UNICEF report 'Fake News' – Rhodni A. Skelton
The report was tabled recently in the House of Assembly by Minister for Health and Social Development Honourable Ronnie W. Skelton (AL) and has since been headlining throughout the territory.
Among the issues UNICEF called for is an end to discrimination in the allocation of social services in the territory, adding that expats should have equal access to such services because they too pay taxes and social security.
“Central to the inequities identified in the territory is the difference in how services are made available to belongers, residents, and non-belongers. In the context of human rights, lack of resources does not justify the availability of social benefits for some groups and not others,” the report stated.
In another instance, UNICEF claims that expatriates have raised concern that they are being abused especially at the workplace more often than reported in the Virgin Islands (UK), adding that there also is an issue with tension in the territory.
“Despite a substantial presence of immigrants in the territory for many years, there is an implicit tension between those who ‘belong’ to the British Virgin Islands and those who do ‘not belong’. Sometimes, this tension is not so tacit.”
No respect for UNICEF
But these and other mentions of the territory are not sitting well with the son of Mr Skelton, the Minister for Health and Social Development.
Mr Rhodni A. Skelton, the Film Commissioner and Events Marketing Manager at the BVI Tourist Board, on April 25, 2017 posted on social media/Facebook, “This so-called UNICEF report on the BVI has me totally pissed off and annoyed! What a load of crock! Boys robbing to support single mothers? Stateless children? Expat abuse? Expats don't have access to social services? What in the Hades are these people talking about?
"Because there may be an instance or two of something or the other, doesn't mean that it is prevalent or the norm. And the news media is so quick to feature this nonsense report like it is credible simply because 'UNICEF said so'. They clearly hand picked who, if anyone, they interviewed and did no real research on the BVI. No respect for UNICEF!”
Fake News
This sparked a healthy discussion among commenters, most of whom sided with him. However, in a subsequent post on April 26, 2017 Mr Skelton came to the following conclusion.
“Ok ok. BVI. My last post about this UNICEF "so-called" report. Has anyone noticed that NO real research was done? They interviewed people (supposedly) and did their report based on these people’s perceptions and answers? Really? I want to see the SPSS Qualitative results. Perceptions formed a credible report, from a credible organization, on an entire country? BVI people resort to eating noodles and don't give our kids lunch just to make ends meet? We live a fake social life because we have homes, cars and modern phones? What?!!! I am going to have to come like Donald Trump and call this FAKE NEWS! Does any BVI resident know of any one single person who was actually interviewed?”
Why not just go back home?
To this persons were keen on justifying or providing further clarification. One such came from Samonia Vanterpool who said, “The reasons need closer examination. .. the one about exploitation is disturbing but honestly I hear people complain about not getting paid every day. My question to them always is why not just go back.”
Media houses locally rushed to the report following controversial Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn (AL) rising in the House of Assembly recently and challenging his government to address certain issues relating to the now controversial report.
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52 Responses to “UNICEF report 'Fake News' – Rhodni A. Skelton”
who is the guy , who some years ago , ran down an expat from sTo Dom, leaving him crippled?
Go figure who were interviewed.
http://bvinews.com/new/adultery-appears-common-in-the-bvi-unicef/
I rest my case!!!!
I read the UNICEF report before making any comments. The Methodology section alone of the report reflects the lack of data support, facts or figures to justify the supposed findings.
As described in the 2010 SitAn on the Eastern Caribbean Region (UNICEF Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean 2011), a major challenge in its preparation was the availability and accessibility of social data that could support disaggregated analysis and/or describe trends.
For this SitAn of the British Virgin Islands, the quantitative analysis continued to be a challenge. The territory possesses limited disaggregated data, and the availability of inconsistent sources of data does not allow for measurements of trends, which is a limitation in an in-depth equity analysis.
There is something called a representative sample which is used to ensure researcher biases do not creep in. They said explicitly that they did not have sufficient data to draw conclusive evidence so they had to include some qualitative aspects. If 10 persons say panchie food is bad in a population of 30,000 your reporting is bias because it does account for opinion of a significant amount of the population. So when you don't have a representative sample, you have an obligation to say I only interviewed 10 chicken eaters which they did not do.
Belongers in this country. That report should have never been laid in the house. The minister needed to read that report and challenge UNICEF on their so call findings. Everyone benefiting from
Our country but every chance they get, they throwing us under the bus. Where were you when our people fought to keep this country and build it after the queen said to leave it for the birds? Give me a break. Every time we implement something to protect our people, it's a problem. Every other country protecting their own and it's ok but when BVI try to do the same you hearing all kind of negative things. If we do not be careful
We will become another Dominican Republic.. search your history and you will see what I mean
A more complete report is needed in order for this to be valid.
We need people as migrants in this country who know and accept right from wrong Not those who accept only the things that can profit them.
The report is FAKE if it cannon be substantiated END OF STORY
What Rhodni and others need to understand is that the people on Facebook liking and agreeing with them are.the same ones killing them on these blogs with fake names. On FB you use your real name.and most of them are @#$*& cowards.
Leadership and, parenting more so as where did we go wrong. Why was there no opportunity?
This report should never have been tabled in HOA.
You should shut up and live better to avoid the Hades you talk about…. Wink wink.