LO thanks PS Vigulu for response on MFR allegation

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

in Auki

A landowner in Malaita who reported the alleged corrupt practice by staff within the Ministry of Forest and Research (MFT) has thanked Permanent Secretary (PS) Dr Vaeno Vigulu for his clear media response.

The landowner acknowledged Vigulu especially for clarifying procedures; now it is clear to resource owners on how they can go about these issues.

However, the landowner insists that now that Vigulu is aware of the allegations, he should do something about it rather than releasing a mere media statement.

“I suggest when PS heard of such complaint, he should either dispose an internal investigation in his office or talk to his officers to stop the practice.

“Let me clarify here that this allegation is not only targeted at an individual but his ministry.

“The reason I say this is I knew lot of logging companies that they told me of this and even I had witnessed for myself.

“Maybe the PS is not aware of what is happening in his office, and with this allegation I urge him to do what he can to stop this practice,” the landowner said.

“It is more than enough for resource owners to continue to be denied by his office on their concern of related logging issues in the country.

“The reason is Mr PS’s staff keeps on asking money from logging companies in the country, so anything might infringe the logging companies raised by resource owner to MFR, the staff will turn them down.

“What we tend to know now is even procedures or whatever in place, they are only there to protect the interest of the government and its cronies and not the resource owners.

“This is the reason I’m talking and any resource owner can say the same thing,” the landowner said.

The landowner said what people expect from public servants to serve the interest of the public is no longer there.

“They only look at who has money to serve their interests,” he said.

Thus, the landowner encourages the PS and his staff to protect the interest of the citizens of the country.

Discover more from Theislandsun

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading