FULLFORD CALLS British “Sun-Seeker” STEPHEN TURNBULL’S REPORT A BUNCH OF MALARKEY AS IT RELATES TO LOCAL HEADS’ SALARIES

#TurksandCaicos, March 21, 2018 – Providenciales -Premier Sharlene was right to reject portions of the report of former CFO and Whitehall –appointed mandarin Stephen Turnbull which called for the majority of our Statutory Boards to be scrapped.  Having read snippets of the report which surfaced through the various media outlets, one can get the flavour of what this British-appointed sun-seeker was trying to say to and about our people.

It is clear that the intent of the report was simply to echo the common sentiments that the British Government hold about Turks and Caicos Islanders; that Turks and Caicos Islanders live beyond their means, and that we should not be the ones to reap the best of what our land has to offer. To paraphrase Turnbull’s words, salaries paid to Statutory Board employees are too high for Turks and Caicos Islanders.

My response to Turnbull is that his report is a bunch of malarkey – geared towards the orchestration of our local Boards being dismantled and said powers concentrated in the hands of the Governor.

Every Turks and Caicos Islander should be outraged by this report, which seems to suggest that our local people, our heads of these various boards, who all have relevant degrees and qualifications in many cases up to the Masters and PHD levels, should not be paid salaries commensurate with international rates.

It is important to remember also that these comments come from Stephen Turnbull, who, whilst he was the CFO, commanded a salary which far exceeded the measly sums he is complaining are too much for local board heads to be paid.  Why didn’t Turnbull object to being paid such an exorbitant salary when he was in the post of CFO?  I guess what is good for the foreign goose is not good for the local gander.

The British are very calculating. They retired Turnbull from the position of CFO, but whilst in that position, he agitated for a review of the statutory boards. The British then created the post of Statutory Boards Reviewer and appointed Turnbull to that very position. I have no doubt whatsoever that he is likely being paid a whopping salary, unknown to the public, but for which we nevertheless pay for.

It is clear that this is a conflict of interest and a blatant bias which should not go unchecked.  Why is he not protesting to being paid this amount, especially for an unnecessary, non-essential, farcical post such as his?  Is he saying that he is entitled to this amount simply because he is British and this amount suits him but at the same time advocating against locals who are in the trenches everyday working to grow the country, and being paid a fair wage for doing it. Mr. Turnbull clearly has an agenda to promote, one that he is being paid handsomely for, to spew this kind of anti-progressive, anti-islander rhetoric.

Further, one must question whether Mr. Turnbull deliberately embellished his report so as to give a scathing and biased review of our statutory Boards, simply to justify the British keeping him in TCI, and so that he can continue to live large off the public purse.  It is now clear what the true plot is, and why HMG wanted the PFM Amendment 2 of 2017 to become law.

However, it is yet to be seen if our Government can continue to stave off the British who seem hell bent on insisting that this amendment is made law and that various statutory boards such as the Tourist Board be dismantled, leaving the future of the Country entirely in their hands.

MARK A FULFORD