'We should have chased the CoI out of here'- Hon Julian Fraser RA
Hon Fraser praised many of the national heroes, including former Chief Minister H. Lavity Stoutt for his contributions to education especially in 1968 when he made it possible for more Virgin Islanders to attend “comprehensive high school”.
The Third District Representative also noted the contributions of heroine Pereen Georges. Her testimony helped send slave master Arthur Hodge to the gallows for killing a slave because he took up a mango that had dropped off a tree on the plantation. Hon Fraser noted, “that Ms Georges put her life and that of her family life on the line to stand up against racial oppression”.
CoI bad news; Should have been chased out- Hon Fraser
He reminded the public that a slave was killed for “picking up a mango off the ground...he was probably competing with a pig for the mango.” Hon Fraser described slave owner Author Hodge as “inhumane” and “barbaric” for his actions.
The 'father of the HoA' told the public that former United Kingdom (UK) Governor Augustus J.U. Jaspert brought in the Commission of Inquiry (Col), where many legislators including a former Chief Minister and Premier were called in to testify, to “humiliate all of us”. However, he opined that our people were outside cheering “Yes get them”.
Hon Fraser said, “The CoI should have been chased out of this place. What do they see us as? A bunch of corrupt individuals who, by the way, were elected by you the people. We did not come here because we were better looking than anyone else on the streets. We came here because we presented you with a programme and a plan that you thought was better than others and we got elected. We continue to serve to the best of our ability as honest individuals and we have families too," Hon Fraser stated.
CoI recommends recolonisation of VI; Brings hardship
The CoI's main recommendation was to recolonise the Territory by suspending its constitution and placing the unelected governor John J. Rankin, CMG in charge. Following the CoI report, many residents are now feeling the pain of many of the recommendations. The country has come to a halt and is now spending millions and millions of taxpayers' funds to implement what was demanded by the CoI Report.
Opposition Leader Hon Ronnie W. Skelton (AL) told the public at the same special sitting that the “CoI recommendations are retarding the progress of the Virgin Islands”.
Hon Skelton cited an example where in a state of national emergency no work can be done to clear up the place or help residents unless it goes out to “competitive bidding”. Many poor people and single mothers, along with the elderly, who used to receive assistance from elected officials no longer can get the support but instead must go to the Social Development Department where help has been reduced and is bureaucratic.
The 10 national heroes and 'sheroes' are Mr Shelly Martin, Ms Perreen Georges, Mr Augustus McCleverty, Mr Obadiah Dawson, Mr Henry Garnet, Mr Theodolph Faulkner, Mr Isaac Glanville Fonseca, Mr Carlton de Castro, Mr H. Lavity Stoutt, and Mr Noel Lloyd.
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74 Responses to “'We should have chased the CoI out of here'- Hon Julian Fraser RA”
You know who is head of the list.
1) Initiated a non transparent, racially bias, predetermined, and non-independent COI. This gives them a "so-called" transparent independent report to work from when in fact it is their doing and it is not independent. They called the COI. They high handedly hire a specific person to get a specific outcome with no transparent hiring or selection process. They wrote the terms of reference. They used their staff to assist the COI Commissioner. They influenced the report. It was all them but they take us for fools. This was and still is a set up.
2) They knew before hand what the recommendations were so they ran to implement an order in council to suspend the constitution if all their preauthored 48 recommendations are not implemented within their ridiculous and unreasonable deadlines. Knowing full well it cannot be achieved and most of the 48 recommendations are not in the best interest of the people and economy of the BVI. Knowing full well the BVI people will object to some of them including this high handed police act. In addition since when a judge has the experience of running a country to write 48 recommendations which are non negotiable to run a country and dictate they must be accepted wholesale. This is a clear set up.
These actions need to be fought in the courts. They are behaving as if the only rights the people of the BVI have is what they allow.
BVI it is time for action as they do not intend to stop.
Isn't it a true statement that "If the blind lead the blind, all will fall in the ditch."
Hon. Julian Frazier, I hold nothing personal against you. In my opinion, what you said about the CoI is either hate speach or you need prayers, and mental checkup free of financial cost.
Love truly,
Senior Native citizen of the British Virgin Islands.
A native Virgin Islander to the Nth generation
He's sounding very bold now, don't remember him being so at the time.
both have left out the DUDE who snitched on his own people and begged for the same COI •¿• ( SELECTIVE AMNESIA ❓️ for sure these ZEROES won't be on the list of the REAL heroes of the BVI / these two jokers sing the same song like the canary on this site with the WIG ( oh its the UK fault ? OR it's the COLONIALISTS fault ( you hypocrites need to look in the mirror
Moreover, former Governor Augustus Jaspert handpicked a sole commissioner Sir Gary Hickinbottom to conduct a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) under the dated 1880 commission of inquiry act. It appears as if the CoI was conducted in a bias manner. It seems to focus heavily on functions under the local government; whereas, functions under the purview of the UK-appointed Governor and fellow Briton was deliberately overlooked, ie, civil service, judiciary, Royal Virgin Islands Police Force( RVIPF). These functions are not modeled agencies; they had and have problems. CoI completed, it had 48 findings with the #1 finding being suspending the VI constitution and replacing with UK direct rule. The constitution was suspended by an order in council and is being held in reserved, hanging over the head of the VI and its people as the Sword of Damocles. The recommendation of a lone, handpicked commissioner should not be the single determinant in suspending the constitution of a country of approximately 35,000 people who had no say in the action which adversely impacts their lives and livelihoods. But white is right and might. Further, the local government is being forced to implement the CoI in a short time frame (24 months) without the proper planning, analysis, consequences , House of Assembly (HOA) review , etc. This rush for implementing the CoI recommendations was driven, for the recommendations of a single, handpicked commissioner whose findings were probably determined before even touching down at TBLIA. The colonialists are operating under the racial superiority, exclusionary, extractive, violent, rapist,,exploitative, unearned special privilege and entitlements, abusive, dehumanization, etc colonialism institution.
Despite the controversial nature of the CoI, it has some findings that the territory should embrace , capitalized and learn from to improve governance effectiveness, transparency, etc.
Moreover, Nero Supposedly fiddle while Rome burn. Similarly, Virgin Islanders are sitting idle and slumbering while the colonialists are quietly grabbing control of their homeland, the same homeland from which they bolted from in the 1800s, casting it supposedly as only useful as a bird sanctuary. And the rugged individualism l, sacrifice, and hardwork, etc of Virgin Islanders with little help from the UK built what was a poverty stricken little sleepy hollow,and the poor house of the West Indies into today having one of the highest standards of living, quality of life, human development index, per capita income, etc in the region, though one of the smallest in the region. All roads now lead, including roads from the UK, into the Virgin Islands. The rejected stone is now the head stone. The Glorious Revolution or Bloodless Revolution of 1688 in England changed England by lessening the absolutist powers of the monarchy and increasing the power of Parliament. Virgin Islanders better awaken from their slumber and protect what they built etc. They must exert their self-determination rights, rights enjoyed by other people. Self-determination rights don’t come easily; they must be demanded, peacefully of course.
V/r
Graduate of Manda School
Blacks have no rights that whites should respect. Incidentally, the Insular cases have not been rescinded by the Supreme Court.
The UK acquired its territories through conquest and colonization but UK treatment of minority residents, especially Black residents, resemble the same treatment dictated/condoned by the US Insular cases. The UK owned its colonies/ territories but they were/are not part of the UK. The UK had the largest, richest and powerful empire, the British Empire, in history, controlling 25% of the globe. Nevertheless, not a square inch of that Empire was integrated into the UK. Was that a coincidence or a deliberate decision? The remaining remnants of the Empire , the Overseas Territories, are not treated as equal partners but rather in a dependent MASTER-slave relationship. One aspect of colonialism was racial superiority. That attitude and behavior persists in the relationship between the UK and its OTs. The UK is the Administering Power appointed by the UN to shephard the BVI towards a full measure of self-governance. For the example , its constitutional agreements with the OTs are dependency-modelled based. The UK wants to still hold on to power and control through unilateral power, ie, reserve powers, assent power, power to unilaterally reverse devolve powers, ie, suspending the constitution. The VI constitution was suspended by an order in council but held in reserve , based on the recommendation of a lone, handpicked, fellow Briton Sir Gary Hickinbottom thru a Commission of Inquiry ( CoI) which in the view of many findings were pre-determined. It seems the UK believes that the people in the BVI have no rights, self-determination pursuits, etc it should respect.
There, zi said it and I am from D3
Further,,you took deep dive into historical events which are connected to present day action, outlining the theory of case for current actions and events..Shakespeare says “ what is past, is prologue.” The past has a link to the present and future. We cannot look to the present in a vacuum. Nevertheless, often times we focus only on the present. The premise of colonialism is still active today. Its basic tenets are still being employed in the 21st Century by the colonialists. Some of those being governed are helping to fuel the spirit and intent.
Have we started to work on preparing ourselves with, 1, Better Health Programs /Better Educational Institutional Foundations / Updated Criminalty procedures/Defense and defensive strategies, as well as Security Linkage and comprehensiive ties to be connected with in such cases as posible in Disasters and Pandemics.
Have we even tried to develop a sender of togetherness as yet amongst ourselves, to want to become a Nation, and if so, do we plan to acknowledge God's purpose, or to be continuously drifting always, without propper guidance.
These are things we have to develop before we jump into handlling our selves and our own affairs..
Then we will be able to raise our Righthands and positively show our PATRIOTISM.( other than that, make up uour minds to accept whatever comes)