UPDATE: Prudence Mathavious reports to ME&C as Deputy Sec.
Mrs. Mathavious, who reported to the Ministry last month, has replaced Ms. Tasha Bertie who has been reverted back to her post as Assistant Secretary.
Since the NDP took office last year, there has been a series of public sector shake ups that were firstly and accurately reported by this news site. These movements of civil servants have resulted in persons being either fired, transferred, or sent on extended vacation leaves, along with a few reassignments and the return of some retirees to the service and the promotion of others.
All of these movements of civil servants were done with the full knowledge and blessings of the NDP Government, according to one of our sources within the ruling administration. It remains unclear whether this post was advertised to give others an opportunity to be considered or if it was simply an internal Ministry move.
It was in 2008 when Mrs. Mathavious, the wife of Robert Mathavious, Financial Services Commission’s Chief Executive Officer, was removed from her post as Acting Chief Education Officer and reassigned to the post of Deputy Coordinator of the National Curriculum Redesign Project. The person who replaced her was Dr. Marcia Potter- the now Acting Permanent Secretary in the same Ministry that Mrs. Mathavious has now headed to.
This news site was informed that the substantive holder of the post of Deputy Secretary within the Ministry of Education is law student Suzette Vanterpool.
A source also told this news site that the movement of Mrs. Mathavious to the Ministry has the blessings of the Education and Culture Minister Myron V. Walwyn. The Deputy Secretary post is a government job that attracts an annual salary of $55,772-$83,436 in grade 16 on the salary scale.
History of shake ups since NDP took office- Updated information
Thus far, the Labour Commissioner Oleanvine Maynard has been removed from office, and replaced by Janice Rymer. She has been recently given a one year acting appointment extension.
Her removal came days after the sacking of Ray George from the Ministry of Communications and Works, the extended leave of Accountant General Kharid Fraser, and the denial of a contract renewal to Otto O’Neal, the former Cabinet Secretary. Mr. O’Neal’s last day on the job was December 15, 2011. He was replaced by Sandra Ward.
Mr. O’Neal was forced to retire when others in the service are still on the job with more years than him and much older. His brother Vincent O’Neal has also been denied a contract renewal as Managing Director of the BVI Ports Authority and reports suggested that he was treated in an unprofessional an undignified way two days before he demitted office.
This week it was reported that the esteemed Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Works Julian Willock was allegedly terminated by the UK appointed Governor with the blessings of the NDP Government.
Also, there was the reassignment of Dr. Drexel Glasgow from his post at the Public Works Department and replaced by Jeffrey Skelton, the brother of the Health and Social Development Minister Ronnie W. Skelton and the non-renewal of the contract of Ms. Sherri L. Ortiz for the post of Executive Director of International Finance Centre. She was replaced by Elise Donovan, who was the head of International Affairs at the Premier’s Office.
Last month, Sylvia Moses was removed as Commissioner of the Inland Revenue Department and transferred to the Premier’s Office, as was Hadassah Ward from the post of Director of the BVI Tourist Board to the same office.
Mrs. Rosalie Adams, who retired prematurely over a leaked FCO letter on Biwater, was returned as Permanent Secretary in the Premier’s Office following the November 2011 elections.
In addition, the NDP has seemingly given its supporters lucrative consultancy contracts while telling the public the country was left “broke” by the now opposition Virgin Islands Party of Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE.
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48 Responses to “UPDATE: Prudence Mathavious reports to ME&C as Deputy Sec.”
Mr Melee resigned from Touristboard as soon as VIP lost the elections, he knows they will let him go and bring in their people!
If VIP gets back in power, the same shifting will go on again. Mr Melee will be Chairman of TB, Ms Ward will be Director, Tasha will be Andrew secretary etc!!
Dese jobs are much to do about nothing just a few thinking they have power when in fact they have little!
unhealthy environment. Like Afghanistan, Mogadishu. etc are
please finish your post. You speak the truth.
The Ministries are top-heavy, vertical, non-functioning bureaucracies which stifle creativity among the staff. The Ministers are dictatorial and tyrannical and the PSs are oblivious or too passive to make a difference. The Civil Servants have no voice and no say in any process. Officers who are paid for their training and knowledge to shape the process are transferred, fired, sidelined, or blackballed by PSs, administrators, and Ministers who continue to wallow in their own ignorant self-importance and aggrandizement to the detriment of the territory.
This is why we have a hospital that will cost in excess of 100 million for 60 odd beds, non-functioning greenhouses, the most expensive bridge per foot in the world etc etc. On the other side we have no running water to most households, poor quality electricity, overpriced telecommunication services, deteriorating road network, poor healthcare infrastructure, poor education infrastructure, no price protection etc etc. Meanwhile we have public funds paving driveways, building private retaining walls, cutting bush etc and people talking foolishness about independence.
I weep for the Blessed Virgin Islands
One of the problems I see in the BVI is that government are not selecting individuals who have a vision and a passion for this country, but rater individuals are selected based on their passion for a "individual party" (NDP or VIP). Too often I go to a government office and I speak with inidvuals in senior mangement position who cannot strategies and not see beyond their desk much less the future.
If our employment practices do not change, we would continue to say that BVI has one of the healties economies in the Caribbean, but if you look around we can't see where the money is. Look at our hospital, look at our roads, look at our education system,...... All of these are as a result of poor management and lack of leadership.
I am of the opinion that if someone is sitting in a position for 5, 10 and in some cases 20 years and haven't made an impact they should be moved ... for it is not about an individual nor a party it is about OUR COUNTRY.