BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE
IF the national government is transparent and accountable to its people, then they should release information of how members of parliament spend their constituency funds, if not then forget the Anti-Corruption Bill.
These words were expressed by Paramount Chief Benedict Garimane of Ngaliamera, North Guadalcanal.
The Chief of Thimbo tribe highlighted that while he understands that the government has played its role in providing financial assistance to the constituency to help spur development in areas such as scholarships, water, sanitation and infrastructure, they don’t see the outcome of this assistance on the ground.
“I understand that the government has played its part in providing assistance so why don’t we see this on the ground,” he said
Garimane stressed that they have not seen any development in the constituency spanning from the rule of their former MP who took office for two terms to their current Member of Parliament, Hon Samson Maneka.
He calls on the national government to release information that will reveal how their former and current MPs have used government assistance throughout the constituency.
“So that we can see how they spent the money in areas such as in education, health, the church, schools and so forth,” said Garimane.
He also stated that it would be pointless for the government to bring the Anti-Corruption bill forward if they lack transparency thus disallow the release of such information.
Garimane again calls on the government to reveal how their MPs have spent government allocated funds in North Guadalcanal constituency for the past 11 and half years.
“While we are still waiting for this bill to pass in parliament the government must be transparent,” he said.
END////
