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CoI Review Reports laid during emergency recall of HoA today

- Governor Rankin had threatened to make documents public before elections
April 17th, 2023 | Tags: HOA public documents threats CoI review reports
The review report titled 'The 2022 Statutory Boards Review by Jamal S. Smith' was one of the documents laid in the House of Assembly today, April 17, 2023. Photo: VINO;
The documents were laid in the HoA by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7). Photo: YouTube
The documents were laid in the HoA by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7). Photo: YouTube
Governor John J. Rankin had threatened to make the documents public before the elections, if the government did not. Photo: Facebook/File
Governor John J. Rankin had threatened to make the documents public before the elections, if the government did not. Photo: Facebook/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- A number of Commission of Inquiry (CoI) related review reports have been laid in the recalled House of Assembly (HoA), which convened today April 17, 2023.

United Kingdom (UK) appointed Governor John J. Rankin, CMG had threatened to make these reports public ahead of the April 24, 2023 elections if the Unity Government did not.

Documents now public

The documents laid in the HoA by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) were Internal Audit Department - The Clear Path To Regularisation: Residency And Belonger Status Programme (Fast Track Programme) Audit Report; Internal Audit Department - The Clear Path To Regularisation: Residency And Belonger Status Programme (Fast Track Programme) Audit Report Addendum; Government of the Virgin Islands Protocol for the Appointment and Removal of Statutory Board Members; 2022 Statutory Boards Review by Jamal S. Smith; Report on Investigation into Statutory Boards COI Recommendation B29 by Sheila N. Brathwaite; Report on the Discretionary Powers held by Elected Officials by Anthea Smith; Virgin Islands Crown Lands Distribution Policy Review Report by David Abednego.

Having been laid in the HoA, the documents are now public.

Governor makes threats

Speaking during an update on Ministerial Response to Quarterly Review on CoI Recommendations Implementation on April 6, 2023, Governor Rankin had expressed dissatisfaction that neither the Statutory Boards Review carried out by Jamal S. Smith, which was received on December 31, 2022, nor the Review on Crown Land by David Abednego which was received on January 13, 2023, had been made public, allowing people to read for themselves the direction that it is proposed the reforms will take.

Similarly, Governor Rankin had indicated that the Review on Social Assistance conducted by the Social Policy Research Institute in support of UNICEF had not been published despite having been received on January 18, 2023.

While it is unclear why the reviews were not published earlier, Governor Rankin had noted that given the sensitivity of the issues arising from the Assistance Grants Audit, he had expected that members of the public will be interested to see what solutions the experts recommend.

“So I believe the reviews need to start being made public now, and unless they are otherwise published shortly, I will take steps to do so. Moreover, the reviews are only the start of a process on which further action is required. It is imperative that the Government considers the recommendations in the reviews, consults on them as necessary, and then gets on with delivering the necessary changes”, Governor Rankin had stated.

8 Responses to “CoI Review Reports laid during emergency recall of HoA today”

  • Britain playing.. (17/04/2023, 18:38) Like (19) Dislike (8) Reply
    Seems like the Gov and Britain ain't serious,.. Take the place for two yrs is the only solution...
    • @Britain playing.. (17/04/2023, 20:36) Like (15) Dislike (22) Reply
      I am not falling for this 400 yr old British trickery over always trying to make us think we are not capable of handling our own affairs and need them to be our saviors.
      • Handling (18/04/2023, 13:10) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
        But are we handling our affairs or have you not been awake to see what has been going on for the last several years?
  • My Take (17/04/2023, 18:56) Like (12) Dislike (13) Reply
    This is a blood less war to try to try to take over through another organized plot by the Governor and his British bosses but calling it otherwise. Time will tell.
  • Time for balance in laws (17/04/2023, 18:58) Like (14) Dislike (3) Reply
    Time to balance the laws. Any country that has any leader above the law and instead have them being the law is a country under a dictatorship. Currently the President of America and former President have to answer questions about concerns raised about their questionable actions. The system and not "a one man" or "a small group of senior public Officers" will determine the process and outcome. However in the 21st century the Governor of the UK is above the law and will become the law by suspending a constitution and run a country how they see fit through two orders in council. This is dictatorship. In the 21st century when the Governor alone can call a COI & determine the terms of reference and the Commissioner for the COI and the staff is dictatorship. To add insult to injury that no one can call a COI on him or have him looked into as he alone is over the police force and audit and he alone can call a COI. THIS IS DICTATORSHIP!!! In the 21st century when a Governor can fail the police force especially in terms of development of the human capital & fail the public service but have these and more failures and questionable actions covered up by high handed actions geared at showing the apparent failure of others is not democracy but dictatorship. If the president of the USA is allowed to be held accountable by the law and the people then so can the Governor and the those UK senior public Officials over the Governor. Let us stop letting them play games with our minds and our future. It is time for balance. It is time for fairness. It is time to eliminate this kind of double standards. There should not be any discrepancy between how leaders are handled by the law and the judiciary and audit and the overall system.
  • When will we see the plot (17/04/2023, 19:11) Like (10) Dislike (6) Reply
    If any elected official organized a COI or investigation and selected the terms of reference and then selected the person to do the COI or investigation and selected the staff to do the COI or investigation. Then tell the people it is being done independent of the politicians and it is a transparent and independent process and although the report has to be submitted to the politician it does not reflect the politician's view or intent, then the whole BVI would be in an uproar. Yet we sit like ducks on the pond and allow the Governor to do all of the above and have him fooling us that his actions were transparent and are in the best interest of the people of the BVI and not that of his and his UK bosses. We all agree the modernization of many policies in government is long needed but this is a failure of the Governor, but he is being allowed to give himself a free pass by blaming others and going after others. If this continues, like this then we will not know when we have been enslaved again. The UK cannot get their own affairs handled in the UK but making some of us think they are our best hope and no leader in the BVI is worthy of trust. We are making a sad mistake falling for this century old divide and conquer British strategy.
  • FACIAL EXPRESSIONS (17/04/2023, 19:16) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    IS SAYING, )> ( PRE ) I BEGGED YO
    U TO LET IT SLIDE , BUT YOU STABBED ME IN THE BACK WITH IT (YO WHI MÒT SKu / ( GOV ) AM SORRY MATE , BUT I HAD TO DROP IT ON YOU , IT WAS TOO HEAVY
  • The Public (19/04/2023, 13:47) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    When will the public be given the opportunity to review abs give input as it is one thing to implement new policies and procedures for government but if they do not meet the needs of the people then it is a useless exercise.


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