Gizo Police have charged a 36-year-old male person for store break-in and escaping from police custody on January 14.
Initial report said the suspect allegedly broke in a Chinese shop in Gizo town and removed cash and other valuable properties at 2am on January 3.
Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Western Province Chief Superintendent Mathias Lenialu says, “The suspect was taken to Gizo police station after the incident, however, he escaped before they could formally arrest and charge him.
“RSIPF and Correctional Service of Solomon Islands (CSSI) officers in Gizo conducted a joint operation which resulted in apprehension of suspect and was later charged.
“The suspect charged for one count of Shop break-in and Committing Felony Contrary to Section 300(a) of the Penal Code (Ch. 26) and one count of Escaping from police custody contrary to section 199 of the Police Act,” said Lenialu.
The suspect currently remanded for 14 days at CSSI facility in Gizo and will appear in court on a later date.
Tulagi Police have appealed to communities in Central Province to come forward with information regarding illegal fishing method (dynamite), which occurred over the weekend.
Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Central Province Superintendent David Soakai says, “Initial report stated that an outboard motor (OBM) was going around big and small Ngella reefs using dynamites as fishing method.
“Upon receiving the report, police at Tulagi respond to the reported location but the boat has already left. The OBM is suspected to be travelling from Honiara to Ngella at night and used dynamite on several occasions to fish.”
PPC Soakai encourages people with information to come forward and work together with police to help put an end to such practices as it is destructive to the sea environment and surrounding ecosystem and damages the coral reefs.
Dynamite fishing is extremely destructive to surrounding ecosystem and if not stopped will severely affect todays and future generations.
Minister of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening, Rollen Seleso
By EDDIE OSIFELO
MINISTER of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening, Rollen Seleso is still to make any decision on the defeated $27 million revised budget in Malaita Province, on Tuesday.
This was after the Speaker of Malaita Province, Ronnie Butala did not submit the report on the deliberation of the revised budget meeting in Auki, to Minister Seleso.
Seleso said upon receiving the report from the Speaker, he will seek proper legal clarification on what to do next.
Majority of the members of Provincial Assembly voted ‘No’ during the voice vote, after the debate of the revised budget.
The Minister of Finance tabled the revised budget on Monday and the debate continued on the next day.
Butala said four MPAs debated the Minister of Finance’s speech on revised budget, when tabled in the Assembly.
He said the two common issues raised during the debate were over the Provincial Capacity Development Fund that was never paid to the province and the money in the Operational Heads, that have been vired already.
He said after the debate, it was put to voice vote in order to allow it to go through Committee of Supply and third reading.
“However, during the voice vote, the majority of the MPAs in the Chamber said ‘No’, so the ‘Nos’ have it.
“As such, under the Standing Order 47 in the Provincial Government Act 1997, I have no power to do anything about it,” he said.
Butala said he had sought advice from the Attorney General Office in Honiara.
He said a lawyer in the AG advised him that the Minister of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening has the power to make any decision on the issue.
However, Butala urged the public not to mix the budget meeting with politics.
He said the defeat of the revised budget has nothing to do with politics.
Butala has adjourned the budget session indefinitely until Minister Seleso provides the advice on what to do next.
Apart from that, the actual budget session is scheduled to take place on March.
The four years term of the Malaita Provincial Assembly (MPA) members die a natural death in June.
HONIARA City Council will crackdown on short bus route on Monday next week.
City mayor Eddie Siapu says measures were developed following concerns relating to short bus routes, irregular bus services, unregulated fares and poor bus conditions have expressed by residents and travelling public.
“The current taking Council of Honiara City is serious about addressing these concerns. My government is taking measures to address these concerns both in the immediate term, short term and long term,” Siapu says.
“Honiara City Council will crack down on short bus routes effective Monday January 2023.
“HCC will join forces with Traffic Department of the Royal Solomon Islands Police to monitor all buses serving routes in Honiara. HCC will revoke business license of any bus doing short routes,” the statement said.
HCC office adds by appealing to members of the public to report any public bus doing short routes.
In the short term, HCC is submitting a requested to the Road Transport Authority based in the Ministry of Infrastructure Development.
The submission will request the Road Transport Board to review and regulate bus fares, bus route and conditions of public buses in Honiara.
“Just to give ab example: HCC will request Road Transport Board to regulate that bus fares in Honiara is SBD5.00 for adults and SBD3.00 for students and children,” Mayor Siapu said.
In the long term, HCC has completed a survey on bus services in Honiara. HCC is now setting up a committee to conduct further consultations and studies into public bus service in Honiara. HCC is also looking at the viability of operating public bus services serving the main routes within Honiara City.
“The council is also enacting public bus service ordinance to regulate the industry within Honiara City. I appeal for understanding and patience from the general public in this matter as HCC continues to work on ensuring having proper regulated public bus service,” Siapu says.
He on the same note requests support and cooperation of bus operators to stop short bus routes and charging of excessive fares.
“If bus operators, do not listen to HCC, we will venture into operating bus service in Honiara and cancel all public bus licenses. So let us work together to provide a reliable, affordable, safe and viable public bus service on Honiara City,” Siapu says.
Parties involve in the reconciliation led by three MPs for constituencies in the northern region hold hands in show of reconciliation during the ceremony.
BY SAMIE WAIKORI
Family and relatives of the man whose body was found at Sasafa river three weeks ago have been paid compensation.
This reconciliation money included $100,000 and 30 shell money.
The 26-year-old deceased was from North Malaita, and his death is being treated as foul play by police, which has launched an investigation into the matter.
The compensation was presented by MP for Baegu/Asifola, Makario Tagini, colleague MP for Lau/Mbaelelea, Augustine Auga (who presented portion of the compensation earlier), families and parties on behalf of perpetrators during a reconciliation held at St Paul Anglican chapel in Auki yesterday.
Speaking during the ceremony, MP Tagini conveyed sincere condolences on behalf his people to MP Senley Filualea, relatives and families of the 26 years-old for his death.
“We are so sorry…… and what we will give will not replace life or somebody who is so dear to us, but this is to show our remorseful for what had happened.
“And I want to appeal to all parties to the incident for peace after this ceremony. We must love and forgive each other as one people.
“Our presentation is to show we are so sorry, and please colleague MP for North Malaita, Hon Senley Filualea, relatives and families accept it,” he said.
Rep from Lau Mbaelelea constituency presents a shell money on behalf of MP Auga and people of the constituency to MP for North Malaita,Hon Senly Filualea during the reconciliation.
Tagini added that his people will support police in their investigation and ensure those responsible for the incident must face the full force of law.
MP Filualea, who represented relatives and families of the deceased, said the incident is hard to accept but it has nevertheless happened.
“We thank God that today we can see the hands of God and I want to thank those who continue to pray for peace and reconciliation among problems that are affecting us.
“What is presented is accepted and will be taken to the tribe of the decease. This is what we must do to resolve the issue and heal the wounds as a result of the incident,” he said.
Filualea furthered by appealing to everyone in the province especially in the northern region not to take revenge on what had happened in the distant past.
“That takes us back to the times of the devil, while we are in the modern world and nobody wants such brutal killing and it must be stopped!” he said stressed.
Filualea said parties to the incident are all victims in one way or the other of their life and the paramount thing to do is to reconcile with each other, which had happened.
Premier Daniel Suidani said MPG as a government that looks after people in the province, doesn’t want to see such incident that happened resulted in the reconciliation.
He said the incident is indeed painful to the victim families and even impacted people in the northern region that was not a matter that can solve easily.
Suidani said his government is so grateful that the intervention of three national leaders within northern region help to address the matter for parties to the incident and people in the province.
PPC Malaita, Lesley Kili on that other hand thanked parties related to the incident and stakeholders to put together their mind and heart and agreed for the reconciliation.
He said the matter is actively under police investigation and appealed to people in the knows of the incident to support police in their investigation.
Kili also he called for calm and advised all parties not to take laws into their own hands by responding to the incident.
The reconciliation ceremony was coordinated by the office of peace in Auki with the support of churches, Malaita Provincial Government, police and PMO.
Minister for Health and Medical Services-Dr Culwick
BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO
LATA Hospital in Temotu province is still having difficulty accessing clean and fresh water for the hospital to support its health services operations.
This was confirmed by the Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Culwick Togamana.
“I went to Lata hospital and see for myself the challenges of getting regular sources of water to the hospital. This is because the main clean water source is slightly below the hospital,” Togamana said.
He said this issue can be addressed quickly if the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Electrification intervenes.
The Ministry of Mines, Energy and Electrification is responsible for this issue.
“But for now the challenge is still there especially getting the water from the Gracious Bay to the hospital, it is still a major difficulty for now.
“I suppose this issue is something to do with the energy that is required to move the water from the lower level to where the hospital is,” Togamana said.
The Malaita provincial government will this year consider the proposal by the Optic Orthodox church to buy off Aligegeo school.
Premier Daniel Suidani said the church had expressed its interest last year.
“They are now back and are proposing to make a presentation of their proposal to the Executive on the 25th of this month.
“They have promised that they will improve Aligegeo school to be the premier school of Malaita province and to provide an education that is at par with the Australian secondary education.
“I personally am of the view that we should continue to encourage those that would provide quality education to do so in the province,” he said.
Suidani said that on similar note, the MALA I TOLO Education initiative has had first round of supporting form 6 schools except for Suu.
He said the funded programme incorporated courses on Malaita tradition, environment, IT to form 6 courses in number schools in the province last year and review had done on the programme.
“And, I am please to say that they will continue their project next this year and hopefully expanding their support to even lower classes like forms four and five,” Suidani said.
He said an interesting aspect of the programm is the introduction of studies that look at local cultures and tradition.
“I am sure the programme will expand on this subject area as more information are gathered on this subject matter,” the premier said.
He said MPG owns only three secondary schools.
He said they are Aligegeo in the central region, Maluu in the northern region and Rokera in the southern region.
Margaret Edwards with husband Seru Daubitu showing their confirmation of the Permanent Residence document. Photo: Ofati Leve, Canada.
Solomons couple get PR status in Canada
The Government of Canada has granted two Solomon Islands nationals’ permanent residency.
Margaret Edwards and husband Seru Daubitu received their confirmation of permanent residency document, confirming their status as permanent residents from Canada’s Ministry of Immigration Refugee Citizenship [IRCC].
In a statement from Canada both Seru and Margaret expressed joy at their achievement, saying this journey to Canada has been “God’s Will” and they look forward to calling Canada their new home.
In the past 11 months a total of 14 persons from Solomon Islands have received their Canadian residency under the CITREC program.
“This partnership with Canada has permitted us to seek employment under temporary employment and then apply for Permanent residency in this magnificent country Canada as part of the permanent resident nomination program,” Margaret said.
“We are so honoured and privileged to be part of the workforce in boosting this country’s economy,” she added.
“And we look forward to the opportunity to support our families back home through remittances in the future.
“Looking back in life it has been really a blessing and answers to many prayers.
“One could not express how grateful I was when I was informed of being selected for this opportunity.
“Thank you CITREC. I am thrilled and excited to call Canada my new home.
“However, let me say something today that Solomon Islands will always remain in my heart.
“It will always be my motherland.”
Margaret’s husband Seru said that if it was not for labour mobility, he would still be struggling to find employment opportunities back home.
The CITREC partnership has provided us a new opportunity and hope.
Solomon Islands Consular General to Canada Ashwant Dwivedi has welcomed the news saying this is a great achievement for the recipient’s and Solomon Islands as a nation as labour mobility between Canada and Solomon Islands is trail blazing and setting new standards.
“I have in my effort to continue to strengthen our bi-lateral relations with the people and government of Canada and specially with Canada’s immigration division sent a letter in my capacity as representative of Solomon Islands and its people to Federal Immigration minister Sean Fraser to thank him and his staff at IRCC for their support to my people of the Solomon Islands, “Consular-General Dwivedi said.
He added that during the time of pandemic Canada and Canadians stood together with Solomon Islanders in Canada to provide the much-needed support.
Last year in March in a milestone achievement for the Solomon Islands for the first time in the country’s history eight Solomon Islands nationals were granted Canadian permanent residency.
They were all in Canada under the immigration nomination program to work and call Canada their permanent home under the CITREC program.
Then a separate family of 4 were granted residency. They were also in Canada under the nomination program under CITREC’s education and training program.
Canada’s partnership with the people of the Solomon Islands has paved the pathway to permanent residency allowing SI nationals to call Canada their new home.
Canada has proven to present one of the strongest partnerships through its labour mobility.
MALAITA Provincial Government (MPG) will rely on the ‘advice’ of Minister of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening, Rollen Seleso, after their $24 million revised budget got defeated in Auki, on Tuesday.
Majority of the members of Provincial Assembly voted ‘Nos’ during the voice vote, after the debate of the revised budget.
Speaker of Malaita Province, Ronnie Butala said four MPAs debated the Minister of Finance’s speech on revised budget, when tabled in the Assembly.
Butala said the two common issues raised during the debate were over the Provincial Capacity Development Fund that was never paid to the province and the money in the Operational Heads, that have been vired already.
He said after the debate, it was put to voice vote in order to allow it to go through Committee of Supply and third reading.
“However, during the voice vote, the majority of the MPAs in the Chamber said ‘No’, so the ‘Nos’ have it.
“As such, under the Standing Order 47 in the Provincial Government Act 1997, I have no power to do anything about it,” he said.
Butala said he had sought advice from the Attorney General Office in Honiara.
He said a lawyer in the AG advised him that the Minister of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening has the power to make any decision on the issue.
“I still have the report with me.
“I will submit to the Minister soon,” he added.
Further to that, he said the actual Budget is expected to be tabled in March.
However, advisor to Premier Suidani, Celsius Irokwato Talifilu posted on social media that it is not technically a new budget but rather a revised budget where the assembly meets to legalise any overspending or new revenue that took place in the last six months after a substantive budget was passed and expended.
Talifilu said when certain heads are overspent the process is to legalise those spending and if there is new money to come into the budget then that too needs to be legalised under the budget.
Moreover, he said technically MARA still has the numbers to rule.
Talifilu said the three ministers did not attend the meeting due to funerals in the family as well as one having a newborn child and stayed with his wife.
He said the premier still has 17 ministers, which is the majority of the assembly.
“The non-executive members were taking advantage of a situation when the 3 ministers were absent.
“This is irresponsible on the part of the non-executive members,” he added.
“Similarly, the nonexecutive should state their disagreements on the revised budget and the issues that need to be addressed rather than unnecessarily voting in opposition to the revised figures.
“After all, it is not a new budget but rather just a revised budget to legalise spendings that were not part of the budget when it was passed last year,” he added.
GIZO residents have described the proposed increase in members’ of Parliament entitlement as ‘insane and unjustifiable’.
An interview carried out by Island Sun in the street of Gizo found that all the interviewees were against the proposal.
Out of 10 interviewed, 10 said that they are against the proposal saying that it is an unjustified proposal.
Most of the people spoken to refuse to give their names.
Only two respected leaders, Jeffrey Wickham and Mrs Rendy Solomon consented to have their names published along with their statements.
Wickham said the proposal is unfounded and makes no sense given that the country’s economy is still struggling.
He adds that the proposal and those who compound such proposal must be out of their minds.
“Our country is still recovering from the economic effect of COVID-19 and this proposal comes in. What?
“I heard that we have a cash flow problem so where the hell will we find extra fund to put into this entitlements.
“Look at our investment, there is no new foreign investors. Our economy is surviving on old investors.
“Our old investors are grinding every corner of their business to pay their tax and other duties.
“Government should do an extra job to milk money for the economy rather than trying to milk money from our dying economy.
“This is one of the impractical proposal that I ever came across and to me, the proposal is unjustifiable,” Wickham said.
Rendy shared similar sentiment saying the proposal best describes “Self-Serving”.
She questioned as to why MPs’ entitlement continues to increase while there is no such arrangement for public servants.
“Public Service never had an increase in their entitlement but they continue to do their best in making sure their duties are carried out.
“But, if we look at our national leaders, some of them are there just to enjoy people’s tax money.
“Our leaders have been sitting in their comfort zone year in year out and yet they want to increase their entitlement. Can they tell me the reason behind this 10 percent increase entitlements?
Such huge amount of money should go towards important services that have been on halt due to lack of financial support.
“Most Area Health Centers within the country have closed. People are dying from curable diseases and yet MPs want their entitlements increased?
“This is unfair and a mockery to the citizen of this country,” Rendy said.
She hopes and pray that one day the national leaders will come to their senses and start prioritizing the need of the people before their own interests.
