Tweet

---

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — September 14, 2025 — The Nation listened to the Prime Minister’s press conference yesterday, and what a monumental disappointment it turned out to be. On the troubling New Guinea fiasco involving local businessman Reggie Francis and St. Kitts Marine Works (SKMW), the Prime Minister left more confusion than clarity. Instead of reassurances, we were handed vague pronouncements and a fog of contradictions that only deepen the stench surrounding this abysmal saga.

The Prime Minister boldly declared that he and his government want to see Reggie and SKMW succeed in acquiring the New Guinea lands and building out their marine enterprise. Yet, glaringly and without explanation, the government has entered into an MOU with Gemini Commodities Nigeria and AFREXIMBANK for a staggering US$40 million (XCD$108 million). This raises more questions than answers — questions the Prime Minister avoided, and which the public deserves immediate clarity on.

---

The $108 Million Riddle

Why is a government that claims to support SKMW entering into a parallel deal worth over $100 million with foreign players who have zero track record in marine or port development? The contradiction is insulting to the intelligence of Kittitians and Nevisians.

1. Another Feasibility Study Scam?
   Is this $108 million simply being wasted on yet another so-called feasibility study — just like the endless “studies” we’ve heard about at the RLB Airport? How many times will taxpayers and our CBI revenues be burned on glossy consultant reports that gather dust on government shelves?
2. Who’s Really in Charge?
   If Reggie Francis and SKMW are already the operator, and by the Prime Minister’s own admission, soon to be the legal owners of the New Guinea lands, why is GOSKN diverting funds into a separate MOU? Does this undermine Francis’ project? Or is it a setup to edge him out under the guise of “foreign investment”?
3. The Phantom Deliverables
   What is the actual, tangible output of this $108 million? A study? A report? A PowerPoint deck? Or is it simply another flimsy paper exercise designed to justify siphoning funds into hidden pockets?
4. Debt Trap Diplomacy
   How does the government intend to repay this massive sum? Is it borrowing against the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program? Are our passports being collateralized once again in a dirty secret deal?
5. Gemini Commodities’ Nonexistent Expertise
   Gemini Commodities, a Nigerian trading firm, has absolutely no track record in shipyard or marine infrastructure development. None. Zero. Their involvement reeks of political patronage, backroom arrangements, and possible fronts for funneling CBI revenues offshore.

---

Smoke, Mirrors, and a Suspected Dirty Deal

Unless the Prime Minister provides full and immediate clarity, the logical conclusion is that this MOU with Gemini and AFREXIMBANK is nothing short of an elaborate scam. A scheme possibly tied to our Citizenship by Investment program, using the sale of our citizenships to bankroll questionable ventures while keeping the real details hidden from the people.

At best, it is reckless financial mismanagement. At worst, it is a calculated betrayal of national trust, mortgaging away the future of New Guinea and undermining a hardworking Kittitian businessman who has already invested his blood, sweat, and capital in developing the marine industry.

---

A Prime Minister Under Fire

This government has a duty to come clean. Every day that passes without transparency reinforces the suspicion that the Prime Minister and his Cabinet are entangled in yet another dirty secret deal. The people are not fools. We see the contradictions. We see the unexplained millions. And we demand answers.

For now, the Prime Minister’s press conference has only deepened the sense that the New Guinea MOU is less about development — and more about deception.

---

Questions

• “Why does a $108M MOU exist if SKMW already has a redevelopment plan?”
• “What exactly are Kittitians paying for — another glossy study or real infrastructure?”
• “Why bring in Gemini Commodities, a company with zero marine experience?”
• “Are our CBI passports being quietly mortgaged to repay this loan?”
• “Is this really development — or just another elaborate scam?”

---