03/2018, 05:03) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    It's about time someone stand up
  • Fahie talking good. (01/03/2018, 06:51) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Hope you and Frazer can unite and join forces with the Back Benchers and get the opportunity to put some of your good talk into action.. Hope you are in discussion with the back benchers. Give us a new way, a new Government . A new approach...How about that?
  • question (01/03/2018, 13:49) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    How can an anonymous "movement" expect support from the masses? Are people that blind to follow in darkness?
    If whoever is against transparency and accountability gains political power how will they differ from who is in power now?
    Putting up a billboard without claiming responsibility is dumb, not truly a voice of the people. The people need to wize up and stop looking for melee-mongers to follow. True leaders take a stand, in the open,not hiding behind anonymous billboards.


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