Resident columnist Dickson Igwe
Now, an incoming government post the April 24, 2023 General Election will face a ‘’tricky’’ landscape. Governance will involve walking through a ‘thick jungle of pits, traps, and dangerous beasts.’
In the quest to govern, a new premier and his or her ministers will face a ‘Sword of Damocles’ hanging over the land.
The Order in Council threatening the suspension the Virgin Islands Constitution, will serve as a check on any government that fails to fulfill the requirements of the Commission. Springing from that Order in Council will be tension in managing the affairs of state.
Consequently, there is no point avoiding the COI on the campaign trail. Voters want to know the what, where, how, when, and who of implementing the recommendations of the Commission.
We all know the why, which is the collapse in integrity and justice in managing the affairs of the country by past governments going back over 25 years. There is no innocent party.
The latest revelations include the abuse of the grant process, issues in the granting of Belonger status, and the arrest of the former premier for drug related charges in Miami.
Before that, there was the alleged mismanagement of funds by the previous government.
These allegations of the COI leaves no one untarnished, apart from a few ‘’newbies’’ who can claim the ‘’innocence of a virgin raped by some rapacious beast.’’
Issues that require immediate attention include fixing the garbage dump at Pockwood Pond; building safer roads; enforcing safety rules for scooters and motorbikes; fixing water and sewage woes in specific locations; ensuring better health insurance; and correcting the matter of politician’s pensions.
Therefore, please come clean to voters, and state how you will govern effectively, while fully implementing the COI Recommendations.
Above all, refrain from the diversionary tactics of attempting to provide Joe Public with ‘’worthless entertainment’’ spouting words that are actually meaningless, with the objective of grabbing power by accident, which even a two year old can see.
Dickson Igwe is an education official in the Virgin Islands. He is also a national sea safety instructor. He writes a national column across media and has authored a story book on the Caribbean: 'The Adventures of a West Indian Villager'. Dickson is focused on economics articles, and he believes economics holds the answer to the full economic and social development of the Caribbean. He is of both West African and Caribbean heritage. Dickson is married with one son.
