Got TIPS or BREAKING NEWS? Please call 1-284-442-8000 direct/can also WhatsApp same number or Email ALL news to:newsvino@outlook.com;                               ads call 1-284-440-6666

People tell me they want the CoI reforms ‘done & delivered’- Gov Pruce

Governor Daniel Pruce says his submission of his latest recommendations on the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) Reforms Implementation was done in the service of the people of the [British] Virgin Islands. Photo: GIS
The Commission of Inquiry in the Virgin Islands was led by a lone Commissioner Sir Gary R. Hickinbottom (right), who was handpicked by controversial former VI Governor Augustus J.U. Jaspert, left. The CoI was criticised as a witch hunt and with an objective to harm the Virgin Islands' constitutional and democratic advancements. Photo: VINO/File
The Commission of Inquiry in the Virgin Islands was led by a lone Commissioner Sir Gary R. Hickinbottom (right), who was handpicked by controversial former VI Governor Augustus J.U. Jaspert, left. The CoI was criticised as a witch hunt and with an objective to harm the Virgin Islands' constitutional and democratic advancements. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Governor Daniel Pruce says his submission of his latest recommendations on the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) Reforms Implementation was done in the service of the people of the [British] Virgin Islands.

The Governor, at the publishing of his first CoI Quarterly Review on May 24, 2024, shared plans to request a final extension of the deadline for the full implementation of reforms in the VI since it was 'clear' that the recommendations would not have been completed by May 2024.

He also opted not to lift the option of additional powers for the governor as well as chose to allow the controversial Order in Council to suspend the Virgin Islands Constitution to remain in place.

“People that I have met in my first few months here, who have given me a warm and much appreciated welcome, those people tell me they want the reforms of the CoI done and delivered.

“So we must sustain our shared collective effort to deliver the COI reforms for the benefit of the people of the Islands. We must sustain our commitment to give the people of the Islands, and future generations, what they deserve: a system of government that will serve them well. I consider it a privilege to work alongside the Government of the Virgin Islands in this shared mission,” Governor Pruce said.

Hickinbottom said the VI people ‘were badly served’- Gov Pruce

The United Kingdom-appointed governor began his statement on Friday by recalling Commissioner Sir Gary R. Hickinbottom’s conclusion in the COI report of April 4, 2022. 

“He said, and I quote, ‘With limited exceptions, in terms of governance (that is, how government makes and implements decisions), the people of the BVI have been badly served in recent years’ end quote, Governor Pruce said.

He said since his arrival in January of this year, and building on the work of his predecessor, he and his team have been working intensively with Premier Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) and all branches of the Government of the Virgin Islands “to address, and reverse, what Sir Gary Hickinbottom observed.”

During a time of tension between the VI Government and then Governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert over the latter’s overreaching into the public service and his alleged violation of the VI Constitution, a CoI was called by Jaspert, in collaboration with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office during the COVID-19 pandemic.

21 Responses to “People tell me they want the CoI reforms ‘done & delivered’- Gov Pruce”

  • Local (27/05/2024, 11:59) Like (10) Dislike (30) Reply
    Governor which people telling you they want COI reforms .
    • @local (27/05/2024, 16:11) Like (18) Dislike (2) Reply
      Yes we do!!!
    • BuzzBvi (27/05/2024, 19:19) Like (9) Dislike (1) Reply
      Which People? Everybody but the corrupt Ministers in the HOA, the friends and cronies that benefit from their corruption and a few simple people, that do not understand and also get no help in this society, while rich friends do.
    • belonger (28/05/2024, 15:51) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      WE DO !!! done with government miss spending our money.
    • controversial (28/05/2024, 20:41) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      It appears that it is everybody but you.
  • resident (27/05/2024, 12:08) Like (41) Dislike (2) Reply
    yes we do
  • Reparations first (27/05/2024, 12:31) Like (5) Dislike (36) Reply
    We coming off the slave trade in which our black ancestors did their very best after such a horrible passed. Because of the slave trade most black people was forced to learn about your white Jesus who is past Pope Ceasor's son. Now y'all who wasn't around to develop the Bvi want to come and tell the Bvi people how they should run their country.
  • facts (27/05/2024, 12:46) Like (39) Dislike (0) Reply
    “He said, and I quote, ‘With limited exceptions, in terms of governance (that is, how government makes and implements decisions), the people of the BVI have been badly served in recent years’ end quote, Governor Pruce said.
  • Nice (27/05/2024, 13:48) Like (8) Dislike (20) Reply
    always talking for the people without consultation. which people he's been speaking with? the uK people?
    • @Nice (27/05/2024, 16:13) Like (10) Dislike (2) Reply
      So are you happy your legislators making themselves rich while you and we driving on terrible roads no running water, prices in the supermarket sky high, govt with no plan, no vision and no accountability!!! SMDH!!
    • hmm (27/05/2024, 16:59) Like (7) Dislike (3) Reply
      Same way Slowande like to say "My People", "I talk for my people", "I know what my people want" . This man aint talk to a soul, so rest up off the Governor please.
  • Truth (27/05/2024, 15:13) Like (3) Dislike (7) Reply
    That's a lie, what people is he really talking about and he don't even be through the regular everyday man and woman, he must be talking bout his kind from Europe that resides here
  • Reality check (27/05/2024, 15:50) Like (3) Dislike (2) Reply
    You can be sure that it was people with brains and integrity, although some were likely those that aren't on the "crony" list nor benefited financially from this and previous governments.
  • @ NICE (27/05/2024, 15:57) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    I see you got another new name again , you seems to enjoy flex off your Trump mentality on the governors / Cindy , walwyn and other people from outside the bvi , of which your dad was from outside too , so when are yiu going to flex off your overgrown ego on the infrastructure , and the lack of attention by our government , which will be something constructive for a change , instead of sharing your dirty evil and vindictive thoughts with us on a daily basis , do ever pray ? , your daily racial lyrics suggest that you needs some sort of spiritual healing ????
  • Appeal to the Governor (27/05/2024, 16:47) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    Dear Governor,

    A Bill is going through at the moment that appears intended to concoct a scheme where the legal rights of the 2 or 3 thousand Immigration applicants will be denied. They have "done their time". They submitted applications. They have for 2+ further years been ignored. It appears they are going to now be processed as if their legal rights should be assessed under a new legal regime. The refusal on the local government's part to process applications should not be grounds for permitting the local government to step over their legal rights. The UK looks like going along with a scheme far from what the COI recommendations envisaged and the Framework Agreement contemplated.

    A worrying feature of the proposed new scheme is the abundant vague discretionary criteria that are envisaged. There is no equivalent in Home Office rules concerning comparable applications in the UK. The criteria and committees (that probably will not function at all or so slowly as to amount to not functioning) are all designed to be a charter for the local government to carry on as it long has done. What about objective rules and the rule of law?

    It has been 2+ years since the COI recommendations and no progress on processing applications has been made. Immigration curtly responds to enquiries to the effect that no decisions have been made. No further information is provided. No excuses made. No apologies offered. No suggestion is made that Immigration have a service standard that they are following. How can you permit this to go on in a territory that is supposed to be a British Overseas Territory upholding the rule of law? The above is in no way intended as a criticism of the personnel who work in Immigration. They, quite rightly, must take their orders from above.

    The local government shall do as they please as much as they can get away with it. It is you Governor and the Government of the United Kingdom that you represent that I consider responsible for the law-breaking. It is an awful legacy for the UK, going along with such low standards when the rule of law and respect for human rights is what good governance demands. Not rewarding breaches of the rule of law by granting powers to ignore the legal rights denied to so many for so long, and a new charter to do so into the future.
    • @Appeal to the Governor (27/05/2024, 20:37) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
      I noticed this too in the new legislation but I struggled to determine if it was pointed at belonger applications or residency applications?
      It did spark my concern though.
      • Appeal to the Governor (28/05/2024, 03:15) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
        In a jurisdiction where the rule of law was followed, the statutory position of ten years for belongership, as confirmed in the COI, would be followed. This jurisdiction historically was not even accepting residence applications where ten years was done. Having failed to follow its own laws, rather than now getting on with redressing its failures, under the scheme now being concocted the jurisdiction will deal with the “frozen thousands” whose applications it has been sitting on for years only when it has a scheme under which it can deny them belongership. Something they should have had by now already. This is something that it appears to me the Governor/UK is going to go along with. And don’t forget, under the proposed regime, one has to have held residency at least 10 years before being eligible to apply for belongership. Where will that leave people who are here 19 years & haven’t applied for residency yet because of the law-breaking that went on for so long? And, in the future, how many years will it take to get a residency cert after one has done 10 years & applied? Who knows? The Bill says nothing about processing times. We just have past behavior to go by. 10 years + x years (processing stage 1) + 10 years + x years (processing time 2). 25 years maybe? 30 years? I won’t get started again on all the ridiculous criteria proposed, all designed to enable abuse. Shame on the Governor if he assents.
  • Citizen (27/05/2024, 19:02) Like (5) Dislike (2) Reply
    So the “People” ain’t telling you that some of these COI reforms causing the economy to tank and government to be useless to taxpayers? They can’t get simple infrastructure works done with the red tape not even UK adheres to.
  • ... (27/05/2024, 19:08) Like (2) Dislike (3) Reply
    He made that up only a few want to go back into slavery
  • LIES (27/05/2024, 22:16) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Pruce has not been speaking to the ordinary citizen. We want better management of our funds but we can’t have the same restrictions and laws as the UK. What the UK can handle, we cannot. These provisions will hamper the growth of our economy and force us to give away our birthright. It will tie the legislators hands and nothing will get done! Want a pothole fixed, submit 6 bids, form a board blah blah blah. Yes we needed to hold our legislators and senior civil servants to greater accountability but we don’t want to handcuff them. That is exactly what the COI recommendations are about! But yall don’t understand this. So you happy to let the white massah come in
  • ... (28/05/2024, 07:57) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    What we want is for you to cannabis and stop treating us like children and stop getting us involved in international affairs which are far removed from US. Stop the double speak, telling us about the definition of genocide. "He who is surety for a stranger will smart for it", how well is that going to turn out when they get hauled up for civilian death?

    You make us look bad supporting oppression of other people, when we were oppressed ourselves.

    Your alcoholic police are out looking to smell smoke on us while hung over. We also want an apology for Slavery. That is over due.

    There is some dummy there keeps attacking people when they speak of our past history of slavery but it is fact. & by locking people up for a scientifically sound & medicinal plant is a continuation of our colonization & oppression. Fact because it is not sciences that say cannabis is bad, but an outdated white supremist ideology that spread & forced upon all corners of the globe after 1970.

    When Martin Luther King Jr died the torch passed to all of us. More rights, More freedom stop holding each other down, You go to church the Rasta go to church, you praise Jahova they praise Jah. Stop holding your own down.


Create a comment


Create a comment

Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.

Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.