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Gov Rankin to miss most of Emancipation Festival; Archer Jr. now acting Governor

-David D. Archer Jr acting in post from July 21 to Aug 5, 2023
Deputy Governor, Mr. David D. Archer Jr. is acting in the Office of Governor from July 21 to August 5 in the absence of His Excellency the Governor, Mr. John J. Rankin, CMG who is out of the Territory. Photo: GIS
According to a release from the Government Information Service (GIS), Mr David D. Archer Jr's appointment is in accordance with section 37 (1) (a) of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007. Photo: GIS
According to a release from the Government Information Service (GIS), Mr David D. Archer Jr's appointment is in accordance with section 37 (1) (a) of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007. Photo: GIS
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - Deputy Governor, Mr. David D. Archer Jr. is acting in the Office of Governor from July 21 to August 5, 2023, in the absence of His Excellency the Governor, Mr. John J. Rankin, CMG who is out of the Territory.

This is according to a release from the Government Information Service (GIS) which details that Mr Archer Jr's appointment is in accordance with section 37 (1) (a) of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007.

The section states, “During any period when the office of Governor is vacant, or the Governor is absent from the Virgin Islands or is for any other reason unable to perform the functions of his or her office, the Deputy Governor shall, during Her Majesty’s pleasure, act in the office of Governor and shall perform the functions of that office accordingly.” 

It remains unclear if the Governor is out of the VI for personal or official business relating to his post.

No Governor for Emancipation 

Governor Rankin’s absence means he will no doubt miss the start of his final BVI Emancipation celebration as Governor, which is a celebration of African ancestors’ freedom from colonialism held annually at the end of July to around the 10th of August each year

The festival feature music, parades, and other folklore presentations in addition to various showcases such as food, arts and craft, and other events as part of the grand celebrations.

Governor Rankin is set to enter retirement from the United Kingdom (UK) civil service when he demits the Governor's Office in a few months' time and Mr Daniel Pruce has already been named the next Governor of the Virgin Islands (VI) effective January 2024.

22 Responses to “ Gov Rankin to miss most of Emancipation Festival; Archer Jr. now acting Governor”

  • ras (22/07/2023, 06:55) Like (5) Dislike (12) Reply
    No colonial masters for emancipation sounds like good news.
    • Good Gov. (22/07/2023, 08:26) Like (11) Dislike (4) Reply
      This Gov has always given BVI people and their Govt the opportunity to solve their own problems.. though most time they failed or come up short, can't blame the Gov. .
  • Reality check (22/07/2023, 07:30) Like (6) Dislike (11) Reply
    getting concerned with these white judges.... You see now why they want only judges' trials, it all adds up buddy.
  • herbs power (22/07/2023, 07:52) Like (12) Dislike (8) Reply
    If you know the reason we have festival in the first place any governor should miss all of it every time.
  • @ REALITY CHECK (22/07/2023, 08:07) Like (7) Dislike (8) Reply
    YOU STILL SPEWING OUT RACISM , HOW CAN WE CELEBRATE ( EMANCIPATION ) WHEN WE AFRICAN DECENDANTS DOING THE SAME THING TO OTHER AFRICAN DECENDANTS IN THIS 21ST CENTURY , ???? LORD PLEASE HELP US WITH THESE BAREFACED HYPOCRITES . AMEN ????
    • @@Reality Check (22/07/2023, 08:45) Like (8) Dislike (4) Reply
      Not sure about the racism stop trying to rewrite history but whites have done people of color wrong
    • g (22/07/2023, 08:49) Like (5) Dislike (2) Reply
      He knows why he leving. Them bring murder music to the bvi. That or Emancipation comes to ZTE have more guns then
  • 911 (22/07/2023, 08:57) Like (9) Dislike (8) Reply
    homeboy simply going back to London to sit around the table and celebrate with his friends

    he celebrates the continuation of modern day slavery
  • Archer (22/07/2023, 11:41) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    Tbh i tired of archer ....he have our increments like a joke we got to be waitin for long...now he acting governor...he is not a man of his words he too is failin us public servants...we all need to go onnstrike
  • Manjack (22/07/2023, 11:50) Like (5) Dislike (7) Reply
    Governor John Rankin, CMG, carries the title of Governor of the Virgin Islands but he is not representing the true people of the VI and their history, heritage,,culture, customs, court esies, etc. Some colonialists half-heartedly pretend they are down with the people but that is fools gold. In the 21st Century, in a so called representative democracy, the UK forces a governor upon the people of VI. Its action says I don’t give a rat’s ass what you think, for you have no rights or desires or preferences, etc, I respect. I got the unilateral power to do what I want and don’t give an ‘F’ed” what the UN, OECS, Caricom, etc., says. And the majority of VI people sides with us. In November 1949, the streets were flooded with people like peas led by Theodolph Faulkner protesting the bad governance by Administrator John A. Cruikshank. Today, a handful of people show up may be to protest any action I do.

    Moreover, the UK-appointed Governor is here to represent the interest of the Crown, not the interest of the VI people. A true VI Governor would have made it a priority to stay home and celebrate the Emancipation from centuries of slavery with the people. The action of the Governor is not surprising though, for there is a movement afoot to revise slavery. The movement purports to revise black history, culture, heritage, teach that slavery, the greatest crime against humanity, was not so bad and provided benefitted to slaves. Yes, slavery supposedly benefitted slaves. WTF!! I can try to spin, twist Slavery into some good to appease their guilt what will they do next?
    • Frig… (22/07/2023, 15:49) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
      The Frig….here. I took a pause for cause to go on an adventure looking for a) some indigenous Virgin Islanders ( Not Carib and Arawaks) b) a mule, c) to find a cedar tree(s) to construct timber to build a Tortola sloop, and d) tullama dumpling. I had a hunger for some Tullama dumpling. But I struck out on finding all those things. I’m concerned. Where did the indigenous Virgin Islanders go? I cannot see or find them, they are as quiet as a church mouses. The BVI is in crisis and they gone dark in hibernation. I’m concerned that when they come out of hibernation the BVI they knew will be gone; it will be an unrecognizable Virgin Islands.

      Anyway, I’m back reading the blogs. And manjack, that useful frig.. is still at it calling balls and strikes, Going deep talking about relevant, uncomfortable, etc, things people know is a problem but prefer not to hear them. My fellow Virgin Islanders ah yu better cum outta hibernation to save what you can or get replaced. If it happens, you can say the Frig….tell you so. Trump is telling his MAGA followers that they are coming to replace you. That is disingenuous campaign talk playing on white fear, white grievance, etc. to get votes. But in the VI the situation is real. This is real talk.
      • Comedy (22/07/2023, 18:43) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
        @Frig…your name suits you , for you are a real Frig.. a nuisance. You say Manjack is a useful frig and so are you. Two jokers from the same pack(a little joker and big joker ). Are you a comedian and is this comedy hour or season. What the hell is a tullama dumpling? I’m a Gen Z and ask my mom and granny and they had no clue. On a serious note, you are probably stating it to make the a point. From the way you structure your statements there is a serious message that one has to read between the line to get the message. Frig now you know we are a fast food mentality society so most of us ain’t got time to be reading. Hell, there is not even a central library. Frig, use the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). Indeed, the people should have some say in who is governor. The governor should have things in common with the population. He/she should live, breathe , know, etc the culture , history, heritage, customs, courtesies of the people he/she is representing. It is a ride or die kind a thing but I guess I’m learning that is not the way colonialism role. I did learn much if any thing, about either slavery or colonialism in school. I guess we are supposed to learn it by osmosis. Somethings that should be taught in school are civics, BVI history, finance, etc. VINO is a valuable and informative enews site. It is the bomb!!
    • Ne Timeas (23/07/2023, 11:34) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
      @Manjack, this is real talk. I endorse it. You are saying in public what they think and do quietly in private among themselves. They grin with us in public but in private they break out the daggers. The colonialists and local government/people are like the fable of scorpion and frog. The scorpion wanted the frog to give it a ride across the river. But the frog was afraid of being stung. However, the scorpion promise not to sting the frog, for both would die. Nevertheless, midway across the river, the scorpion indeed stung the frog, for that it what scorpions do, and both perished. It is no mystery that the colonialists would behave nicely for a while before they turn on you. It is what they do and who they are. Look at the historical receipts in the empire.
    • @Manjack (23/07/2023, 11:53) Like (1) Dislike (2) Reply
      Boss y’all gotta emancipate y’all self from this mental slavery. You talking about the white man ain’t know the reason for the celebrations? Y’all self ain’t know the reason cause as far as I see it’s just a chance to wine up half naked in the streets. Young woman with half them bum and private parts hanging out for the world to see. The men ceasing the opportunity to to perform moves that are even too x rated for porn hub. Where is your culture and pride? The white man still taking it? Y’all own people have your fellow people in slavery. The white man give y’all a chance to clean house and what y’all doing? Lost y’all ways and want to blame white man. Hey y’all damn act together and stop blaming people. Clean up your society and emancipate yourself from mental slavery or else the cycle will not end. We are all equal, black white pink green yellow red but is y’all does like to put the white man first and leave you fellow black brothers and sisters for last. Y’all is y’all own enemy.
      • Manjack (23/07/2023, 12:55) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
        @Manjack, indeed, as the late Norbert Wheatley, AKA,,would say, “Fix yourself “ . The BVI community need to respect, celebrate, and promote its culture, history, heritage, customs, etc, in a proud and dignified manner. On the other hand, we cannot honestly say the white colonialists had nothing do with the disproportionate distribution of wealth, power,,resources, control and the levers of government. And that Blacks in the VI and elsewhere lack of initiative, laziness, incompetence, lack of initiative to take advantage of available resources, inappropriate behaviors, etc, are solely responsible for their deplore conditions. That is the lie that the white colonialists want to promote and portray.

        Moreover, here are some facts chew on and digest:
        @Manjack, indeed, as the late Norbert Wheatley, AKA,,would say, “Fix yourself “ . The BVI community need to respect, celebrate, and promote its culture, history, heritage, customs, etc, in a proud and dignified manner. On the other hand, we cannot honestly say the white colonialists had nothing do with the disproportionate distribution of wealth, power,,resources, control and the levers of government. And that Blacks in the VI and elsewhere lack of initiative, laziness, incompetence, lack of initiative to take advantage of available resources, inappropriate behaviors, etc, are solely responsible for their deplore conditions. That is the lie that the white colonialists want to promote and portray.

        Moreover, here are a few facts to chew on and digest:

        1. Whites live in a privileged conditions with nearly 100% ownership and control of wealth, power, resources, businesses, any and all levels of government support and resources. White society has a monopoly of ownership and control.
        2. The root problem in black communities is race and the unjust distribution of the nations’s wealth, power and resources.
        3. Whites determined that by striping slaves of their humanity and dignity, separating their families, robbing of their culture, history, and heritage; depriving him of worldly possessions, depriving them of their personal freedom, keeping them uneducated and hopeless, controlling and brutalizing them that they will forever keep them in a powerless and uncompetitive state. Checkmate! The social engineering worked.
        4. Without money and power, freedom is freedom in theory only.


        • RealPol (25/07/2023, 11:20) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
          “Whites determined that by striping slaves of their humanity and dignity, separating their families, robbing of their culture, history, and heritage; depriving him of worldly possessions, depriving them of their personal freedom, keeping them uneducated and hopeless, controlling and brutalizing them that they will forever keep them in a powerless and uncompetitive state. Checkmate! The social engineering worked.“ Manjack, that undeniable, real stuff. Nuff said. White folks csn try to absolve themselves of slavery, Jim Crow, colonialism,etc., all they want, conduct revisionist history, banned books and other writings, cry anti-woke till the cow jump over the mon . This undeniable, reality will be there steering them in the face like a nightmare, until they accept their criminal, inhuman, brutal, rape, exploitation, etc of slaves /descendants responsibility. Frame this quote folks..
  • Perfecr timing (22/07/2023, 13:08) Like (3) Dislike (5) Reply
    Ayo aint see this man don't want to be amongst ayo?
  • asking for a friend (22/07/2023, 14:17) Like (4) Dislike (9) Reply
    He can go and never come back!!! Why the hell in 2023 the BVI needs a white man from the UK as Governor?
  • Wait for me... (23/07/2023, 11:10) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    Wait for me governor. I do not care to be here during that time either to be listening to no gun violence and crime music as if that has anything to do with emancipation. BVI emancipation is an oxymoron because the BVI is a slave to it damn self! Really people, look around. What is there to celebrate? The mentality is f5ck3d!
    • @ wait for me (23/07/2023, 11:55) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      I couldn’t have said it better. 1,000 likes for your post
  • Hmmmm (24/07/2023, 16:05) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Who wants to whine up with a bunch of stuck up wanna be and listen to the vomit coming out of Natalios favorite artists mouths.
  • LOL! (29/07/2023, 00:37) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Rankin is like later for ayo! Leh Archer go jump up wid he bowtie dem!!


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