Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit has added his voice to the controversy surrounding the firing of a security officer at the Douglas Charles Airport saying he doesn’t get involved in personal issues which he has no authority over.
“I have stayed very far from this issue because I don’t really get involve in personal issues unless it is affecting the proper function of the state…,” he said on state-owned DBS Radio’s Talking Point on Wednesday.
The officer, identified as Vescott Jones, was given his walking papers late last year after he allowed Leader of the United Workers Party (UWP), Lennox Linton, to dispose of some crab backs which he was traveling out of Dominica with and which he did not have a permit to do so.
The matter created a firestorm of controversy but CEO of the Dominica Airport and Sea Port Authority (DASPA), Benoit Bardouille, said there are “standard operating procedures” under which security officers operate and due process was followed.
Some people have called on the Prime Minister to intervene but he said he has to be careful in what he gets involved in.
“But you have to be careful what you are asking the Prime Minister to get involved in,” he noted. “I mean you guys are the same people who criticize me if I get involved in matters that you say that I shouldn’t get involved in, but you ask me to get into a matter as the Prime Minister of the country in a matter which I have no authority in.”
He added, “As far as I understand it, and I am saying so based on what I have heard in the public and I stand corrected if I am saying things wrongly, but my understanding is that the gentleman took the matter to his union… he hasn’t come to me I do not know Mr. Jones, I don’t think I have ever met him, he hasn’t come to me to discuss the matter.”
According to Skerrit, one has to understand that the airport is a very sensitive area and “you have to be very careful how you treat instances where they appear to be infractions of the security protocols.”
“So I cannot give a public commitment that I have the authority, or even though I were to have the authority to do it, that I can give a public commitment to do it,” he explained.
Skerrit stated further that he sees the incident strictly as a matter of the port and the port has the authority and the processes in place to deal with it.
“But it is a security issue, it wasn’t a situation where someone came to work late, but it is a security breach as far as I heard from the port … so it is difficult for the Prime Minister to get involved in that matter,” he stated.
I am very surprise at th e Boss I really thought this man was an impartial and fair man.How can he eat and sleep. May God have mercy on you . He ahould clean the mess in his office. Shame shame.You disappoint me. I say a a pray for you Mr Bardouile hope you can face your creator
Mr. P.M please stop insulting people’s intelligence.
DOMINICA FINI BAT – DONE………………The only hope for Dominica is to get Skeritt out of office and also guys like McIntyre and Douglas and Esprit .
There is no money left, gas up, DOMLEC up – the burn has began . WOKE THE HELL UP – It is not even a question anymore – HE MUST GO to save DOMINICA
He cannot get involved. Are you guys thick or what?. That is a private matter with a private firm everyone has policies , and procedures to follow. Or should we say because it is DA the PM should get involved.
Wake up you are intelligent people stop the nonesense. I would like to see you guys in the big countries like UK, or US get sacked for similar issues who would you blame Obama or Cameron. They would not know who the hell you are small fish as far as they are concerned.
My thing is the crab back story is done. He should not have allowed anybody be it the prime minister deputy, opposition or members of the public go through with any contraband. They took my gel why should he be given choices.
I say about the man that they got rid of send him on training and reinstate his job.
Dominica is a small country. Some of them put their noses where they should not. They expect too much from the government. At this stage, the PM cannot intervene. He pointed out his reason. If they have basic common sense, they should be able to comprehend it.
If per chance he is reinstated, the condition should be without compensation.
Ah move with ur CRAP!!!
woyyyyyyyy look kicks can someone say Dr Bemjamin come quick lol
It is unfortunate that he lost his job. Protocol must be followed otherwise it would be deemed preferential treatment and to some.
In this age, security officers must ensure they follow the rules and regulations of their position.
This man Skerrit really is a bag of confusion. Now i understand why he could not debate the honourable leader Lennox Linton. Whein a mike is infront the man shows in public his poor intellect.If he wanted he could block C Sanford from his job, but in the case of Vescort he is saying he cannot interfere… WHAT A POOR EXAMPLE OF A LEADER!
I don’t know this clown nor do I care to. I first head this brainless guy speak about his equal Earl Williams many,many moons ago when he initially became P.M(still do not understand how, why nor do I care anymore. The guy spoke then about Instru and him going to St.Kitts. he was there for one thing & Instru was there as leader of the opposition. he spoke about the St.Kitts population waiting to see a young opposition leader .he remarked what they saw was a white headed man.Then he skerrit went on to say he does not know why Instru don’t dye his hair. From then I knew what he was made of. That’s where I gave up on DA. As if this BS was not enough, this guy went on to shame himself to the delight of the helpless d/can pop. he began with his land transfer then moved on to other things( not forgetting as a jr .minister went to B/dos to do a Judas on Pierre Charles. Then came the fertilizer deal, then the garbage bins purchase for$ 19.95 in the US somewhere in the misty woods…
Continued
suburbs of PA as per Clayton Shillingford. Then he told us no Law no constitution can stop him with his French passport. It just progressed. Then he went to China again and signed aN MOU which the pop has yet to see it’s contents. It should say Sontents S being for Skerrit. as Sparrow said in his 1972 calypso Charlie open nennen ting and it smelling.They brought down all their supporters (like the opposition to vote in 2005,2009 & 2014) prior to that last election. The most sicken part is the then President a law luminary s they say was in or preferred to stay in the dark not a luminary then nor eliminated any presidential assertiveness let alone legal action to curb a little monster who was devouring everything and grew rapidly to dictatorial status.
So these such presidential legal non-luminaries should be held partly responsible for creating or rather allowing tyrants to function and grow,
Are u listening? What skeritt have to do with port firing man? When they fire people in america aiport they do not call the president. Stop the foolishness. It is not pm place to intervene. He snooze he lose. Case close. There are rules/ polices/ and regulations, that employees should adhere to. If they don’t , there is always a consequence.
The PM say he cannot get involved but in the same breath he say he was instrumental in all the hiring in the public service of the people who ran for labor but did not win because people who ran for election have to eat he even say that he gave Brown a job after he lost on a UWP ticket years ago. So my friend by your own admission you can get involve when it suits you. One more advise please stop reproaching people publicly – you gave Brown from Morne John a job so what? why do you have to go public with everything you did for people to make your point. stupeees; you allow duty for so and so …. u have to come public you give house you have to come public but that’s what we vote you for- stop embarrassing people.
leave the pm alone…the man do his crime he have to pay his time..i know it has rules
in this job
There are rules in every job… apparently your prime minster has rules to follow to…. talk about that….
Ya right! Skrit LMAO & really really LOUD
“I have stayed very far from this issue because I don’t really get involve in personal issues unless it is affecting the proper function of the state…,” he said on state-
“As far as I understand it, and I am saying so based on what I have heard in the public and I stand corrected if I am saying things wrongly, but my understanding is that the gentleman took the matter to his union… he hasn’t come to me I do not know Mr. Jones, I don’t think I have ever met him, he hasn’t come to me to discuss the matter.”CONTRADICTION boy! You are 4 face not even two lol!rememberno law no constitution lol!
one has to understand that the airport is a very sensitive area and “you have to be very careful how you treat instances where they appear to be infractions of the security protocols.”
Skerro what about the secrete service in the USA looking for you & they had to call Clayton????
This only confirms the low hanging fruit nature of our people & Gov’ts…
There are rules everywhere, and Vescort followed the rules.
And these followers of skerite are so stupid and blind. U mean to tell me that these peoople not seeing that this administration is lieing to them wicked and dont care about there them. I mean how stupid can some dominicans be? These men are lieing to u all and getting rich building houses and you all cant even afford to build a shed. Man u people are just plain out retarded!
You are rather bold. If others do not side with you, you call them stupid. Have you considered that you are the stupid one? Prove what you stated against the PM.
What is the problem Lennox said he will create 500 jobs all he has to do now is to find a job for this young man who he cause to lose his job. As a leader he should know the rules and regulations of the airport if he doesn’t then a man like this as Prime Minister would be laughable if the situation was not so serious
Apparently didn’t you hear your PM say he is responsible to find jobs for all who are unemployed so what nonsense a you talking about,, you a one of those people that the PM keep playing as a fool, but your brain have turned into mosh, you have no choice but to live that way bigger.
here we go again. clearly this is just another situation of political alliance coming into play. I mean seriously people is this really a security breach ? how and why this incident is considered a breach of security is mind boggling. is this the type of nation we have become where a human being is extending a simple act of kindness and compassion toward his fellowman is considered a breach of security. since when is crab back a threat to our country or persons. a man should not loose his lively hood over something as trivial as this. there are much more serious things and individuals that are threatening to us and the country. wake up people wake up. we as a people should not be supporting this nonsense because you know and I know that had it been the prime minister or president or some other high ranking member of the government we would not be having this discussion.
Oh PLEASE!!! There are others who are allowed to pass with crab backs etc…and they are not jailed nor are the officers sent home. THIS is what the PM has to get involved in….THIS is about a young man loosing his job and source of income….THIS is where the PM voice needs to be heard… He is always speaking about his love for Country and Dominicans…but he isn’t doing squat. Instead he is backing out…Something sure as hell don’t smell and feel right!! Mr. Skerrit MAN UP and put this matter to rest. All the while it was a matter of national security…now it’s not? You are not dealing with retards!!!!
if it was drugs,would vescot jones allow the person to dispose of the drugs like he allowed linton to dispose of the contraband?no,he would ‘a call the police, it was corruption,is because it was linton he allowed him to dispose of it,,you all to damm corrupted and does lamblast skerrit and his inner circle,calling then corrupt,so why are you defending corruption now,what good for the goose,good for the ganda
If this occurred in the past, you can bet it may never recur for those who are caught will surely lose their job.
Depends on which party the officer in question belongs to. If it was say darroux, rayban sunglasses and a Neo-DLP security guy tried to take his crabbacks what would happen? recall when the Chinese were surfacing the road to P/mouth and a citizen was caught up in a confrontation with a Sino as the guy tried to turn into a road leading to his home? China man find his self with support going into the man’s home. Then came rayban sunshade telling the guy DA could lose the aid china is giving and wanted the guy to apologise to the Sinos?
All thing are relative to which side one is on. lol!
We need a revolution in this place with a real leader a no nonsense person when this occurs we will be good to go.
sound like copel
breach of security
1) release of security footage at the airport
2) ditching of the u.s secret service in the usa by skerrit and the Dominican chanese ambassador.
3) exposing our country’s coast to those Venezuelan drug dealers by not building the u.s funded coast guard base in Portsmouth.
4) selling our country to Chinese.
5) preventing charges of fraud in court to be read to your lawyer by sending in your loyalist police/army to the court while our coast is defenseless.
Excellent list there I wrote/mentioned some b4 reading urs(
U know the trouble with that all u mentioned LUNA ?Moon smile)The population with 3/4 retardss/idiots allow the BS. Skrit lacks the very basics of leadership may be he has the basics of a leadergoat.
The country has been sold not selling that’s a bygone lol! or cry loud CL and the idiots don’t even see that. Even the denizen who writes on DNO tells us indirectly. With a sort of interior bushie name.
The MOU is yet to be made a available to the citizenery and they don’t care either. Just give them SEWO have them inebriated by the time they recover another SEWO on them and yet another then another ,then another. coppled with the real big SEWOS of Creole fest, X-mas, Carnival (not the cruise liner)etc We like it so. Sparrow.
I find the PM is reasonable,if I was in the gentleman shoe, I would approach him not asking for justice, but for MERCY.It is not a joke to lose your job.
So what about the real security breach where the surveillance photo of Lennox Linton during security check was all over social media? Who is going to lose their job for that? Any answers Benoit Bardouille? You so busy focusing on them yummy crab backs but the real breach in security protocol is being ignored!!! That country really going from bad to worst.
Have you considered that as you view it as a security breach over social media, the culprits may be the Websites readers?
A popular caller on Q referred to Skeritt as a loose canon. I will go further and say that as far as I am concerned, the canon has already been released and is on the way of destroying himself and Dominica in the process. Maybe, the wear and tear of his body, he talked about this week, are having its effect. Maybe the man is getting senile. Just a few days ago, he publicly told Dominicans, by way of a cabinet decision, remember he leads the cabinet, Mr. Abraham Brown who had represented the UWP in a general election was hire. In fact, Brown was even given a contract. He also told Dominicans he could block Mr. Claudius Sanford’s employment at the state college. Mr. Sanford also represented the UWP in the general election. Garson, we better call mister the flip flop PM.
flip flop is to good of a phrase…
Lol Dr.Love! Nice but do you know ConEdison did a similar thing back in 1995 with the Doctor and the Nurse who contested the elections. It’s a power thing. The current hand picked UWP leader is identical to ConEdisson and will do the same as Skrit and Con Ed did as he has more enemies even b4 he put on the gloves and got into the ring. his antagonistic ways is maybe even better than our/ the current joker in leadership as I write. brainless creatures are allowed in the. mind game of politics.
There is a current movie on Zombies walking all over the place we in DA although real have brainless and vindictive idiots leading our nation nothing could be worse.
Look out the SINO invasion is already here. The Dame is dead ,Rosie is dead so are Pierro Maynard, Leblanc, Marx, Christ ,Lenin, Dr Williams of T& T Garvey, Malcolm etc and am not feeling well myself. DA is screwed well screwed.
“I have stayed very far … UNLESS (emphasis mine), it is affecting the proper function of the state”, said PM Skerrit. I would be most grateful to find out if the actions that follow affected the proper function of the state:
1. the re-employment of Mr. Abraham Brown from Grand Fond who was a UWP candidate and is now a sports officer.
2.the re-employment of Claudius Sanford at the Dominica State College.
3. the re-employment of Leroy “Wadico” Charles at DBS radio for his compa programme.
We must be careful about the statements we make and be CONSISTENT in our pronouncements.
I wish you a most pleasant day, sir!
HOTEP!
Lot of idiots around I tell you people! Our Psychiatrist was on radio b4 the elections saying he treats leaders around the Carbbean who call him early mornings 2-3 A.M when they cannot sleep.
Whatever happened the oath? See my people everywhere there are ids we cannot escape them.
They are amongst us, they lead us in various ways. See why I said we are screwed?
The doc in Psychiatry needs help himself.
“security breach?!”
PM are you for real?
Quote and quote according to Skerrit,(it was a security issue). Skerrit did the custom officer found any, drugs, weapons, ammunitions etc in the crab backs?, if so this for sure would be a security issue, Skerrit the crab backs had nothing to do with security but personal because of the person departing the island with period and the security Person being from Marigot
It was not a Customs Officer. It was a Dominica Air & Sea Ports Authority security officer. Leave the Customs out of this.
Prince…for your education.
(1) It is not “quote and quote”. If you are quoting someone verbally you may choose to say Quote, Unquote.
(2) if you are quoting the person in written form, you should use the open quotation and closed quotation marks. For example, “it is a security issue”.
quote, “But it is a security issue, it wasn’t a situation where someone came to work late, but it is a security breach as far as I heard from the port … so it is difficult for the Prime Minister to get involved in that matter,” he stated.
so those crab backs had machine guns and grenade… boy misya fou
how can you say that when you were so vocal about the GON Emmanuel issue… skerrit,
ok mr PM you have no authority in this matter but you could have blocked sanford from state college if u wanted to. SMH
STATE college! urgh shush!!!!!!!!
Can I have two pleaaaaaase?