AUSTRALIA Awards alumni members have been urged to lead the tide of change in their communities and the country.

The Solomon Islands Australia Alumni Association (SIAAA) and the Australian High Commission successfully hosted a Gala Dinner on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at the Heritage Park Hotel.

The Gala Dinner brought together recipients of the prestigious Australia Awards scholarships and people who have studied in Australia under the theme ‘Leadership” to network and share experiences.

Delivering the opening remarks, the Australian High Commissioner, Rod Brazier, welcomed Special Guest Speakers, Prime Minister Rick Houenipwela and Emeritus Professor Clive Moore.

Prime Minister Hou is an alumni member, having attended the Australian National University in Canberra. The Prime Minister delivered an inspiring speech on leadership urging attendees to lead change in their communities.

Prof Moore is internationally regarded as a leading scholar on Solomon Islands and first visited the happy isles in 1976.

The Alumnus were pleased to hear the Professor speak about inspiring leaders of Solomon Islands from an historical perspective.

Commending them as exemplars of the national motto, “To Lead is To Serve,” Prof Moore began with the late Peter Abu’ofa, acclaimed SSEM founder, and named leaders from all over Solomon Islands including the late Sir Peter Kenilorea Senior and Francis Aqorau Talasasa.

He also mentioned the first Solomon Islands postgraduate, Francis Bugotu, and the first USP graduate with a BA in 1973, Francis Billy Hilly.

Prof Moore presented a copy of his latest book, ‘Making Mala; Malaita in Solomon Islands, 1870s-1930s’ to the Prime Minister Hou.

Other guests include members of the alumni association, and representatives from the private and public sector, including staff from the Australia High Commission and Australian-funded programmes.

The Solomon Islands Australia Alumni Association is supported by the Australian Government and comprises all former recipients of the Australia Awards programme, as well as people who have studied in Australia under private sponsorship.

–SIAAA PRESS

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

SMOKING residents at Tulaghi are confirmed to move into a new plot of land allocated as work for a new domestic wharf there is soon to commence within July-August.

The Premier of Central Islands Province (CIP) Hon Patrick Vasuni and his Executive Government have met and passed the area of relocation just inland (upper hill) from Smoking area, confirming this to Island Sun yesterday.

A meeting was held over the weekend to inform Smoking’s resident’s in which locals contacted expressed their appreciation for the caring assistance provided by CIP’s provincial government.

Hon Vasuni said that a surveyor will be hired to do subdivisions before Smoking’s residents will be plotted into their land area provided.

The piece of lands to be subdivided are said to be within 15 to 20 square metres.

From humanitarian understanding is why the Premier’s Executive Government suggested arranging a piece of land upper hill of Smoking area for residents to move there under certain conditions.

“Though we are sorry for the force of relocation, we have to move on too with developments,” said Hon Vasuni.

“Residents at Smoking area have always been effective participants in the province activities so they deserve too to be relocated in a suitable environment for their livelihood.”

It is understood that the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) is to build the new domestic wharf for Tulaghi.

Families settling at Smoking area are islanders from different provinces who went to work at Tulaghi during when Solomon Taiyo and the National Fisheries Development (NFD) were operating in CIP.

The islanders continue to live and generate at Tulaghi amongst the former fishing companies left areas ever since after they left for relocation. One of the areas living within is at Smoking which was a place for smoking fish during the past.

ENDS/////////

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Auki

FIVE “severe mental disorder” or mentally ill cases have been reported at Kilu’ufi Mental Unit for the first quarter of the year.

Doctor in-charge of the mental unit, Dr Rex Maukera revealed this during an interview yesterday.

He said these five new cases add to the already exisiting 23 “relapse cases” (those already attended the hospital).

Maukera said there were minor cases also reported to the hospital, but the reported figures are only for those admitted at the hospital.

He said the in-and-out flow of patients continues and that is an evidence that ‘severe mentally disorder is an issue’.

“The capacity we have at Kilu’ufi especially on accommodation is 20 beds, 10 for males and the other 10 for females.

“And an average a patient can keep at Kilu’ufi under our care is two to three months before discharge.

“But as experienced only small number we kept on regular basis compare to number out in the community.

“That shows severe mentally disorder is an issues and need to deal with,” Maukera said.

He said the alarm now is severe mental disorder is not on a decrease or stable rate, but it’s on the rise.

Maukera said it’s a serious concern which not only implies Malaita province only but the whole of the country.

When asked on their findings of causes to mentally ill patients reported to Kilu’ufi hospital, he said it’s multi-factual where it’s hard to pin-point certain areas as the root cause.

Maukera said people got up with the illness because of stress, marijuana, flow of the disease within family history and many other areas.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE committal papers regarding the three separate bank armed robbery cases will be made on April 4.

This is after the prosecution tendered the committal papers to the court yesterday.

The incident occurred in 2015 and 2016 where police alleged that certain men wearing masks and armed with weapons robbed the Bank of South Pacific banks in Honiara and Auki.

The three cases were previously committed to the High Court as the nature of the cases were quite serious.

One of the cases is in relation to the alleged Westpac Bank robbery in 2015.

Police alleged that the men were robbing about $4 million after chopping off a security guard’s wrist between 10am and 11am of January 19, 2015.

Police said that after they took the money they drove off in the westerly direction at very high speed.

Police and the public chased the car which resulted in it crashing at Kakabona.

Police said when the car overturned, five men came out from the car with knives and threatened that no one could go near them but residents at Kakabona chased them when they heard from police that they were the suspected robbers.

Prosecution alleged that during the robbery one of the robbers approached the security guard with a knife to attack him but he fell onto the cash box and rolled helplessly onto the main road.

At this stage and another accused allegedly jumped out with a long bush knife aiming to chop the security’s head but got the security guard’s wrist instead when the guard tried to avoid the knife.

It was then that his left wrist was taken out completely.

Police alleged it was sheer luck that only his wrist was chopped off, as it could have been his head.

Despite the injury, police said his right arm never let go of the cash box, prompting the attacker to continue hacking at him with the knife on the elbow.

Police alleged the robbers, some of whom wore masks, then took off in a waiting vehicle.

Another separate bank robbery case is in relation the incident occurred on November 27, 2015 in Auki.

Police said the men were armed with dangerous weapons and one of them had a gun and fired a shot while standing outside the bank as lookout, the court was told. While other men stayed in the getaway car

Two others went into the bank and filled up bags with about SBD$200,000 and US$10,000, the court heard.

The prosecution said that another shot was fired before the men left the bank.

And the third bank robbery case is in relation to the attack on the two Asian businessmen outside the old Westpac bank now BSP

Police alleged that the four accused were masked and armed with a knife when they attacked two Asian men as they were about to enter the BSP bank.

One of the businessmen was struck with a knife and also shot from a sling, the court was told.

The Office of the Director Public Prosecution appears for the state while Lawyers from the Public Solicitor’s Office represents all accused.