Procurement Act has come 'because we put 70-80 contractors on one project’- Premier
“Why is it that we pressured to bring our Procurement Act?... the reason why we were pressured to bring a Procurement Act is because we put in 70-80 contractors on one project,” the Premier told the House during the July 4, 2024, continuation of the Thirteenth Sitting of the First Session of the Fifth House of Assembly.
“That's the reason and Madam Speaker, let's be honest with ourselves, the reason why we are pressured to do our Procurement Act, that's causing some challenges, is because we were not doing what we were supposed to do in the past.”
The Premier was at the time speaking during Other Business when he addressed what he said was the Opposition's attempts to raise a barrage of issues across the Virgin Islands and blame it on his administration.
“We were doing a lot of nonsense… We were very irresponsible, and perhaps maybe if you were a little more responsible, we wouldn't have a Procurement Act here messing us up now.”
ESHS Wall?
While the Premier did not explicitly state that the project he referenced was that of the controversial 2016 Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) Wall Project, it was revealed that project saw the use of some 70 constructors to construct a single fence around the high school.
Commission of Inquiry (CoI) Commissioner Sir Gary R. Hickinbottom, in his final report, had concluded that serious dishonesty in relation to elected public officials may have taken place.
Former Education Minister Hon Myron V. Walwyn (R6), who has been aggressively attacking the sitting government in the HoA in his usual distasteful manner, oversaw the construction of the wall.
“The construction of a single wall involved 70 different contractors, the majority of whom had no constructor’s trade license, in circumstances which disregarded the increased costs and complexity that the use of multiple contractors would inevitably entail, which would inevitably put at risk any desire to get the works completed at speed, as those involved including the Minister Hon Myron Walwyn well knew,” the report detailed.
According to the CoI Report, Walwyn personally hired 70 different contractors and the majority of the contractors had no trade license. It was found that relevant procurement provisions were avoided and matters were artificially manipulated to avoid Cabinet involvement.
On November 1, 2022, Hon Walwyn become the third person charged in relation to criminal investigations into the Elmore Stoutt High School Wall Project.
Hon Walwyn was charged with Breach of Trust by a Public Official.
The NDP in a subsequent statement in November 2022, said it was standing with its former Chairman Hon Walwyn.
“I'm going to bring the Procurement Act and we going to make some adjustments to it To make it work better, but we [are] the ones who caused the problem,” Dr Wheatley added.
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27 Responses to “Procurement Act has come 'because we put 70-80 contractors on one project’- Premier”
Come on man, the Premier position that you now hold is much bigger than you and all your ministry team can handle, clear fact. And the blame continuing daily.
DO ( LIVE AND LET LIVE ) OR LET EVERY MOUTH BE FED ) [ INSTEAD ON ONE MAN'S TABLE ] AND THAT GOT YOU ALL SO MAD , THAT YOU ALL PAID THE MONEY HUNGRY CONTRACTORS TO SABOTAGE THE PROJECT TO MSKE WALWYN LOOK BAD • BUT IN THE PROCESS THEY MADE THEMSELVES LOOK INCOMPETENT / AND EXPOSED THEMSELVES TO WALWYN THAT THEY WERE UNTRUSTWORTHY • AND JOKERS LIKE YHOSE , SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN ANOTHER CONTRACT WITH ANT GOVERNMENT VAGAIN / AND BE MADE TO EITHER FINISH THE JOB THAT THEY WERE PAID TO DO - OR SUE THEM AND GET BACK OUR TAXPAYERS MONEY / WHY THIS GOVERNMENT IS NOT DOING THAT ❓️ ???? IS IT BECAUSE THE CONTRACTORS WOULD SNITCH AND TELL THE PEOPLE WHAT REALLY HAPPENED BEHIND THE SCENES ❓️ ???? WALWYN DIDN'T STEAL THE MONEY AS THE THE WIGGED CANARY IS INSINUATING / OS YHE SAME SENERIO WITH THE PLANE , NOW WE ALL KNOW SMITH GOT RIPPED OFF BY SOME HUSTLERS / AND YET THIS
(BIG youth ) GOVERNMENT ISN'T DOING ANYTHING TO GET BACK THE 7 MILLION OF OUR TAXPAYERS MONEY / AND YET THE YHE WIGGED ONE IS ALLOWED TO KEEP ON SINGING HIS BROKEN DOWN RECORD ON THE WALL & AND PLANE AS IF ITS TRUE / AND HERE HE IS WITH EXPRESSING HIS CHILDISH TIT FOR TAT MENTALITY FOR THE WORLD TO SEE INSTEAD OF RESPECTING CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM AND MANING UP AND ADRESSING THE PROBLEMS THAT IS BEFORE US / THAT NEGATIVE MENTALITY GOINT TO HELP HIM OR US / HE IS OUR LEADER , BUT HE ACTING LIKE TRUMP
now no disrespect, a white guy was making over thirty thousand dollars each month in this territory and that was wonderful(ask the R.D.A)
rich investors comes here are offered everything tax free
blacks might never know themselves until they back are against the wall
U realize that black folks in the territory just can’t get along harmoniously….gun down each other…..break into each other homes etc