Did Premier & Opposition Leader boycott Governor Rankin's farewell ceremony?
The ceremony was attended by senior public officers, including the Hon Attorney General Dawn J. Smith and Deputy Governor David D. Archer Jr, Cabinet Secretary Sandra I. Ward and Financial Secretary Jeremiah G. A. Frett, and over a dozen UK nationals who work at the Governor’s Office.
According to a brief statement from the Office of the Governor, “As is customary, the only House of Assembly members invited to the Governor’s farewell ceremony were the Premier, Leader of the Opposition and the Attorney General. The Leader of the Opposition sent his apologies in advance.”
The Governor; however, was embarrassed as the ceremony was delayed waiting on the Premier, who was a no show. To smooth it off, the Governor noted that the Premier "was on BVI time."
Premier Wheatley was slated to be on Jost van Dyke this morning for the opening of the new Jost van Dyke Primary School.
He subsequently told JTV Channel 55, "I got delayed and the ceremony was short, so unfortunately I missed it, but I called the Governor and gave my best wishes on his departure."
Power grab that turned off many
Mr Rankin, as he retires from the UK Foreign Service, is leaving as another unpopular Governor. About 10 days ago, he tried to do a power grab by asking for more power under the false pretence, as many alleged, so he could "help the country in moving the Commission of Inquiry recommendations forward".
Many, including elected officials, have alleged he really wanted power to ram through the HoA a backward Police Bill that takes away the rights and freedoms of residents and allow UK police officers to go into homes without search warrants, and while persons are not even at home.
Many also claimed he wanted to push through a Gay Marriage Bill and give many UK nationals Belonger status by taking over the Immigration Department.
Mr Rankin has; however, denied those claims, saying he was only focused on the reforms outlined in the CoI Report and which the VI Government agreed to implement.
The outgoing Governor also authorised a sting operation against the former Premier Andrew A. Fahie and allegedly lied about it. His double standards and integrity were further questioned after some 55 allegations were made by over 30 police officers against his friend, Police Commissioner Mark Collins; however, he refused to send him on administrative leave while the investigation was ongoing, which is the current practice.
CoI used as weapon
Questions have now been raised about the relationship between Mr Collins and the person chosen by Mr Rankin to investigate him, the Commissioner of Police of the Cayman Islands, Mr Kurt Walton, who allegedly told persons they are friends.
Many have also claimed, including Cabinet members, that former Governor Rankin has used the one-man CoI report as a weapon to harass residents, the government of the day and enforce a target list of persons for arrest, including businesspersons who have been outspoken against him for his alleged unfair practices and disregard for law and order.
The new Governor, Mr Daniel Pruce, is expected to arrive on January 28, 2024.
Mr Archer will act as Governor until Mr Pruce is sworn in on Monday, January 29, 2024.
Many residents continue to agitate for our independence; however, the Territory appears to be split over the idea of our freedom and self-determination.
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106 Responses to “Did Premier & Opposition Leader boycott Governor Rankin's farewell ceremony?”
i just dont get it ,
1) The Governor is in charge of the prison and can pardon prisoners. There are no transparent process in this regard nor can anyone hold him accountable. In the last 20yrs the only persons pardon who were prisoners were two white people.
2) The Governor is in charge of the public service and he has failed the public service miserably in all areas but loves to throw the blame on elected officials.
3) The Governor ensured all public officers accused of corruption were 1st put on leave and then investigated but he allowed his white UK Commissioner of Police to remain on the job while being investigated. This is because of what all evil they have planned using the COI as a front.
4) During covid the Governor refused to help the BVI and left them on their own. It is in the latter part they beat their chest saying they brought vaccines to save the day. The COI was meant to belittle the good efforts of the BVI during covid.
5) The Governor said the COI was independent. Yet he wrote the terms of reference. He putt them to go after what he wanted them to go after and exempted other areas especially around him He put his fellow UK staff to assist the COI Commissioner. He hand picked the COI Commissioner in a non transparent manner. The COI lawyers practiced law in BVI illegally and got away with it. The COI was preauthored and prearranged. The list of unethical actions with the COI and its processes is long.
6) To this day the UK cannot state how one can become a Governor. To date there is not one black person as Governor. To date there is not one Caribbean person as Governor. Only in 2020 they appointed a woman as Governor.
7) To this date the Governor & UK cannot identify where one can go to research and find the clear path one can follow and apply if they want independence. Yet they are stipulating through the COI this kind of process be established in all of BVI affairs in government. This is called hypocrisy.
8) The Governor refuses to register his interest according to BVI law while working in the BVI stating he has already done so in the UK. He holds the same view for all UK officials working in BVI. Talk about hypocrisy.
9) The Governor already have the power over the public service to had second persons in the areas where he felt was falling behind with the 48 ill advised & unrealistic COI
recommendations. He did no such thing because he wants the BVI to fail so their plot can succeed. It is not about what is best for the people of the BVI, only what is best for the UK unjustified takeover plot.
10) The police force said they are cleaning up corruption in the force but this is only supported because the Commissioner is from the UK and it is a subject under the Governor. They are failing at it. Now they want more power.
11) The Governor & UK awarded less than 20 scholarships to study abroad or the UK in the last 20yrs.
12) The Governor gives the UK updates about what happens in the BVI but it is never made public so its validity can be tested. After all they have challenges with the truth.
When you truly care about people you develop them and empower them. Not try to take power from them and try to belittle them. They are no brighter than anyone else. They have no more nor less integrity than anyone else. They need to stop behaving as if they are more superior than others. It is wrong and racists.
If this was a deliberate move by the Premier and The Leader of the Opposition, then this does not sit well. Regardless of the issues or differences, you both hold the highest office in the land and we should always lead by example! Hopefully this was not the case in this situation.
Cheers Mr. Governor!
1) Take over Immigration: He wants to immediately give over 4000 of his kind status so they can out number the people of the BVI and then allow them to have a secondary take over plan.
2) Pass the new police act on his own: He wants to give the police unlimited powers to do many anti-democratic things such as but not limited to searching anyone's home without a warrant and do so on mere suspicion. Talk about making the BVI a police state where people will have no basic human nor democratic rights.
3) He wants to pass the Jury Act: Here is where he wants the cases to proceed without any jury to decided the cases but rather have the Judge themselves decide if you are guilty. Not only is this anti democratic but it represents dictatorship as all the UK will do next is flood the position of Judges with persons from the UK who have like minds as them against the locals and Caribbean people. It is another tier of their take over plan.
4) Powers to pass laws by himself without HOA: Here is where he wants to legalize same sex marriage. Here is where he wants to redefine who is a Virgin Islander.
I will stop there for now but people of the BVI these people have no good intention for us. They have no respect for our democracy and democratic rights. It is time to wake up and stand up for what is right and represents true democracy and not sit back and allow a wicked agenda by the Brits to get through.
To the editor.
Only a handful of people want independence. Don't be fooled. The majority does not.
Get yourself a reliable secretary!!! At least Ronnie sent his apologies but the Jost Van Dyke school opening ceremony could have been delayed or rescheduled. This is the Governor we are speaking about.
Stop embarrassing the people of the BVI because if it is one thing we have, it is manners. Mr Premier please get some!!!!
But this New Governor will make things straight in BVI remember this a leap year
The political leaders of our BVI has disrespected the constrtutional principles, from head to toe, so to speak. The showed no respect to the voters that empowered them to represent us.
But I can assure you that the next appointed Governor of the BVI name is not Santa Clause nor is it Puss-Me-Aside.
I’m tired of reading the word ‘slavery’ being weaved into every discussion regardless of topic, the whole world, every population has been subjected to slavery. The Vikings and the Romans enslaved those in the British Isles, it is an abhorrent crime, still going on today, it is not unique to the BVI history.
may the Lord continue watching over us
When allegations of abuse where brought forward, the Governor opted to investigate it themselves rather than an independent body.