BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

HONIARA City Council (HCC) 2018 budget has featured sanitation funding for schools under the HCC.

This statement was revealed by the Principal Education Officer (PEO) for Honiara City Council Education Authority (HCCEA) Mr Henson Cornelius.

This is to support schools under HCC on sanitation facilities in terms of renovation and maintenance and building new sanitation facilities.

“We have featured sanitation funding for schools under HCC in the 2018 HCC budget scheme and the amount of money will purposely finances renovations and maintenance and building of new sanitation facilities.

“This idea is not coming out from nowhere to drive us but during our visits and reports stated that the current status of sanitation facilities on schools are said to be very poor and need improvement, hence we (HCC) consider it,” said Cornelius.

He said sanitation facilities may not be featured in the schemes of schools under HCC to support their hygiene facilities but it is good for HCC to take initiative to support schools on these facilities.

Additionally he said before effective learning takes place, individuals including students and teachers must live healthy and adapt in a healthy environment.

Furthermore he stated it is essential for HCCEA to work closely with school managers to avoid disconnection and communication breakdown.

“This is regarding planning of school goals and making improvements on school priority areas and so I urge school managers under HCC to work closely with HCC in 2018.”

CERTAIN members of Parliament (MPs) have been pocketing their share of shipping grants paid out by the Government while others are using these funds to purchase logging machines.

This was revealed by caretaker Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in Parliament on Monday before he was ousted by a vote of no confidence.

Sogavare told Parliament the abuse of shipping grants also contributed to the cash flow problem the country is currently faced with.

He said the total amount of money given to MPs to purchase ships can easily reach SBD$ 1 billion.

“There are reports of MPs taking cuts from shipping grants and machineries.

“We had one businessman from the Western Province who come and see me and told me very clear he applied for a project to complete a ship seeking $2 million in funding.

“The advice he received from a MP was to increase the amount to $3 million so that the MP can get the additional $1 million as commission.

“This was an attempt to corrupt a businessman who applied for his project,” Sogavare exposed.

Sogavare said some MPs even used their shipping grant paid to them to purchase a housing estate in White River, east of Honiara.

“MPs are buying houses instead of paying ships.

“And now they cannot rent the place because of the high criminal activities in the area, nobody wants to rent the place, so they don’t make money.

“I think the idea was to rent the houses, make money than buy the ship. But they got caught out,” he said.

“The amount already given to MPs can so easily go up to SBD$700 million or even $1 billion,” he added.

He said the Government policy is clear, which is to pay ships and machines to do road work and road repair, not to buy logging machines, as was the case for some MPs.

“We are just compounding this problem for ourselves.

“No wonder why there’s a cash flow problem, the Ministry of Finance cannot pay up the queue of payments because payments are going to this area.

“By paying logging machines MPs are setting a bad precedence, what if all the other MPs also what logging machines,” he said.

BY PHILIP LILOMO

RUSSELL Islands’ outspoken tribesman, Mr Silas Selo, says he wants to know why Mr Patrick Wong, a man who has never invested a single penny in the country, is allowed to come back.

Wong who is seeking a court-awarded $50 million payout for the waste land at Alligator Creek east of Honiara, was expelled but he returned to the country about four weeks ago.

Immigration officials said former Minister for Immigration waived Wong’s ban to enable him to attend court cases.

“While that may be the case, I want to know whether he was allowed to engage in other activities, including holding meetings under the guise of the so-called Lavukal Trust Board,” Selo said.

“What needs to be understood is that except for the ministerial waiver, he remains a prohibited person. As such, he should not be involved in arranging and attending meetings relating to RIPEL,” Selo said.

“The man’s movement in and around Honiara should be monitored,” he said.

Selo said Wong has organised or attended at least four meetings with the so-called members of the Lavukal Land Trust Board, chaired by Oliver Salepuka.

“Mr Salepuka cannot be the Chairman of the Lavukal Trust Board and at the same time be a director of RIPEL. Mr Salepuka cannot claim to represent the people of Russell in terms of his chairmanship of the Lavukal Trust Board and at the same time represent RIPEL interests as a director,” Selo said.

“It is a clear case of conflict of interest. The Lavukal Trust Board is a neutral body representing the interests of the Russell people.”

Last week Wong gave Mr John Whiteside, his right hand man, the boot, but Selo said “both men were wearing the same trousers when they arrived here so Mr Whiteside’s removal does not make sense.”

“If one goes, both of them must go,” he said.

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

A couple are in custody over alleged sexual abusing of children in the Reef island, Temotu province.

The wife has been allowed to remain at home and babysit their child while waiting for the court hearing.

Provincial Police Commander (PPC) for Lata police Mr Frank Menasa told Island Sun yesterday that investigations are underway.

“The accused was alleged sexually abusing children since last year and continue on this year and investigation on this case is still underway at this time.”

He said the victims include males and females in the communities allegedly prowled by the accused.

“And the charges will be determined if the accused are found guilty,” said Menasa.

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

ANZ bank pulling out in Auki Malaita Province has got the Bank of South Pacific (BSP) Country Manager Mr David Anderson calling on concerned customers to bank with BSP.

He said they have business facilities in Auki as there are two ATM machines and Officers to help them sort their frustration in having to travel to Honiara to do their banking.

“Just want to get the message out to ANZ customers that they can do their banking in Auki if they transfer their account to BSP,” said the Country Manager.

“If you’re a business then there are a number of genuine business customers that have opened an account with BSP so any that has a complication there can seek our branch so that we can open an account for them.

“So I want to take the opportunity to assure ANZ customers that we have no plans of leaving in the long term.”

The Country Manager went on to elaborate that there are a number of electronic options.

“There are the ATM machines and mobile banking or customers can use merchants with their BSP Account cards and do other small cash transactions using these electronic options.

“We are in Auki for the long term and we will be helping those who want to be our customers at anytime. We understand the ANZ customers concern as ANZ have been there for so long.”

Recently, it was published on Island Sun that ANZ customers in Auki had raised their frustration and concern over the bank pulling out from Auki.

It was reported that customers had to travel to Honiara to do their banking.

ANZ is the third bank to pull out from Auki after Wespac and DBSI.