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Four Years of Governor Nigel Dakin, Highlights of the Tenure 

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By Dana Malcolm with Deandrea Hamilton   

Editorial Staff

 

 

#TurksandCaicos, March 31, 2023 – Former Governor Nigel Dakin bid the Turks and Caicos goodbye on Wednesday March 29th in a service at St Monica’s Anglican Church. The ceremony, lavished with the befitting pomp and pageantry of a British send off, saw parts of Leeward Highway closed for a few hours to accommodate a Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force march pass and salutes to the outgoing and incoming governor.

The Governor is the equivalent of the British Monarch within the territory; a very prestigious post and the transition is always adorned with ceremonial fanfare which attracts residents from all walks of life, including government dignitaries.

Nigel Dakin and his wife Mandy, waved a final good-bye to the Turks and Caicos Islands after a noteworthy four-year tenure, which leaves the country with significant, beneficial changes.

Dakin arrived in the country in July 2019 to stand partner with the then Sharlene Robinson led PDM Administration. Robinson was the first woman to serve at Premier and when Dakin arrived, the Turks and Caicos was still restoring public infrastructure damaged in Hurricane’s Irma and Maria and fighting an unrelenting crime wave.

Mere months after his arrival, there would come the once in a lifetime event, the tragic Coronavirus Pandemic.

Dakin, alongside the elected government and the residents of the islands would have to contend with unprecedented lockdowns and the most brazenly violent season in Turks and Caicos history.

The Governor was sworn in in the presence of his family and welcomed by Premier Robinson and her team on July 15, 2019; three months after being announced as the successor to Dr. John Freeman.

History records Nigel Dakin as the 15th Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

By February 2020, any honeymoon – real or imagined – was over.  Globally, governments had to do what none had ever done before, there was no blueprint and no playbook to follow.  It took quick thinking, guts and extreme consultations to galvanize against the deadly and debilitating Covid-19 virus which had now devastated the people of the planet; deaths and illness were in the millions, an unprecedented predicament precipitated by a previously unheard of virus.

Dakin is credited with his role in getting vaccines to The Turks and Caicos by early 2021 (much more quickly than most other Caribbean nations) via lobbying in the UK. The British had determined its overseas territories cumulatively numbering around a quarter of a million citizens would be shared in; Great Britain was the first country to consent to authorized use of the vaccines as a desperate life-saving measure.

In this harrowing season, Turks and Caicos saw both hospitals outfitted with oxygen generators and the establishment of the National Public Health Laboratory; permitting COVID testing to take place on home soil.

Also transformed with the help of Dakin’s influence, The Department of Corrections, formerly known as HMP; located in Grand Turk.  Unruly inmates were re-situated to other countries in order to restore and maintain calm at HMP which suffered frightening unrest, forcing Police to commandeer the facility and over time discouraging many who had signed on to lead at the institution.  Reports of assault on guards, prisoners and superintendents were frequent.

In a project supported by his wife, Amanda Dakin, the Governor partnered with the Government and TCI citizens for projects, like the prison farm and uniquely, the inmates’ work in textiles which debuted at London Fashion Week in 2022.  The group helped to create original handbags and the like with a local designer.

Amanda Dakin, in a feat of what can only be described as absolute brute strength, became the first woman to circumnavigate the Turks and Caicos on sole manpower, as she headlined the footsteps4good charity event two years in a row; 2021 and 2022.  The money raised, surged and was donated wholly to charity organizations across the country.

Recognizing the illegal migration crises and well-versed in matters of national security as a former marine himself, Dakin began to fast track many security plans that had been dormant prior to his arrival. That included the creation of the country’s first military arm in 2022, the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment.  Starting with a handful of soldiers and volunteers, today the Regiment is nearly 50 strong.

In addition to the Regiment and the historic training of islanders to staff and help lead the troupe, Dakin helped engineer a 2021 Border Security agreement with the US and The Bahamas as an aside to the Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) plan which galvanized the long talked about Ship Rider Agreement, and simultaneously a comprehensive plan based on intelligence sharing between the three countries.

The radar unit was incorporated into the Marine Police and Immigration Minister capabilities expanded significantly to lay the groundwork for a National Coast Guard.

In 2022, murders increased exponentially and Dakin, who as the Governor, heads National Security faced calls from former politicians and current ones to step down. He refused unequivocally and along with Premier Washington Misick, called in backup from The Bahamas, Jamaica, US, and UK to crush the violence that tore at the country, with mixed success.

There are some islanders who criticize the Governor’s perceived close working relationship with both the elected governments and his stance on legal migration which he openly believes should be a fair and open process.

Dakin has never been one to turn tail at the sound of his detractors and has proved to be very engaged with the local community speaking with those who disagree with his methods and those who support him alike.

Premier Washington Misick, Former Premier Sharlene Robinson, Deputy Governor Anya Williams all had only glowing thanks for the Governor.

What is less debatable, is the Turks and Caicos is now in a stronger position in terms of security, with the establishment of a National Security office, staffed with local professionals and the establishment of the TCI Regiment, all coming during the tenure of Nigel Dakin.

Dakin steered talk to action, for true tangibles of which these islands can be proud.

Government

Misick promises to be Premier for all after “Sweet, Sweet Victory”  

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Deandrea Hamilton

Editor

 

Turks and Caicos, February 8, 2025 – When the cheering and dancing and handshakes and high fives were given the attention they rightly deserved, Washington Misick, the resoundingly re-elected premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands turned his attention from the divisiveness of the election trail to a message of solidarity.

“I have lost elections, so I know how difficult it is for you but now it is time to put partisan differences aside and work on behalf of our people,” said Misick, as he spoke pointedly to the Leader of the Opposition from his celebration stage just after midnight on February 8.

“I want to thank our wonderful and loyal supporters.  Our campaign team and our candidates who worked hard, long hours, burned the midnight oil to mount this victorious campaign.  I wanna thank my beloved wife and our extended families of all of our candidates for all of their support. Tonight’s victory belongs to you.

Because of you we will be able to continue the work of building for our children and our children’s children.  I am inviting everyone to be on this journey with us, whether you’ve voted PNP or whether you voted PDM or whether you voted independent.  I want you to be on this journey with us,” he said.

The premier, who is now serving a second consecutive term in office and serving for a third time as leader of the Turks and Caicos Islands, was flanked by his winning team and throngs of jubilant supporters assembled at the party’s headquarters in Providenciales.

While the PNP was clearly most able to energize its base, winning many of their seats by spectacular margins, voter turnout in this 2025 General Election was at an historical low.  The premier, in his victory speech demonstrated his awareness of that fact and offered an olive branch to those who skipped voting altogether, which would have been over 2,400 people, according to Elections Office statistics.

“And to those Islanders who did not vote for me or the PNP, I hope that our work, policies and programs will earn your support and your blessings.  I promise, I will hear your voices, we will hear your voices and I promise that we will be there for you and I will be your Premier too.”

The Washington Misick led team swept the At Large category securing all nine seats, which now also introduces two first time Members of Parliament.  Only three seats from the constituency races went unsecured by the PNP; it was a total of 16 seats for the party in yellow.

“On this journey, we must have great success together and we will continue the economic and social transformation together.  No journey is without bumps and setbacks, you won’t always agree with the decisions we take but I will always be honest with you about why we make those decisions and the challenges we face.”

“To every islander and every resident, we will work hard everyday on your behalf and we will create the conditions and the opportunities to give all of our people a better quality of life,” he said to vigorous applause, adding, “Let us build together in a single purpose to make our beautiful by nature Turks and Caicos Islands the place where dreams flourish, justice abounds, love is abounding and hope is endless.”

The Premier informed supporters and those watching via social media that work for his new Progressive National Party Administration continues promptly on Monday.

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Government

Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE)

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PRESS RELEASE

 

Turks and Caicos, February 4, 2025 – Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE) an election monitoring group established in Jamaica in 1997 has, following a request from the Governor’s Office in the Turks and Caicos Islands, agreed to act as observers for the general election which will be held in the territory on Friday, February 7, 2025. In keeping with this a team of four CAFFE members including two of the organization’s directors will travel to the territory. Two members will arrive on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, and the other two on the 6th. The team will observe and assess the voting and counting on election day.

CAFFE will provide non-partisan and independent observation of the process. The CAFFE team will assess the preparedness for the general election and its conduct against relevant international standards and the applicable domestic TCI laws. The team will release a preliminary statement after the elections. A final report on the observation and assessment of the general election, including recommendations, will be provided within thirty (30) days of the poll.

The observation team includes:

  • Anton Thompson, Deputy Chairman CAFFE and head of mission
  • Audre-Lois Reynolds, CAFFE Director / Treasurer
  • Robin Baston, CAFFE Member
  • Danielle Dunbar, CAFFE Member

CAFFE appreciates this opportunity to support the democratic process in the wider Caribbean region.

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Government

PDM Leader responds to National Debate question on Healthcare

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Deandrea Hamilton

Editor

 

Turks and Caicos, February 3, 2025 – The PDM, if elected government, will create a treatment policy which focuses on getting residents the best possible care and ensure proper funding for treatment abroad travel, said Edwin Astwood during the live-streamed National Debate on Thursday January 30.

“On day one, I will bring a treatment abroad policy to Cabinet, to reverse what is there now.  We will ensure wherever you can get the top treatment you will be sent to.  Whether it is the USA, whether it is Canada, we will not say that you can only go into the Caribbean region.  We want the best for our people, we will put the money there in the treatment abroad policy that we can send you to places where we believe and where the data shows you can get the best treatment possible for you to fully recover and fully be healed, that is what the PDM is about.”

Astwood, who has led the PDM since 2021 and is a former Minister of Health for the TCI said medical centers will not be selected based on a limited budget and a common complaint will be no more.

“We will not send people abroad without having money in their pocket.  We will not send people abroad to be put out of hotels. We will not send people abroad to be put out of hospitals.  We will ensure that whatever allowance you need, you will get that before you go.”

In July 2022, a National Insurance Board Appeals Tribunal was established to field concerns and respond directly to contributor’s complaints, however, in the years following its set up little has been said about the effectiveness or impact of that body.

Additionally, Astwood addressed the quality of healthcare generally in the islands.

“Our people were healthier 15 years ago.  The records can show that; if you look at the birth rate compared to the death rate you will see that that ratio is higher now in ‘23-’24 than what it was in 2017, in 2015 and before.  On day one, I myself is going to push through the Cabinet a bill to ensure that primary health care is rejuvenated in all of our communities.

We know that in order to keep our people healthy, we have to look at prevention. Prevention is always better than cure, the honourable premier’s style is always to put the bandaid on the bleed.  But we (PDM) always want to go in there and stop the bleeding so that you don’t need the bandaid.  So that is what we are going to do, we are going address healthcare at its root cause and put the primary health care clinics back in every community.

He said the goal is for there to be early detection through early screenings.  Astwood said the country’s profits in recent years meant it could afford to set up an Intensive Care Unit.

“They also messed up the entire NHIP system.  Now our people cannot even get an air ambulance to come to the Turks and Caicos islands because they bankrupted the NHIP.  They made it where people are at a critical state.”

The PDM leaders shared that during a recent House of Assembly sitting, members approved $10 million dollars to pay outstanding medical bills.

Also on the PDM agenda is attention to oncology and all aspects of neonatal care due to a raised standard at the Cheshire Hall and Cockburn Town Medical Centers.

“We will get those health professionals in the hospitals.  No more will you see persons googling, to find out what your diagnosis is, we will get the proper machines for scanning.  No longer will you have those misdiagnosis and wrong diagnosis like under the honourable premier and no more will you be sent to places without money.”

He said the PDM has all of the plans to fix healthcare in the Turks and Caicos.

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