Maduro, along with Natalio D. Wheatley aka Sowande Uhuru, Winston E. Nibbs aka La Fontey, Doug Wheatley and a host of other persons had sought to send a petition calling on government to withdraw the controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) and iron out numerous concerns before implementing it. Photo: VINO/File

Not being satisfied with the non-committal response given by Premier Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith to the petition submitted to him on October 13, 2015, the Group sought to up the ante and send it to the Queen but did so through the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to the chagrin of Maduro. Photo: Provided

According to Maduro, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office sent down a letter in response to the petitioners request for an audience with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Photo: VINO/File

He was speaking with this news site in an interview on the subject today February 18, 2016, during which he voiced his displeasure with the Governor and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Maduro, along with Natalio D. Wheatley aka Sowande Uhuru, Winston E. Nibbs aka La Fontey, Doug Wheatley and a host of other persons had sought to send a petition calling on government to withdraw the controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) and iron out numerous concerns before implementing it.

Not being satisfied with the non-committal response given by Premier Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith to the petition submitted to him on October 13, 2015, the Group sought to up the ante and send it to the Queen but did so through the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, much to the disappointment of Maduro.

Because of their differences of opinions on the subject, Maduro allegedly walked out of a meeting of the group on December 13, 2015.

According to Maduro, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office sent down a letter in response to the petitioners request for an audience with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. He said, however, that the letter was not signed.

He said the Group wanted to go and see the Governor and he advised them against it. “All they had to do was say to the Governor here is the petition. I want you to forward it on to Her Majesty the Queen, because the Constitution says that executive authority of the Virgin Islands shall be in the Queen. So you cannot go through any Foreign and Commonwealth Office, you have to send it straight to the Queen and then she can send it to the Parliament and ask for advice if she so needs,” said Maduro.

“I told them that the Governor was just corrupting the whole situation because he is here representing Her Majesty the Queen and everything he has to do must be in accordance with the Queen because he represents her,” he said.

Maduro accused the other members of the Group of not taking his advice which he said is based on the Constitution.

“I told them that they have to send the petition to the Queen through the Governor but they would not listen to me. I know they are angry with me because they are saying that what I am saying here was discussed in secret. But nothing about this petition can be in secret because it is the people's work we were discussing.”

He said he will be on his programme 'The EGM Show' tonight on ZROD 103.7 FM where he will continue to discuss the response from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the responsibilities of the Queen and those of the Governor.