Athenia Benjamin strikes back

Benjamin said the old executive was not involved in the last general election
Benjamin said the old executive was not involved in the last general election

Caretaker of the Wesley Labour Party Constituency Association, Athenia Benjamin, has brushed aside suggestions that a newly elected executive for the association is not legitimate and is ‘bogus.’

She stated that the old executive, ran by Cleaveland Dodds, was not active in the performance of its duties and was not even involved in the campaign during the general election held late last year.

“They were not active,” she told DNO on Thursday. “You can’t be an active executive and not be involved in the campaign and sit on the sidelines and now you want to talk about it is not legit? It’s bogus? That doesn’t make sense. I mean any reasonable person would understand that if you want to have a voice, you would be part of the process.”

The former executive was axed on Sunday 15th March 2015, when the Association met at the Cabrits National Park.

But the decision did not go down well with Dodds who said the old executive was never informed of the meeting.

He described the entire matter as “bogus” and vows to “retaliate.”

Benjamin, who unsuccessfully contested the Wesley Constituency for the Dominica Labour Party, said the old executive never worked cohesively with her and on many occasions campaigned against her in the run up to the general election..

“And you are asking to be a person involved in the current executive or be notified that there is going to be an executive meeting or a general meeting?” she stated. “I mean the smallest child would understand that if you’re opposing, you’re opposing.”

She went on to say the new executive was very active during the entire election campaign period.

“Those are people we want on board. It’s about the DLP not about an individual. Whatever decisions the DLP make, you may have internal questions, but you support the DLP,” she said.

She stated that Dodds can no longer speak for the Association since he is not on the executive anymore.

“He was not involved during the campaign of the last election, he did not participate in voting… if you are not active you wouldn’t know what was going on in the party,” she stated.

Benjamin remarked that all members of the new executive were approved by the DLP hierarchy and they were voted in by “the voice of the persons who voted in the last elections, who were labourites and who are supporters of the DLP.”

“They decided that we should have an executive and we did so according to the constitution of the DLP. So there is nothing to contest or no argument about that,” she remarked. “He (Dodds) should be silent.”

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42 Comments

  1. Open Mind
    March 21, 2015

    This is a tip of the iceberg of how this DLP can’t manage as there’s not a qualified manager, no wonder the party and government can’t have a deputy.

  2. common sense
    March 20, 2015

    my questions was the first executive made null and void if so why wont they
    notified,why do we do things like babarians?

  3. Wesley nigga
    March 20, 2015

    Dr Benjie for Wesely. hip! hip! hip hip! hip Hiphop not hooray

  4. ATKINSON
    March 20, 2015

    Hey has anyone seen or hear from “teacher GLO” and her opinion about this? :mrgreen:

    • Shameless
      March 21, 2015

      Sister Glo there relishing in the moment :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: .

      Teacher Glo well there enjoying her double pension and perks while having the last laugh. Athena can jump high or jump low she will NEVAH win an election in Wesley. This is the dagger in the heart of those who could get her there. Wesley people may appear passive but never for a moment believe they are stupid. Time will tell… :twisted:

      Assertive, NOT Aggressive! :twisted:

  5. March 20, 2015

    Wasn’t this woman rejected by the people? So why is she being dictated to the people?

  6. just saying
    March 20, 2015

    big up to Bazil. Athenia paving the way to another term in office for you.

  7. dominica masslve
    March 20, 2015

    This political battle is from within and when ever this confrontation is within a party it cause division .The DLP is silent on the matter.Remember Elford Henry and how he moblise his people.PM Skerrit you stared his fiasco.Michael Douglas did that in SENJO by going to a strong labourtite shop on front street and withdrew support against Rosie Mills and caused the Freedom party to win the sit in 86,two years later the Uwp was formed and the majority of the Dlp supporters switch to Uwp.Even to this day some of them hate the DLP WITH A PASSION.Athenia you started wrong the best thing you can do is let the people elect who they want to run their affairs of the party.WITH SO MUCH CONTENTION WESLEY NEED TO HAVE A DLP PARTY ELECTION WITH NO STRINGS ATTACH.THIS IS A WARNING IF DLP WANTS TO RETAIN THE WESLEY SEAT.

  8. March 20, 2015

    Athenia how you intend to unite the Constituency? You also have family issues ,you very bitter with most of your family who did not support you and who supported labour the election before. So how you Expect to win a election with all that going against you? Why you dont leave that alone? Why you don’t join Wendy in the beautification project in village? Going to Cabrits to form a new executive without informing the members of the one that was there not going to give you any advantage in the next election.

  9. Not Surprised
    March 20, 2015

    Really? Where is the ethics in this matter? Is that how decisions are made by supposedly educated and d professional people? Is this the protocol to be followed? Athenia’s response/explanation to the unethical dismissal of the previous executive sounded rather unintelligent. It sounded like something that a “famme debar” would say…I guess she learned something from her leader. I’m glad that she did not win the Wesley Seat

  10. leg
    March 19, 2015

    Give the lady a feltching break… Rumson Ezekiel not going to do Jack for Wesley pple, don’t
    Worry miss Benjamin you will be getting nightly visits like Nicodemus from the Bible… From
    All those who wants you to go back.. To butter there bread.

    • Me
      March 20, 2015

      Athenia, if you have illiterates like these to rely on I pity you but maybe you don’t care and only want their vote anyway.

    • zulu
      March 21, 2015

      I rather go back to butter and bread than I go back to crackers and water

  11. %
    March 19, 2015

    You all have to exchang fists in full view of the public before the real crash occurs. This Labour Party led by Skerrit will surely disintegrate. WHERE THE WICKED RULE. THE PEOPLE MOURN!

  12. De Real 1
    March 19, 2015

    Why can’t Athenia Benjamin not understand that the people of that constituency does not want her? Go back to Canada.

  13. Concerned
    March 19, 2015

    ere it is people it speaks volumes. Benjamin, who unsuccessfully contested the Wesley Constituency for the Dominica Labour Party, said the old executive never worked cohesively with her and on many occasions campaigned against her in the run up to the general election..
    So Benjie decides to move forward getting a position post election and graduating above the former Baby sitting portfolio in Canada. From Baby sitter to caretaker of constituency of the DLP branch in Wesley. Congrat Benjie you deserve a ticket to the weekend cricket.

  14. March 19, 2015

    Miss Benjamin said the old Executive was axed when the Association met on sunday at the Cabrits..Athenia and the other members of her family was never a part of the Association before,So gave Athenia and her family that right and power to watsapp certain people the Saturday night the 14th of March to Come to the Cabrits for a Labour party meeting, as she said strong Labour Supporters,did she invited the over 800 voters that voted for Labour in that Constituency ?Why that meeting was’nt held in the Constituency? Why you did not have a thank you meeting to thank the over 800 votes we gave you just because of Labour?You still not yet ask for forgiveness for your behavior on the night of the Elections?You think we foolish? And why a member of your family must be the Treasurer in any oganisation that you heading? you still intend to Contest the next General Election?

    • You think I crazy
      March 19, 2015

      600 out of the 800 already back in the Diaspora. They ain’t around to participate in the meeting.

    • Catcher in the Rye
      March 20, 2015

      She better off trying to running Brandford,Canada elections.

      • power HOUSE
        March 21, 2015

        I total agree with you because wesley does not need her and she does not need the headache Athenia LIAT HAS MANY FLIGHTS LEAVINING Dominica everyday get on the next flight an go ress you self

  15. Peter Potter
    March 19, 2015

    This party is falling apart now bit by bit. Watch and see. Good for Dominica though!!!!

  16. Bystander
    March 19, 2015

    Woy woy woy something happening!! HA HA. Just the beginning. Do your thing Athenia. Whip their behinds. Weed them out. Don’t stop with Dodds. All those who did not vote for you too. Show them more reasons why the cannot allow you to be parl rep. Eh bey whey.. You did not even win the seat. Skewo gave you position so walk over them. What gross disrespect. A meeting at Cabrits? What happen to Wesley, Woodfordhill, Palmtree? Not classy enough. Where is your ethics? Of course you need to dissolve the old before ushering in the new. Poor perspective.

  17. alas
    March 19, 2015

    Athenia Skerrit himself knew brining you in the race caused Alot of tension for the DLP supporters of Wesley. Skerrit maliciously forced you unto the people, over de executive head. What disrespect to the executive and the constituents. Both you and Skerrit are responsible for that miserable loss of a strong constituency. Now dat all u make another executive what you hope to achieve?
    De same constituents you divided and lost handsomely…….U EXPECT DEM TO BE THERE WITH U NOW?
    U WERE REJECTED! ! PUT DAT IN UR PIPE AND SMOKE IT.
    now you have a position we hearing ur voice.
    U GOING TO DIVIDE DE PEOPLE FURTHER.
    i expect nuff handouts to flow under cover, inde middle of de night..even job position….DIVIDING DEM FURTHER.
    Skerrit used de wrong approach to bring u in but he will never admit it.
    He will never correct himself.
    De same people he wanted to vote for you….de administration start and immediately he hitting dem slap

  18. Doc. Love
    March 19, 2015

    Their is a bit if inexperience being shown by Athenia. She will need a united DLP support later. If I was in her place, after the remarks of Dodds, I would call all involved and try to bring a solution to the matter. By running her mouth on DNO and else where is just going to irate the Dodds supporters and will make it more difficult later to bring all parties together and exactly what happened just before the last general elections will happen again. Lady, your are now a politician and every vote counts , therefore, put your foolishness aside and call Dodds and his supporters to a meeting and arrest the situation before it gets out of hand.

  19. Marcus Hill
    March 19, 2015

    So how is she going to win the next elections without the support of Dodds and all the other labourites in the Wesley constituency who did not support her in the December Elections?

    She really thinks that running to Cabrits to elect puppets will advance her cause of being the Parl Rep? She sounds bitter to me and you have to mend fences, not sow the seeds of division, if you aspire to be a leader in your community.

  20. Francisco Telemaque
    March 19, 2015

    Admin there is a glitch; I did not intend to submit the same comments twice, the second one can be eliminated, the third was intended to conclude what I needed to convey to cousin Athenia!

    • 2 me Cousin Fet
      March 20, 2015

      This is cousin NY call me do you want me? Am just analyzing this here Wesley sumting.
      Mucus talk bout 2 biggest family in a di village.

  21. ?
    March 19, 2015

    :lol: Singing…way, way, way papa :lol:

  22. Shaka zulu
    March 19, 2015

    The wesley situation is just a thread in the greater fabric of the labour Party philosophy. You do not supprot skerrit and his decisions then to hell with you. Not a letter, not an explanation nothing. It is the same way he treats Dominica and the opposition or anyone who questions his mostly impulsive and short sighted decisions.

  23. Fedup
    March 19, 2015

    I must say amen to that!!

    • Fedup
      March 19, 2015

      I mean to the observations of Observer re the two greedy families fighting for power

    • fedup
      March 19, 2015

      fedup why not get you own name,i have been using this for a long time..

  24. Concerned
    March 19, 2015

    That lady needs to face the reality that Woodfordhill, Wesley, and Palm Tree people do not want her. She needs to stop being so intrusive and bossy, and get out of this. Well they made it known before the election, and in the election… But everyone wants a bit of the honey pot. Our prime minister needs to deliver on his promises before people resort to other means.. And stay out of big man ting.

  25. Labourite
    March 19, 2015

    DNO,

    What is the national Executive saying?

  26. Hmmm
    March 19, 2015

    I’ll give that to her, she makes perfect sense.

  27. Observer
    March 19, 2015

    The Labour Party folks in Wesley are yet to learn a hard lesson. One that our parents always taught us. The results of the last general election which developed amidst generations of old family squabbles have been completed ignored. “A house divided against itself cannot stand”. A family that can settle its differences within will disintegrate. Is that what we are seeing. The two families in Wesley seemingly are unable to solve their issues. That has now erupted on to the national stage. One which brought dire consequences for the ruling Labour Party. Somebody has to step aside. Obviously, Athenia will not, as she has left too much behind in Canada. Like Cleveland, she is prepared to drag the good name of the party into the party into the Wesley “mud”. The Labour Party led by PM Skerrit, must learn from the Wesley experience. Let the people decide who their aspiring representative will be. May the chips fall where they may. Wesley is bigger than the two selfish families. we go…

    • March 19, 2015

      The PM didn’t listen to the people of Wesley he ignored them and said he wanted Athenia Benjamin for the representative for Wesley, PM don’t live there don’t know why they didn’t want her and just maybe if he had listened it would be a much better campaign, so if he is creating job for those who ran and didn’t win why not for those that helped her which is all her family. People of Dominica and of Wesley do you believe that PM or Athenia care about you, what the folks should be doing is getting a candidate that share their values ready for the next round and dump Benjamin and PM..
      Look how Wendy and her group are doing all they can to make Wesley look good is Athenia part of that project

      • Wesley person
        March 20, 2015

        What fright are you talking about! Was not aware that there were any fights amongst any big family in Wesley! If you want to post, please know what you are talking about! Because this is pure Slander!!!.

    • Marcus Hill
      March 19, 2015

      Observer this goes beyond the fight between two of the biggest families in Wesley.It has more to do with pride, independence of thought and the idea of the quality of who should represent Wesley in Parliament.

      So I remember that Dodds was clearly peaved about the way Athenia was imposed on them and he had some choice words for her level of education. Check out the related articles on this DNO page.

      • Catcher in the Rye
        March 20, 2015

        Are we inn Africa or some other tribal inflamed region of the world Marcus? Like dad’s tribe in LaPte and mom’s in Green’s Lane? Two biggest family BS! we are in 2015 MH not SMA days of the mid 70’s. This is not the cadet corp. Even if Wesley peeps refer to dem selves as Wesley Nigga. Ask Groovy Bat. lol! LMAO too

  28. mandate 2 mismanage
    March 19, 2015

    hahahahhaahah. So if you are dissatisfied with someone’s performance, simply create a new committee and vote those folks out? is this what is stated in the DLP constitution? Explains a great deal of the country’s current madness, if so!

  29. Wesley Woman
    March 19, 2015

    DNO,

    What you should have ask her, is whether she will be running in the next election?

    We would like to know in wesley.

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