$100,000 to kick off new Penville Village Council plans

The council's chairperson receives the presentation from the Prime Minister
The council’s chairperson receives the presentation from the Prime Minister

The Penville Village Council is now better-positioned to handle its affairs thanks to $100,000 donation from the nation’s Finance Minister, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.

The nation’s leader made the presentation to the newly-sworn in Chairperson of the village council, Frances Alexis, at the council’s 15th inaugural meeting last week.

“I’d like to hand over a cheque of $100,000 to the village council,” Hon. Skerrit began, “This is just a start for the Council. “I gave a promise to my dear friends in Lower Penville that [the] La Wi Bwois Den [Road] must be done and we should seek to start work as early as May.”

Alexis is the second female chairperson of the Penville Village Council in over 40 years.

Prime Minister Skerrit said to her, “I am very happy that you are the chairperson of the Council. You have demonstrated your love and commitment to this village… I will personally help you not just as the MP but as the Minister for Finance.”

At the meeting, seven other members were officially sworn in for a three year term: Karen Seaman, Rosemarie Etienne, Alana Alexander-Pierre, Gabrielle Garnette Le Blanc, Stephen Charles, Edris George and outgoing chairman, Justin Dubois.

Incoming Chairman, Alexis says the community has achieved very much with the support of the Dominica Labour Party administration.

She pledged her willingness to continue working for her community.

“It was three years ago today that I took my first oath as a member of the village council and I promised to serve my community with honesty and integrity. Thirty-six months later, I can proudly say with great confidence that I remain true to that promise,” Alexis said. “What I say to you today as a woman of my word is that I am willing to work with you and I ask that you work with me and my other councilors to move our community forward.”

Some of Council’s plans for the new term includes the installation of street lights around the village, the construction of a new bus stop, road and drainage improvements, additional beautification projects and more.

Hon. Minister for Social Services, Catherine Daniel also addressed Thursday’s inauguration.

Daniel congratulated the newly sworn in members highlighting the importance of village councils.

“I am pleased as Minister for Social Services, Family and Gender Affairs to associate with occasions such as these for they give clear indication of the positive role being played by communities through their local authorities…

“When communities prosper, the benefits redound to the entire country. Councils function as an important arm of central government providing valuable support for governance and development at the community level hence every inauguration is testimony that local governance is alive and working in this country,” she said.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is also Member of Parliament for the Vieille Case Constituency which includes Penville.

He pledged his Government’s full support to the progress of the village council.

“All of the projects which you have listed can be and will be implemented in your three-year term and I suspect it may be implemented long before the term is up.”

The Penville Village Council was first inaugurated in 1969.

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14 Comments

  1. Brain dead
    April 21, 2015

    Where are the brains of Dominica? Have they all migrated, become brain dead, or dead in the grave? Why do the people of Dominica sit there and allow Skerrit to do what he wants and no one says a thing? I mean it is alright for Mr. Skerrit to go to Penville and hand over a cheque of $100K to the chairperson. However, no mention of where the money came from? Is it the government giving the money, since Skerrit promised to personally help her not just as the MP but as the Minister for Finance? If yes, was this money discussed and approved by the cabinet? Does anyone take account of what is happening? Did he not also hand over a Cheque of $100K to the former chaiman of the council two years ago for a basketball court? What became of that money? If the money is coming from his pocket, should we not know the source of this money? Where has accountability and good governance gone to? You mean a minister of finace can now just hand over a big check to anyone he chooses? Something wrong boy

  2. No strings attached?
    April 21, 2015

    ” I will personally help you not just as the MP but as the Minister for Finance.” Why” I will personally help you”? Why not the government? Why not as parliamentary representative but as Finance Minister? Was Skerrit ever a village councilor to offer personal help to a young beautiful lady as finance minister? I sure don’t feel too comfortable about this. Money is power and I doubt this young lady ever received a check worth $10K before. To hand her a $100K cheque, though not for her personal use, no doubt made her feel good. To promise personal help to her leaves me to wonder if there are any strings attached and by this I mean, political strings or otherwise

  3. Dominican
    April 21, 2015

    Would be good to add photos of the current road to be rehabilitated vs what the road should look like once rehabilitated.

  4. forkit
    April 21, 2015

    penville is the only village in dominica it seems

  5. SMH
    April 21, 2015

    where my money too sir :-P :-P

  6. Trevor Fabien
    April 21, 2015

    Is anyone getting the impression that this money being handed over to the village council is some sort of personal donation? Actually DNO stated that it is a donation. So this is not tax payers money right DNO? This is someone’s personal money and seeing that the PM is the one dishing it out in guessing it all belongs to him? Can someone clarify this for me please

  7. stakedaddy
    April 21, 2015

    election over but the campaigning continues..i will help you personally as MP and finance minister…I do hope that this help will come from your pocket or bank account

  8. The voice of god?
    April 21, 2015

    “I am very happy that you are the chairperson of the Council. You have demonstrated your love and commitment to this village… I will personally help you not just as the MP but as the Minister for Finance.”

    So folks when you see them spending a lot of time together don’t question anything because the fact that Mr. Skerrit has personally promised to help her implies that she has to meet with him often concerning the needs of the village council ok.

  9. The voice of god?
    April 21, 2015

    Encouraging words from Skerrit “I am very happy that you are the chairperson of the Council…”
    “I will personally help you not just as the MP but as the Minister for Finance.”

    Does anyone remembers this old rhyme: The more we get together
    Together, together
    The more we get together
    The happier we’ll be
    Cause your friends are my friends
    And my friends are your friends
    The more we get together
    The happier we’ll be

    The more we play together
    Together, together,
    The more we play together
    The happier we’ll be
    Cause your friends are my friends
    And my friends are your friends
    The more we play together
    The happier we’ll be

    The more we dance together
    Together, together
    The more we dance together
    The happier we’ll be
    Cause your friends are my friends
    And my friends are your friends
    The more we dance together
    The happier we’ll be

    The more we get together
    Together, together…

  10. The voice of god?
    April 21, 2015

    Skerrit now giving young beautiful female money in the name of village council? hmmmm

    • Ha
      April 21, 2015

      Here we go… so predictable

    • Hmm
      April 21, 2015

      Hmm Jealousy and Haters are all over, smh hmmm

  11. Ha
    April 21, 2015

    Or should i say UWP lol… But thats good, keep it positive

  12. Ha
    April 21, 2015

    Its a surprise Dominicans havent posted any negative comments as yet lol

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