Social Commentator and Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline questioned why several Virgin Islanders are in acting positions during Honestly Speaking on November 25, 2025. Photo: Facebook

Claude O. Skelton-Cline has called on the current government and future governments of the Virgin Islands to replace non-Virgin Islanders who hold positions at various departments with qualified locals once their contracts have ended. Photo: GIS

During the Tuesday, November 25, 2025, episode of Honestly Speaking on ZBVI 780 AM titled ‘National Labour Pains Part 2’, Skelton-Cline asked, “We have to stop parachuting persons into this country to provide leadership in major departments when we have locals who are more than qualified to fill, operate, manage, direct, [and] lead in these posts.”

He stated that non-Virgin Islanders are holding various positions in the Virgin Islands when they are “able, capable, trained” Virgin Islanders who possess the necessary skillset to fill these same positions. 

“I want to say to the government of the day and to future governments, when these persons' existing contracts end, they must end and be replaced with Virgin Islanders.”

Skelton-Cline added that it cannot be more of the same talking and “frothing at the mouth” when it comes to this situation. 

“We must commit the wisdom of these words to action, to practice, to policy and to legislation.”

Virgin Islanders are unorganised, not outnumbered 

Skelton-Cline continued his program, saying that Virgin Islanders are not outnumbered but are instead unorganised. 

“Why is it that people, Virgin Islanders, are still acting in Immigration, whatever the situation in Customs and across whatever departmental lines, persons who have been sitting in those positions, why are they not confirmed?” Skelton-Cline asked. 

The people who are acting, he stated, are in those positions and are doing the job.