UPDATE: Hon. Walwyn’s Private Secretary fired!
However, this week, Ms. Vanterpool received a letter terminating her services as Private Secretary, and according to well-placed sources close to the situation, no reason was given as to why. In her original letter of appointment as Private Secretary, weeks after the 2011 general elections, she was appointed "until further notice".
Both the Minister for Education and Culture and his Ag. Permanent Secretary Marcia Potter, Phd., are tight lipped on the matter and did not return calls. However, a senior Human Resources Official told this news site that "a Private Secretary cannot be terminated unless that is the express wish of the Minister....so in other words her Minister got rid of her."
Under the civil servant public sector system, Private Secretaries are directly chosen by Ministers of Government and cannot get the job unless requested by a Minister. Following the 2011 general elections in which the National Democratic Party of Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith took power and a new Cabinet was appointed, all five Private Secretaries were replaced as was expected and is customary.
One senior civil servant who wished to remain anonymous, had told this news site that, “it is highly unusual that a Minister will want his Private Secretary to take vacation leave just six to seven months in a new administration…it has never happened before…something must have gone wrong like a fall out.”
Another source inside the National Democratic Party Administration told this news site that Ms. Vanterpool had requested and received a meeting with the Premier before her termination, however, both her and the Premier remain tight lipped on the outcome of the meeting, or the reasons for her being asked to take vacation leave at such a critical time in the freshman Minister’s term in office.
While most of the former Private Secretaries, who worked for the then Virgin Islands Party Government Ministers were reassigned, some in the same Ministries, one who worked for the former Communications and Works Minister Julian Fraser RA, remains on leave and has not been reassigned for well over eight months. It is unknown why this Private Secretary was singled out for this type of treatment.
While Minister Walwyn’s Private Secretary was on leave, a Danielle Flax had been filling in as the Minister’s Private Secretary, according to a source inside the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Controversial decisions by Minister Walwyn
Only eight months after being elected, Minister Walwyn has emerged as the most controversial Government Minister in the Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith Administration. A couple weeks after taking office, he directed the now Acting Chief Education Officer Jillian Douglas-Phillip via an E-mail to ask the Principal of the Althea Scaliffe Primary School to remove a long standing slogan from the School, which had read; "Mighty Mighty Scatliffe" . The slogan is the school’s tradition used to motivate the school children most time during sports meet.
Following that, he ordered the lights at the Old Recreation Grounds in Long Bush to be removed citing safety concerns from the public, forcing the softball league to play games only in the day. The replacement lights are yet to arrive and be installed.
A few weeks ago in a statement in Parliament that surprised many in the progressive and indigenous class, he threatened to bring sanctions against the media and accused them particularly the online news sites, that if current conditions continue in the media, Government may take prohibition action. In what some described as an angry statement on July 24, 2012, the Minister said that it seems as though some news outlets are comfortable with reporting half-truths, taking things out of context and putting it into their own context and thus, distorting the truth.
The freshman Minister stopped short of pointing to any specific media reports or pointing to any media house which may have distorted news reports to support his claims or any example of such stories.
Veteran second district representative Hon. J. Alvin Christopher, speaking at the last House of Assembly (HOA) sitting on July 26, 2012, told the public that he was troubled by the statement made in the HOA by Hon. Walwyn about "sanctioning the media".
"I hear his statement and maybe at hand I understand his passion and what he is saying, but it is a matter that in a democratic society, freedom of speech - you have to be very careful," Hon. Christopher warned.
Also at the same sitting, the former Education and Culture Minister and first district representative Hon. Andrew A. Fahie lashed out at Walwyn and asked his party leader and Premier Dr. Smith to "bell that cat" for creating a culture of disrespect.
Very recently, the Chairman of the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee Marvin Blyden reported that the official opening ceremony for the 2012 Emancipation Celebration of the Claudette “Boopie” Smith Festiville had to be moved to Saturday July 28, 2012 to facilitate the Minister's schedule.
However, the Acting Director of Culture Brenda Lettsome-Tye reported the events would have still kicked off on Thursday July 26, 2012 with a Gospel Fest and activities as normal on Friday July 27, the usual day for well over 20 years which traditionally facilitated the official opening ceremony.
Mr. Walwyn, who is also the Minister for Sports, was in London to attend the Opening of the 2012 Olympics.
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