Hon Walwyn sings a different tune about Hon RT O'Neal OBE
He was speaking on Monday July 6, 2015 during the Second Sitting of the First Session of the Third House of Assembly during a motion to confer the title of Member Emeritus of the House of Assembly upon Honourable Ralph T. O'Neal OBE.
"I think it's a very positive thing that we are doing this now for Honourable O'Neal so that he can know how we feel about him and how the territory feels about him and for us to be able to recognise and thank him for the contribution that he has made to the development of the Virgin Islands," he said.
He noted that he along with other members of the House of Assembly have been calling for something more significant to be done to honour the veteran politician.
"We have to decide what that will be but certainly what we are doing here is certainly a good start but I believe we have to go a lot further. There is nobody alive in the territory who has contributed more to the development of this country than Mr O'Neal...and not just in his political career and the various ministries that he was Minister for but also his years in the teaching service," said Honourable Walwyn.
He saluted Honourable O'Neal for the sacrifice of his family life in service to the people.
"Mr O'Neal is a fine example of what a politician should be like," he said. "Even though elected to the district Mr O'Neal operated as an At Large member. He helped whoever came to him," he said.
A different song
It should be noted, however, that it was Honourable Walwyn who during the campaign trail in 2011 referred to then Premier Hon O’Neal as an “Emperor without clothes”.
Also, during the just concluded general elections campaign, Hon Walwyn said the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) should stop “dragging Honourable O’Neal out at night” to campaign for them. Many residents and the VIP took this as an insult and disrespect to the political stalwart for Mr Walwyn to suggest that the former veteran legislator was a child not capable of making his own decisions in campaigning for the party he led for 20 of his 40 years in office.
First District Representative Hon Andrew A. Fahie described the move by the NDP Government in the House of Assembly to confer the title of Member Emeritus on Hon O'Neal as a 'day of atonement'.
Speaking at the July 6, 2015 Second Sitting of the First Session of the Third House of Assembly, Hon Fahie said: “To me it is the Government’s way of sending off Honourable O’Neal in the right way. To me it is the Government’s way too of apologising for certain statements in the past that were proven not to be so about his leadership and about his stewardship,” he said.
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20 Responses to “Hon Walwyn sings a different tune about Hon RT O'Neal OBE”
put our differences aside and live as one.
In your country. B.v.i does not need you.
Apologising is the way to go. it hurts but let it be said and move on save our self some doctor bills and we would live longer, healthier lives.