Claude Skelton-Cline no longer supports the VIP: Premier

From left: Claude Skelton-Cline and Premier Natalio Wheatley

By MERRICK ANDREWS, Online News Editor

(JTV NEWS) — Premier and Chairman of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Natalio Wheatley said talk show host and pastor Claude Skelton-Cline appears to no longer support the VIP.

Wheatley, who is also Minister for Finance, made the remarks during Tuesday’s sitting in the House of Assembly.

At the time, he was making statements in response to a damning report from the Auditor General’s Office on the three contracts granted to Claude Skelton-Cline, who was collecting just over $16,000 monthly for them.

Audits have revealed that the contracts did not go through a tender process, were not a value-added move, and appeared to have been employment for the contractor.

During his contribution in the House, Premier Wheatley not only admitted that the contracts given to Skelton-Cline were a mistake but said Skelton-Cline may no longer be his friend, or of the VIP, because of what he has to say.

“And let’s speak about the fact that Mr. Claude Cline has been associated with political parties including the Virgin Islands Party of which I am the chairman. I don’t think he supports the Virgin Islands Party anymore which has been his pattern — if I might say that,” Wheatley said.

“He’s been jumping left, he’s been jumping right. Claude Skelton-Cline says he believes a woman will be elected as the next Premier. Now I am a fan of a woman Premier, of course. But I believe his biggest motivation for saying that a woman will be elected is because I am a man. And it’s become very clear that Claude Skelton-Cline does not support me in my political endeavours and he doesn’t support the Virgin Islands Party which I lead.

“And I will just give you my theory as to why that is. And Mr. Skelton-Cline, first he was talking about a woman then he start talking about his uncle, Ronnie. And Madam Speaker, I wonder if the public understands what’s taking place. First, he started with the Virgin Islands Party then he went to the National Democratic Party, then he went back to the Virgin Islands Party, and the current leader of the Virgin Islands Party doesn’t seem like I am going to be able to get through with him. Seems like the gravy train might be over there. Let’s jump on to the next host,” Premier Wheatley added.

Cline emailed a two-page proposal to the Premier’s Office offering his services as Chief Strategic Advisor “to assist the office of the Premier throughout the strategic planning and execution of key initiatives”.

The proposal outlined three specific areas of focus, as stated in the report, Climate Change, 1000 Jobs in 1000 Days, and Youth Empowerment. The proposal also presented a list of duties and responsibilities for the Chief Strategic Advisor.

The document included a proposed contractual period of four years at $196,000 per annum ($16,330.00 monthly) — a remuneration that would place the consultant’s pay above that of Cabinet Ministers and the Premier.

The report tells us that both the proposal and the draft agreement submitted by Skelton-Cline placed the consultant in an “advisory” role with no obligation or commitment to produce results and no requirement to demonstrate improvements or added value to the Public Service.

Two and a half weeks after submitting the proposals, Skelton-Cline was engaged by the Premier’s Office as a “strategic advisor” via petty contract and stipulated a term of six months from March 25, 2019, and remuneration of $16,330.00 per month with five-percent end-of-contract gratuity.

The Premier told the House that Skelton-Cline did not produce as expected.

“He was paid exorbitantly for those contracts and his contribution to the success of the initiatives that he was tasked to complete was marginal at best,” Wheatley said.

However, he said while the Auditor General’s Report on the Claude Skelton-Cline contracts is “pretty straightforward” others are questionable.

“…. Yes, this contract that we speak about, these contracts for Claude Skelton-Cline did come to Cabinet, and I did support them, and I am here to say to you, Madam Speaker, that I believe that I believe my support for these contracts was a mistake, and I believe that the former Premier made a mistake in engaging Claude Skelton-Cline with these contracts.

“This audit [Skelton-Cline contracts] is pretty straightforward. I’ll have to say we have some other audits coming where the Auditor General comes to some conclusions that I disagree with, and that’s ok because the Auditor General herself is a human being, and as a human being her conclusions are not infallible,” Premier Wheatley said.