Tweet

Dr. Janice Daniel-Hodge warns of “a sell-out of Nevisian land, democracy, and destiny” as the billionaires march south and the people are left voiceless

---

By SKN Times Political Bureau | October 13, 2025

A political firestorm has erupted in Nevis following a blistering statement by Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) Leader Dr. Janice Daniel-Hodge, who denounced what she described as “a deceitful, dishonest, self-serving Premier and a Prime Minister who enabled the betrayal but now wants to wash his hands clean.”

At the heart of her explosive critique lies the 2,400-acre “Destiny” mega-development planned for Nevis’ southern side—an ambitious, billion-dollar project being advanced under the controversial Special Sustainability Zone (SSZ) Authorization Act, 2025. Daniel-Hodge’s statement has reignited public outrage over transparency, constitutional integrity, and the creeping privatization of Nevisian land under the guise of “sustainability.”

---

A “Destiny” Written Without the People

Dr. Daniel-Hodge accused Premier Mark Brantley and Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew of engineering a “development by decree” — a project that promises transformation but denies consultation.

“Destiny proposes to acquire 2,400 acres of land on Nevis’ southern side to transform Nevis,” she said. “Regrettably, no one bothered to ask the people of Nevis if and how Nevis should be transformed.”

The NRP leader revealed that despite a meeting with the Premier’s Office on October 10th, critical questions remain unanswered — from the timing of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) to the legality of the SSZ legislation itself.

“What sense does it make to conduct an environmental impact assessment after the development agreement is signed?” she asked. “That’s like locking the door after the horse has bolted.”

---

“A Deceitful, Dishonest, Self-Serving Premier”

In what many observers are calling one of the most unrestrained attacks on the CCM government to date, Dr. Daniel-Hodge tore into both the Premier and the Prime Minister:

“The people of Nevis realized what they were really up against when the Special Sustainability Zone legislation was rushed through Parliament on August 11th — a deceitful, dishonest, self-serving Premier and a Prime Minister who passed the legislation but then insisted that Nevis people should deal with their land matters on their own and leave him out… ‘Don’t call me, don’t mix me up,’ he said!”

Her remarks strike at the heart of what many Nevisians perceive as a double betrayal — Brantley’s eagerness to sell Nevisian lands to billionaires and Drew’s abdication of responsibility as the federal leader who greenlit the very law enabling it.

---

The SSZ: “A Law Built for Corruption”

The Special Sustainability Zone Authorization Act, passed in August, remains one of the most divisive laws in the federation’s recent history. Critics, including legal luminaries, have warned that it centralizes unchecked power in the hands of the Prime Minister and Premier while circumventing the Nevis Island Administration’s (NIA) established planning laws.

Dr. Daniel-Hodge lambasted the law as “a legislative Trojan horse”, allowing developers to operate outside normal regulations and even under different laws than ordinary citizens.

“It provides no regulations, no guidelines, and is wide open to discretionary powers and corrupt activities,” she stated. “This is not good governance — this is governance for sale.”

She further warned that such legislation could compromise democracy itself, especially if the proposed 10,000 new SSZ residents — many likely to be “economic citizens” — are granted voting rights, potentially reshaping Nevis’ electoral landscape forever.

---

Promises, Pitfalls, and Propaganda

Destiny’s developers have dangled a glittering list of promises before the Nevisian public: thousands of jobs, a $10 million annual infrastructure fund, a $1 million scholarship scheme, and even a 20% profit share for the people.

But Daniel-Hodge urged caution, calling it “a mirage of generosity masking a massive land grab.”

“Who will determine Destiny’s profits, and when? A profit share means nothing if no profit is ever declared,” she warned.
“The Premier tells us what they will ‘give,’ but not what they will ‘take.’ And rest assured — they will take plenty.”

She noted that while small businesses in Nevis suffocate under high costs, the Premier is rolling out red carpets and concessions for billionaires — a stark symbol of misplaced priorities.

---

A Question of Constitutionality — and Conscience

Dr. Daniel-Hodge underscored what she described as the constitutional crisis underpinning the entire affair. Section 106 and Schedule 5 of the Constitution, she noted, make clear that the Prime Minister cannot hold overriding authority over Nevisian land development — yet the SSZ Act does exactly that.

“We have sought clarity from the Attorney General regarding the constitutionality of the SSZ legislation,” she revealed. “To date — no response.”

The NRP leader concluded with a rallying cry to Nevisians to defend their land, their democracy, and their future:

“The SSZ law places all powers in the hands of the Premier and Prime Minister and shuts out the people. That is not advancing democracy. That is dismantling it — piece by piece, acre by acre.”

---

“Nevis Nice — and We Want to Keep Her Nice”

In closing, Daniel-Hodge evoked the emotional heart of her campaign — the preservation of Nevisian identity, autonomy, and environmental integrity:

“Nevis Nice, and we want to keep her Nice,” she declared. “We must not allow the reckless ambitions of a few men and their billionaire friends to dictate the destiny of an entire island.”

Her words have galvanized both outrage and reflection across Nevis — a small island now standing at a great crossroads: between sustainable development and silent surrender, between people’s power and political arrogance, between Nevis as it is — and the “Destiny” others would have it become.

---

SKN Times Analysis:
The latest salvo from Dr. Daniel-Hodge transforms the Destiny project from a development proposal into a defining moral and political battle for Nevis. It exposes widening cracks between the Federal Government and the Nevisian populace, between promised progress and democratic participation.
If her allegations prove true — that key environmental, legal, and public-consultation steps were ignored — then Nevis may not merely be selling land. It may be selling its soul.