ROADTOWN Tortola, BVI, April 7th 2011 - Last evening Wednesday April 6, talk show hosts Edmund Maduro, Carl Dawson and Cromwell Smith joined Elihu Rymer on Speak Out BVI, where they also said they would seek to “stop” any motion to the House of Assembly (HOA) that pertains to the Biwater contingency liability.
On August 19, 2010, the Talk Show Host had submitted a petition to the Governor with 500 signatures, seeking an enquiry into the Water Purchase Agreement between the Government of the Virgin Islands and Biwater.
The Governor issued a response to the Alliance on March 23 2011, stating among other things, “ the Agreement will produce potable water at a rate, which appears to offer better value to the people of the Virgin Islands than other contracts in the territory”.
“Believe me if it takes three quarter or 50 percent, or two of us to stand up in the House of Assembly to say to those persons in there ‘you will not pass any such motion in this House that ties the people of the BVI down to $170 million that had no bidding process; but worst than that, deny a local company the opportunity to undertake the said work for $50 million … less,” Elihu Rymer stated on his programme last evening.
Meanwhile, Rhymer further stated that he believes the Governor misspoke himself in the letter and he hopes he will re-read it, and talk to the relevant officials in the United Kingdom to still have the review of the Biwater Contract.
Cromwell Smith, host of Umoja and a guest on Speak Out BVI, said in this particular instance based on his response to the Talk Show Alliance, the Governor is acting like an ambassador for his country.
Smith said instead of the Governor investigating and bringing the factual information as to why there should not be a commission of inquiry, he brought information to justify the award of the contract.
Smith further declares that the Governor did not give the Talk Show Alliance “any logical reasons why there should not be a commission of inquiry” but rather attempt to justify the validity of the contract, where he stated that the contract was giving value for money.
Talk Show Host Edmund Maduro also spoke out on the contract and stated that “the secrecy under which this Biwater contract was negotiated was horrible and distasteful and on that secrecy alone was enough to get the Governor, if he was responsible enough, to put a commission of enquiry”.
He further stated that the magnitude of the liability even makes it worst.
Calls for Protest, Governor acted “highhanded”
One caller on the programme told the talk show hosts that coming on the radio and talking about the issue would not solve the problem. He suggested that they should organize a march.
To this Rymer said, more than that has to be done. He reiterated that when any motion is taken to the House to debate as it pertains to the Contingency Bill, persons need to be present around the House.
Another caller said he is trying to ascertain the role of the Governor, who he said seemed to be negotiating on behalf of the company.
“I don’t see good governance and does the Governor have a right to tell us what to do with our money?” the caller questioned.
The caller further said he believes the Governor acted extremely highhanded and most of all he was not even Governor in the Territory when the Biwater deal transpired
Article taken from Virgin Islands News Online
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