'The BVIslander has lost his zeal for advancement'- Hon Vincent O. Wheatley
“The people came from all over Tortola to the meetings because they understood the importance of it.”
Hon Wheatley was at the time debating the 2022-2023 Constitution Reform Commission (CRC) Report during the Ninth Sitting of the Second Session of the Fifth House of Assembly (HoA) on Friday, September 19, 2025.
CRC consultations were poorly attended
According to the Minister, the consultation meetings by the Constitution Reform Commission were poorly attended and this was documented by the CRC team. He said this is the same response when there is public consultation on bills to be debated in the House of Assembly.
Hon Wheatley said the book, Memoirs of H.R. Penn, in contrast, stated that the meetings leading up to the Great March grew night by night despite the conditions at the time. Between 1000 and 1500 people ultimately showed up for the Great March that led to the restoration of the then legislative council.
‘Complacency’
He said at that time the population was less than seven thousand, and about 20% of the population showed up for the Great March. Today, according to Hon Wheatley, the population is about 30,000 and 20% would be about 6000 persons.
“Where in the world could you get six thousand persons here to do anything of this nature? This tells me that somewhere along the line, the BVIslander has lost his zeal for advancement…There is a certain complacency among our current population for things of importance to the future of this country.”
To “bring his point home”, the Minister recalled the march on May 22, 2022, in the VI against the United Kingdom (UK) threatening to impose direct rule on the VI.
“I was there. We marched down the Governor’s Office, John Rankin, and the governor looked out his window, and he kind of smiled. And I know he made a funny remark afterwards that the people aren’t serious, because there were less than a hundred and fifty people there.”
150 people of a 30,000 population is 0.5%.
According to Hon Wheatley, the numbers show that “something has gone wrong.”
_01.gif)
_01.gif)
.png)
Follow Us On
7 Responses to “'The BVIslander has lost his zeal for advancement'- Hon Vincent O. Wheatley”
Every four four years (4 yrs) or there about, are you, and other political not the ones that approached the public, and begged of them 18 years, and older with verbal promises to better inhance there lives?
Are you, and the other political leaders blamless of this complacency curb in the B. V.I? Isn't greediness for more spoil (dust to dust), material posession sought after, but most time denied, but not for the political elites, may very well be the cure issue for this complacency problem?
I have envisioned this problem since the since the mid 19 nine TTTTTTTTTs (1990s). Where have you lived for the last 30 years. Why haven't you, and most, if not all politicians not seen the the tactics you have played to become material rich would eventually backfire? And that the words of, Bob Marley, in song: "Woe to the downpressers, they eat (still eating) the bread of sad tomorrow...."
Got the message, the vibes, the wisdom of it? I hope that you, and others do.
Stop chasing the wind. It shifts ever so often in many way more than one.
In addition, stop pretending that you are that ignorant of knowledge of the topic issue.
According to CSC, he don't want to hear from Belongers so what do you really expect?